I have a MY2003, completely stock, with about 19,000 miles. Oil levels are ok. A couple days ago, I was driving around at low speeds for most of the day. I started to make another trip out, but a few minutes after I left my house the CEL turned on. I went to get the CEL codes pulled and got P0301, P0304, P0300. I checked the spark plugs and coil packs, but they all look to have similar wear and tear. Any advice on what I should check next?

 

 

those are misfire codes. how did you check the plugs and coils? how did you come to the conclusion that they have normal wear and tear?

 

misfires were on cylinders 1 and 4. i removed all 4 of the coil packs and spark plugs and visually compared them. i dont know if it's normal wear and tear, but they all appeared similar. nothing looked especially burnt, wet, or broken.

i could buy a code reader, swap parts around, reset the CEL, and try to narrow it down to what could be wrong. but i dont know if i would be damaging the car any, or if i will get the CEL again. or would it be advised to take it into a dealer/mechanic to get it checked out?

 

My CEL(misfire code) was a result of 2 clogged/dirty injectors...
Notice any difference in the car's idling...

 

i reset the cel and drove around for a while. i drove lightly to warm up the car, and when i came to a dead stop at a light the car was a little rough and shaking for a second, clutch in, or out in neutral. no cel. after it warmed up, i didnt have this issue. i drove lightly, got into vtec for a little, and just put it through my normal driving conditions. i couldn't get a cel from any of this. there werent any abnormal sounds or vibrations that i could detect. the previous owner's maintenance records showed there was an intermittent misfire giving P0301 and P0303 about 5500 miles ago, but taken care of by the dealer. maybe it's a fluke? random misfire? flux capacitor?

 

CEL's aren't a fluke... Something's up...
My CEL went away for about 6 months when I changed my plugs, then came back as the same thing suddenly...
If not addressed properly, misfires can cause BIG headaches for ya...

I'd at least look into pulling injectors next...

 

i had a friend that's a former mechanic take a listen to it and he didnt hear any misfires tonight, so at least it's not a constantly happening. in the mean time i'm just listening for strange noises and feeling for odd vibrations. how'd you inspect the injectors?

 

take em out and look at the jet to see if its clogged

 

sorry, dumb question. i've just never taken the fuel injectors out before, but i found a service manual so now i have something to do next weekend. thanks