Flashing CEL during WOT pull, no stored code, went away
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 29,896
Likes: 5,435
From: Ontario Canada
That first plug is whacked. I first thought it was a broken/ damaged plug but it looks like it is a totally incorrect part, someone installed one plug that was the wrong part number ?. Any explanation on how one incorrect plug could have been installed in your engine ?
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Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 6,223
Likes: 4
From: Orange County, CA
The first plug is actually broken. The insulator had a clean break all the way around. Thank god the hanging part was too big to fall into the engine.
Going to drive more to test out the car. Rest of the plugs look a little lean.
Also, plugs from left to right are cylinders 4, 3, 2, 1.
Going to drive more to test out the car. Rest of the plugs look a little lean.
Also, plugs from left to right are cylinders 4, 3, 2, 1.
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 29,896
Likes: 5,435
From: Ontario Canada
The first plug is actually broken. The insulator had a clean break all the way around. Thank god the hanging part was too big to fall into the engine.
Going to drive more to test out the car. Rest of the plugs look a little lean.
Also, plugs from left to right are cylinders 4, 3, 2, 1.
Going to drive more to test out the car. Rest of the plugs look a little lean.
Also, plugs from left to right are cylinders 4, 3, 2, 1.
Joined: Oct 2009
Posts: 29,896
Likes: 5,435
From: Ontario Canada
Since you raised the suggestion of the plugs running lean, you might have had a bit of detonation on cylinder 4. Inspect the porcelain insulators around the center electrodes using a magnifying glass and lots of light and see if there are any silver specks on them - molten aluminum.
Thread Starter
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 6,223
Likes: 4
From: Orange County, CA
There are no silver specs.
My car's had a really hard time idling and low power at low rpm. It felt like the engine was lugging under 2500 rpm. My car would have trouble holding idle; it would slowly drop RPM, and then "recover", and slowly drop down, cycling like that over a 5-10 second period per cycle (I have a datalogger + display that shows exact RPM). Ever since I put the fresh plugs in, my car can hold idle perfectly fine, even when stressed with the clutch out and AC on, and has MUCH more power at the bottom of the RPM range.
The plug must have been bad for a while (since I put them in?!?), because I haven't been able to get the MPG I'm used to getting.
I have a lightweight flywheel (8.7lbs) so the engine is very sensitive to load at idle (coolign fan, AC, etc.), and its MUCH smoother now.
Scary, thinking that I could have lost an engine. I wonder if this is what gave me an odd reading on my last UOA.
I doubt it's the tune that caused this, as I've had the same tunes for over 45k miles now, and have had no issues. Either way, I'll check the plugs after a few tanks of gas to see if I'm still lean. If I am, time to get a retune to get back where I should be.
Thank you guys for the feedback!
My car's had a really hard time idling and low power at low rpm. It felt like the engine was lugging under 2500 rpm. My car would have trouble holding idle; it would slowly drop RPM, and then "recover", and slowly drop down, cycling like that over a 5-10 second period per cycle (I have a datalogger + display that shows exact RPM). Ever since I put the fresh plugs in, my car can hold idle perfectly fine, even when stressed with the clutch out and AC on, and has MUCH more power at the bottom of the RPM range.
The plug must have been bad for a while (since I put them in?!?), because I haven't been able to get the MPG I'm used to getting.
I have a lightweight flywheel (8.7lbs) so the engine is very sensitive to load at idle (coolign fan, AC, etc.), and its MUCH smoother now.
Scary, thinking that I could have lost an engine. I wonder if this is what gave me an odd reading on my last UOA.
I doubt it's the tune that caused this, as I've had the same tunes for over 45k miles now, and have had no issues. Either way, I'll check the plugs after a few tanks of gas to see if I'm still lean. If I am, time to get a retune to get back where I should be.
Thank you guys for the feedback!
Registered User
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 213
Likes: 2
From: Wilmington, NC
There are no silver specs.
My car's had a really hard time idling and low power at low rpm. It felt like the engine was lugging under 2500 rpm. My car would have trouble holding idle; it would slowly drop RPM, and then "recover", and slowly drop down, cycling like that over a 5-10 second period per cycle (I have a datalogger + display that shows exact RPM). Ever since I put the fresh plugs in, my car can hold idle perfectly fine, even when stressed with the clutch out and AC on, and has MUCH more power at the bottom of the RPM range.
The plug must have been bad for a while (since I put them in?!?), because I haven't been able to get the MPG I'm used to getting.
I have a lightweight flywheel (8.7lbs) so the engine is very sensitive to load at idle (coolign fan, AC, etc.), and its MUCH smoother now.
Scary, thinking that I could have lost an engine. I wonder if this is what gave me an odd reading on my last UOA.
I doubt it's the tune that caused this, as I've had the same tunes for over 45k miles now, and have had no issues. Either way, I'll check the plugs after a few tanks of gas to see if I'm still lean. If I am, time to get a retune to get back where I should be.
Thank you guys for the feedback!
My car's had a really hard time idling and low power at low rpm. It felt like the engine was lugging under 2500 rpm. My car would have trouble holding idle; it would slowly drop RPM, and then "recover", and slowly drop down, cycling like that over a 5-10 second period per cycle (I have a datalogger + display that shows exact RPM). Ever since I put the fresh plugs in, my car can hold idle perfectly fine, even when stressed with the clutch out and AC on, and has MUCH more power at the bottom of the RPM range.
The plug must have been bad for a while (since I put them in?!?), because I haven't been able to get the MPG I'm used to getting.
I have a lightweight flywheel (8.7lbs) so the engine is very sensitive to load at idle (coolign fan, AC, etc.), and its MUCH smoother now.
Scary, thinking that I could have lost an engine. I wonder if this is what gave me an odd reading on my last UOA.
I doubt it's the tune that caused this, as I've had the same tunes for over 45k miles now, and have had no issues. Either way, I'll check the plugs after a few tanks of gas to see if I'm still lean. If I am, time to get a retune to get back where I should be.
Thank you guys for the feedback!
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