missing a Cylinder? :(
 

3 times have i been driving my car when suddenly the engine starts to stutter and shake and loose power. :yikes:

On tick over its very rough, and while driving its absolutely awful. :confused:

Its as if its only firing on 4 cylinders (maybe less) so it could be an ignition problem. :(
OR maybe its fuel related ?

The 3 times its happened, it seemed to clear up when i take it to 4.5K and higher.. but dropping back down the revs and the poor running returns. :crazy:

I couldn't work out what was wrong, but a full bore, high rev Italian style 'tune up' down the bypass seemed to fix the problem. :idea: LOL :rock:

Anyone got any ideas ? Why is this problem coming and going? :wall:

i had a very similar problem where low down my car was running like a bag of sh*t, but when rev'd hard it went good. I finally tracked it down to where the plug leads fit into the dizzy cap were all snapped bar 1 :S never seen it before but a quick trip to the scrappy to get some new (lol) leads sorted the problem

yes same here i also would say change ht leads first they only last about 60k before they start breaking down.

leads, dizzy cap, rotor and plugs is the way to go. Do the basics an check them all.

If it's only seen low down I doubt theres a fuel problem.

I think this is the way to go - but just before you go out and spend some cash, just check all of the leads are seated correctly on the plugs and the cap, as well as the coil.

try swoping the fuel pump relay with your old cars and also check the connection to the fuel pump under the rear seat ,if the ignition bits don't give you any joy

had the same problem years ago, changed the dizzy, sorted

Damnit!

Just got the exhaust on today :).. and now engines playing up again. :( only this time it seems no amount of 'Italian style tune up' is able to fix it. Whats more I can't get under the bonnet because the cable snapped on the bonnet pull. Gurrr! :grr:

I'm Not having much luck ATM. :(

you have my sympathy, your in an elite club of "nothing is going right at the moment"

Yes, welcome Gaz, it is rather 'eliteist'.

lol
I don't suppose any of you know how to 'open' the bonnet when the cables is broken?

Or do i just rip the plastic grill off with my bare hands? :crazy:

Can you get up from underneath with a pair of long nose pliers or some 'hook' arrangement to pull the bonnet release cable close to the release catches...?

Just thinking aloud really... You've got my sympathy there, I couldn't think of anything more infuriating.:grr:

good idea... i hope it works.. I'll give it a try tomorrow. Thanks. :) :tup:

I got the bonnet open.. :)

Firstly I swapped the plugs over from the GT, buts its still not running right and the problem hasn't gone away.

Secondly i noticed that plug 4 (second from the back) was very black when i took it out, so i thought AHAH! that will be the one! :) But nope. Having replaced the plugs and tried a different plug lead its still running like a bag of s#ite low down n the rev range. :(

I even swapped the dizzy cap and rotor arm over.. but no joy.

Could it be the coil? I have to say i'm really get tired of it going 'BANG' at 30 mph thru town. It even makes me jump some times.. :nonod:

Hmmmm... Injectors....

Disconnect the cold start injector for starters... Just in case that's firing all the time...
Then replace all the injector seals, it could be you're breathing air in through knackered injector seals...
also try cleaning the fuel injector nozzles, the old girls do get shitted up (excuse the language)... Sometimes... then it's on to timing and fuel delivery....

And that is Pandora's box.

so.. could injector on cylinder 4 not be atomizing the fuel below a certain rpm?.. and just peeing it in to the cylinder? until enough pressure is behind it at over 3K so it works properly? :confused:

Or could it be no fuel is coming out of it at all below a certain rpm / fuel pressure?

Any of these a possibility? (just guessing it up as i go along tbh) :(

Here's a photo of a couple of the plugs i took out..

On the left is cylinder number 4 (second from rear of engine) and on the right is pretty much what all the others looked like.

Humm.. where's '4v6' when u need him? :)

http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/5344/260320093543.jpg

today i tried swapping the coil from the GT as well.. :( but still no improvement.

I guess its got to be injectors then? yea? :confused: ? :( Or could it be something up with the fuel metering head?

looks like injector 4 may be leaking or running too rich compared to the others

Well plug no4 is definately not looking healthy thats for sure and if you say it's only running on 4 cylinders than I would hazard a guess there's your problem. The colour of the plug indicates you are running very very rich. I would look at fuel delivery issues I am no expert on injection systems for these things but the checks on seals etc would be good advice to follow.

Oh,.. i also disconnected the cold start injector to see it it made any difference, but no luck :( . Infact I pulled every plug under the bonnet and the only one to make a blind bit of diffreace was the one on the dizzy! It stalled. :D

Anyways.. here's a video I made to try and show the problem. Dunno if its any good to you tho.

VIDEO:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbkGVMSCK64