Hey guys, I'm looking for some answers and some guidance on what to do next I'm pulling out my hair here.
I own a 2000 cavalier z24 2.4l, the car only has 170,000k. About two weeks ago i was driving to school and right before driving in to the parking lot car started to shake spit and sputter as if it was running on 1 cylinder. So i parked it, after school when i started it same thing the car would hardly run check engine light started flashing. Towed the car back home scanned it with the code p0300 multiple cylinder miss-fire.
So the first thing i looked at is the spark plugs all were fine, all been changed 2 months ago with the original ac delco specs. The one thing that i did notice is that spark plug cylinder #2 is always wet, changed around the spark plugs and no luck spark plug cylinder #2 always wet. Went to the junkyard and got a whole complete tested unit "ignition module/coils/coil cover/valve cover" swapped the unit and nothing same thing spark plug cylinder #2 still wet. got a new injector o-ring kit swapped injector #2 with injector #1 same thing #2 still wet. Head gaskets good no antifreeze mix muffler is throwing unburnt fuel like crazy and the car is un drivable. Thanks for reading any suggestions or opinions would help, Thanks guys !
seriously no one has any input, am i the only one experiencing this
How did you check your head/valve cover gaskets on a 2.4 with out taking the engine out of the car?
i would have someone look at your pcm make sure its sending the right amount of fuel/air to where it is supposed to be going to.
not the best answer in the world, but im an ecotec / ls2200 guy =/
Sounds to me either a weak battery or maybe your PCM or ECM whichever you have may have crapped out on you.
is it fuel or oil on the plug?
see if you can get a coil cover from a friends 2.4L. See if that helps. Same thing happened to my Sunfire. Just all of a sudden crapped out on me. If the new cover fixes it, do not get one from the dealer. They changed suppliers for that part and they are junk. Dealer put 5 of them on my car (under warranty) and the misfire always came back. They over-nighted one of the older ones from another dealer and I haven't had the problem return. Yet...
Hey guys thanks for all your input, so to answer all questions:
Battery checked out and its fine its a new battery been replaced 5 months ago, cylinder #2 spark plug is wet with fuel, and i already tried the coil cover solution got the whole working unit coils/coil cover/valve cover/ignition module from junk yard replaced and nothing changed.
all other things that i tried: replaced spark plugs no change, replaced boots no change. ohm'd injectors all good and clicking during operation, ohm'd iac sensor checked out fine, checked for vacuum leak non found, changed order of the injectors same thing.
still only one code p0300, i got another question if one of the sensors would be bad wouldn't the PCM throw a code out for that sensor ?
any other input would be appreciated !! thanks guys.
I still think the coil cover could be bad. Even though you pulled the whole thing as a whole and especially since you got it from a yard. Another thing you could try is a compression and leak down test to make sure that cylinder is OK.
hey minitransam did you also have the P0300 code ? and when i will change the cover i would want to get the old design would you have the part # for it or the old manufacturer so i could try and find it ? thanks )))
Do a compression check on all your cylinders. you could get a misfire from low compression, from what I've learned this past week or two. The bonus about doing this, is you'll atleast have an idea on the health of your engine at the same time.
http://www.j-body.org/forums/read.php?f=11&i=149170&t=149170
gill poronik wrote:hey minitransam did you also have the P0300 code ? and when i will change the cover i would want to get the old design would you have the part # for it or the old manufacturer so i could try and find it ? thanks )))
Yup had the flashing check engine light and the P0300 code. And since I tried to limp the car home (never made it) I killed my cat and it threw that code a few days later.
The bad part number is 19166100 which according to Rock Auto replaced part number 10475706. So 10475706 should be the good part number. If yours is in fact bad, I'd call the dealer and see if you can figure out who the supplier for that part is and then stay away from them. If you get one from Rock Auto, I'd stay away from the ACDelco and the Delphi ones.
Autozone does carry one but I have no idea who makes it. It's under the Duralast name.
Autozone
k so i went to my local parts shop and got the coil cover #10475706, same thing no change, ohmd out all 3 coil covers that i have and all show the same value. i don't have the tools to do a compression test so i guess il have to rent some equipment. another thing that i noticed is that when i changed the spark plugs, instead of only spark plug#2 being wet with fuel, now its #2 #3 that's wet and #4 has a bit of fuel so really the car is only combusting in #1 #4. this is driving me crazy i just don't know
another question is i there any sensor that i should check, one that would cause such a big misfire ? the only thing that im thinking maybe: oxygen sensor, cam shaft sensor, timing chain
went through the same thing last week with my stepmother's car. low rpm misfire, one plug always wet. did a compression test, and it confirmed this:
PITA. i'd rather replace the whole engine than do a head gasket on this engine.
JBO Stickers! Get yours today!
compression testers are cheap... Likely $30ish canadian, (25 american) Should be able to get it at your local tool store, car parts store. its just a gauge, a piece of hose, and an adapter to screw into the spark plug hole.
Might want to also check your coolant and air temp sensors with an ohm meter. Most times when they go bad they default to -40 degrees. This will cause a lot of extra fuel to be dumped in to the engine.
Sounds like you have a hole in that piston.
o.k guys, so i got some bad news
,,......... i did the compression test and here are the results:
Cyl 1: 210 / Cyl 2: 210 / Cyl 3: 0 / Cyl 4 220
looks like Cyl 3 is dead, i think il get some more money back by selling the car piece by piece but heres my question: what would cause it to go to 0, hole in the piston ? valves ? because if its anything to do in the top cams then i wouldn't have to take the engine out and do all the work i would just rather sell the car.
Usually if a cylinder has zero compression it means a hole in a piston or a very severely leaking valve. You can determine what is leaking using a leakdown test, which is basically running compressed air into the cylinder with a hose that has the spark plug thread on the end. They are available at many stores. You can also make your own tester something like
this.
To do the test, you bring the piston to TDC with both valves closed and apply the air pressure. You can determine what is wrong in the engine by finding out where you hear the air leaking.
Air out the exhaust means leaky exhaust valve.
Air out the throttle body means leaky intake valve
Air coming out the oil fill tube means leaky rings or hole in piston
Bubbles in the radiator means cracked head/block or bad head gasket.
Sorry to hear about your engine.
