The Little Engine That Barely Even Tried

Welp, this is the story of a little sewing machine of an engine that may be quickly committing sepukul out of shame for quitting so easily.

A couple nights ago i was coming back from LA with friends and their luggage. It was a fairly quick trip right up until we got past Coalinga. I think the smell got to #4 cylinder because it started misfiring.

The misfire was only at speeds above 70 or when i pushed the engine heavily. I didn't do those things on the last legs of the trip and it was uneventful.

As soon as i offloaded my friends. I noted that i was getting a constant misfire (i had turned the engine off while we unloaded). I was in San Ramon and spent the night in the Lucky parking lot cause i was tired.

Nextt afternoon (or early evening), the police woke me up because someone called in a report that someone had been sleeping they're all day (or so i assume). I got there about 1030 and left about 6.

I replaced the MAG sensor since i had one just laying around. All symptoms went away. Yay, for me. I met a friend in sf and brought him towards Hayward. On the way back, my engine began the following:

While driving towards Hayward the engine now stuttered when i gave it light gas. If i stomped on the accelerator, things seemed fine. If i didn't, the car seemed to want to play the hokey pokey. I had to turn the car off at each light because it did not like standing still with load on the engine. It would do a lot better if i put it in neutral and rev the engine.

On the way back, i would step at heavily as i had to to keep the engine running smooth. The first attachment are the dtc's i had when i got back.

I took the following steps:
1. I removed the spark plugs and switched 4 and 3 (I'm numbering based on the piston firing order, 1 3 4 2).

Look at the pics - I'm aghast at plug #2.

The first few pics assuming they upload in orde, Are from cylinder #2. Those are the cylinder, coil, coil body. Spark plugs and then comparison shots.
#2 was incredibly gritty. To the point that i had to clean my gloves before i could handle the other Sparks.

1 They all appear to be fouled. I don't think i should put any of f them back in the car. Do you agree?

Bte,v these Sparks have fewer than 30k miles on them. They all had burned on carbon and oil somewhere on them.

#2 coil seems to have had massive blow by. That spark want in as tight as the other ones. I put that coil and spark back into #2.

2 and, 3 Sparks were switched. Suddenly both this cylinders are misfiring.

2. Is that telling me that both the coil and the spark plugs are bad?

The EGR dtc is brand spanking new. I haven't fully researched the newest dtcs yet.

3. Is this engine dead?

4. Should i stop trying to fix it and start reading up on how to replace it?

I'm going to swap 2 and 3 again and see what happens


Checked out my new dtcs.


View attachment 10_DTC_29092019043935PM.txt View attachment 9_DTC_30092019013119PM.txt

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Oh. I let friend borrow the car for two days camping. When it got back and isaw that there was no oil on the dipstick. I refilled and drove to la and back. Just had the normal oil drinking that i expected.

He says that he had the oil changed for me. It seems that they didn't put enough back in. He didn't get it done at a shop. Some guys who had some extra oil did it for him for $20.

I asked if they offered to re pave his driveway as well. He didn't think that was funny.

O. M. G.

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SFO: 225,000ish miles.

I'm not having trouble w the attachments i can see pics and read the text files. The text files massage not render in a browser. I have to open them in Text editor.

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[QUOTE="TMR-JWAP,

If all you want to do is see if your problems clear up, then just install some normal Champions or Autolites or something for a buck each. You don't have to use iridium. And yes, torque them so the crush gasket actually crushes.

And there is no EGR on a Gen 2. Your code reader is off a bit.

[/QUOTE]

Thanks, man. I appreciate it. Trying it tonight.

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They used what was left of my oil. About 2 quarts.

 

Hi everyone. I'm using an ODBLink MX TO SCAN FOR CODES. I've updated to the latest firmware

So, I've changed the MAF and Sparks champion i think). I've got the oil but no place to change it. I'll figure it out.

When i changed the maf, everything went great. I was loving the car again. 27ish miles later. It starts sputtering.

Changed the Sparks. Same thing. 30+ . Milesand it's Sputter City. Shoot, phone dying.
[Edits]
I was reading and it seems that i could be getting misfires from a too lean condition.

My first O2 sensor seems to have quit working. The second one is high along with the temp sensor might have caused the car to go lean on the fuel too much.

I have to test the O2 sensor to see if it's actually in need of replacement. ( I'll read up and figure that out).

What else can i do? I'm going to re check the speaks to make sure they're ok. Check the oil as well again.

 

Wow, i think mine is something More usual.

Here's what I've found. I re-installed old spark plugs. It ran like it used to for 30 ish minutes. Then i lost fire in a cylinder - the engine was shaking and unbalanced at low rpm and ran better at high rpm.

At the suggestion on someone above i got and installed new plugs. The car ran perfectly for almost 45 minutes before it started missing on cylinder 4 and randomly on the others.

I limped home. Cleaned the new Sparks and the above repeated.

I'm certain that i can clean and re-install them to my heart's content ... And I'll v get 30-45 minutes before #4 misfires.

All my new spark plugs had black inner rings surrounding the the electrodes. The threads were covered with oil when i removed them ... Clean oil i should say. Except for the 4th cylinder on the right. The pill was black, filthy covered with thick, black, oilly, muddish filth. It was just ... Yuck.


Is this a known thing? This 4th piston getting so completely gunked that it can't fire?

One more piece of info. If i add propane to the air intake. The engine smooths out and and runs fine. Its getting gas and could be just be firing at an inopportune time.

My sir/fuel ratio sensor is putting out no reading at all. It seems to be plugged in but it's probably why i threw a P0420 for the past 6 months.

I really don't know what to do. The electrical and to work fine. The ICE definitely needs fixing if not replacing.

Should i install the new air fuel sensor or send it back (so i can buy food -cause in hungry)?

Is a 250k mile car w at least 1 bad spark plug oil seal worth fixing?

Is the car dead, and i just don't know it yet?

Or, is it bouncy and full of life and i need to pull my head out because i just can't see it?

Should i part it and find something else?

My thinking really isn't clear here.

Hayward, CA




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I'm currently getting
P0420
P0304 Cylinder 4 misfire detected

I'm supposed to drive someone to LA today. Wonder if we will make it?

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Man, i wanted this to work but, alas, no.

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I was getting cylinder #4 and the 4th cylinder mixed up, I guess.

I re tried the easy swap of could for 3 and 4. The misfire stayed at the same place, #4 in the firing order ( 3rd cylinder).

The spark plug are new copper Champions or something like that.

I'm also getting a P0053 along with a blank reading on the air/fuel mixture sensor (front O2 sensor).

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And, last but not least,P3190. I cleared it twice, and twice it popped right up.

I think this is a fuel pump failure and the fuel pump is located inside the fuel tank which (the tank) now needs to be replaced.

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This could be an opportunity. Maybe i can find a Canadian fuel tank without that bladder in it.
View attachment 16_DTC_19102019033724PM.txt View attachment 3_DTC_19102019042252PM.txt

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