|
|
1999 Grand Am engine- missing cylinders, won't run right
|
|
|
| |
|
|
Iblis
Novice
Oct 25, 2012, 8:35 AM
Post #1 of 14
(2618 views)
|
|
1999 Grand Am engine- missing cylinders, won't run right
|
Sign In
|
|
I have a 1999 Grand Am, 4 cyl. 130,000 miles. Recently, the engine started running rough while driving. No acceleration to speak of. Engine Service light came on. Diagnostic tool said that one of the cylinders was "missing". Later, it said multiple cylinder misfires. Changed the spark plugs, spark plug rubber boots- no improvement. Took it to auto parts store, They were very helpful. I changed one coil. No change. Switched to the other coil, changed with a new one. Runs great. Next day, same problem came up even after driving it around town for an hour. Went back to store. Put another new coil in. No change= runs really rough. Changed plastic housing where spark plugs are, no change. Check ignition sensor "thing", that is fine. No change-still runs like on two or three cylinders. Cam sensor was put in, no change. It changed for a short time with a new coil. Then, runs like poo again. I am out of ideas on what it could be. I have changed it all it seems. Any ideas on what it could be? What damage will happen it I drive it like this? I know that gas mileage went to half, but I need a car. Please help.
|
|
| |
|
|
Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Oct 25, 2012, 8:37 AM
Post #2 of 14
(2610 views)
|
|
Re: 1999 Grand Am engine- missing cylinders, won't run right
|
Sign In
|
|
It sounds like you are describing a Quad 4. This is nearly always a problem with the coil housing. Make sure you didn't crack a plug either.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
|
|
| |
|
|
Iblis
Novice
Oct 25, 2012, 10:56 PM
Post #3 of 14
(2551 views)
|
|
Re: 1999 Grand Am engine- missing cylinders, won't run right
|
Sign In
|
|
I really don't understand how it could run ok with a new coil, but then turn to crud later. When two new coils are in, nothing improves. Is this an electrical issue or something else? Fuel filter? Gremlins? Check to make sure the plugs are not cracked-1 Fuel filter-2 The coils were checked at the Parts store, with the wiring harness still attached. It was good. It was checked at the plug portion of the wiring harness. What else could it be? I put some electrical grease on the contact points for the coils, just to be sure. If anyone else has some ideas, beside setting it on fire and dancing around it while it burns, please let me know.Thanks
|
|
| |
|
|
Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Oct 26, 2012, 3:00 AM
Post #4 of 14
(2545 views)
|
|
Re: 1999 Grand Am engine- missing cylinders, won't run right
|
Sign In
|
|
Hello wall............ are you listening wall.........lovely weather we're having
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
|
|
| |
|
|
Discretesignals
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Oct 26, 2012, 4:56 AM
Post #5 of 14
(2536 views)
|
|
Re: 1999 Grand Am engine- missing cylinders, won't run right
|
Sign In
|
|
You need to figure out which cylinders are misfiring. GM has misfire counts in their data stream, but you need a high end scan tool to see them. If you can determine which cylinders are skipping, that can give you some direction.
Since we volunteer our time and knowledge, we ask for you to please follow up when a problem is resolved.
|
|
| |
|
|
Iblis
Novice
Oct 26, 2012, 5:58 AM
Post #6 of 14
(2527 views)
|
|
Re: 1999 Grand Am engine- missing cylinders, won't run right
|
Sign In
|
|
When it got better after a new coil was put in, the housing was the old one. When the problem came back, the housing was replaced. No improvement. Thanks for your input. It is just really frustrating when almost everything has been replaced. It work better for a day, then back to the problem.
(This post was edited by Iblis on Oct 26, 2012, 6:00 AM)
|
|
| |
|
|
Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Oct 26, 2012, 6:04 AM
Post #7 of 14
(2521 views)
|
|
Re: 1999 Grand Am engine- missing cylinders, won't run right
|
Sign In
|
|
Have you tried the module now that it has a new coil?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
|
|
| |
|
|
Iblis
Novice
Oct 26, 2012, 9:12 AM
Post #8 of 14
(2510 views)
|
|
Re: 1999 Grand Am engine- missing cylinders, won't run right
|
Sign In
|
|
are you talking about the Ignition Control Module? That was tested at the parts store, it is fine. I think that if I cracked a plug putting them in, it never would have gotten better after the new coil was put in. The first thing I did was put in new plugs, plug boots. It didn't change anything. It has two new coils, new plugs, new plug boots, new coil housing unit was put on(no effect) cam sensor was tried. The ground wire, which is a C type clip, was around one of the exterior bolts and was run under the plastic coil housing. It has been that way since I have gotten the car. The car ran fine for almost two years and I had never touched this part until it messed up. Does the ground wire have to be attached to something on the motor? Could it be a collapsed lifter? or valve? I bought some Sea Foam brand stuff to put in the gas and in the oil area, hoping that would free something up. I haven't done it yet. I also got some new plugs. Bosch Platinum series. I will gap them for .50, according to the book. I really appreciate all the help and thought on this. I am just at a total loss on what is really wrong with this. If I try something and it works, I will let you know. Thanks again for all the help; I will take all I can get right now. Can I remove one of the spark plug rubber boots and run the motor to see how this affects it? Will this effectively tell me if a cylinder is messed up or not? Or will it spark enough to go from the coil housing unit to the plug? Or, should I just remove the plug and try this for each one?
(This post was edited by Iblis on Oct 26, 2012, 9:15 AM)
|
|
| |
|
|
Iblis
Novice
Oct 26, 2012, 8:58 PM
Post #10 of 14
(2492 views)
|
|
Re: 1999 Grand Am engine- missing cylinders, won't run right
|
Sign In
|
|
Why are the Bosch plugs bad? They are still in the package, taking them back is no problem. The ignition control module- the car still starts with no problem. Starting the car has never been a problem.
|
|
| |
|
|
Iblis
Novice
Oct 28, 2012, 5:53 PM
Post #11 of 14
(2466 views)
|
|
Re: 1999 Grand Am engine- missing cylinders, won't run right
|
Sign In
|
|
Update-- I talked to my nephew who has had several classes and training in auto repair. I told him what was going on and also told him that the first coil that I had bought, put in and worked, the magnet around it was loose. Not much, just a couple millimeters at the most. He stated that this could cause a misfire; along with several other things. So, I changed the plugs- put in some AC Delco's. Plugs two and three were fouled black. I took back that new coil that had the loose magnet. It was American made. The guy at the parts store had told me earlier that the loose magnet doesn't mean anything. When I brought this one back, he brought out another one, American made, and it was loose too. The other new one I put in was made in China. So, I took back the first one that I bought, got a credit for it, bought the Chinese one and put it in. It runs good. The coil was the problem. The Chinese coil magnets were tight, didn't move. The car is running ok-that was an answer to prayer. Hopefully, it will continue to run good for a long time. Thanks to all who helped, I really appreciate it.
|
|
| |
|
|
Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Oct 28, 2012, 7:14 PM
Post #12 of 14
(2460 views)
|
|
Re: 1999 Grand Am engine- missing cylinders, won't run right
|
Sign In
|
|
And you don't think the Delco plugs had anything to do with that?
How many of the 4 plugs were fouled?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Oct 28, 2012, 7:16 PM)
|
|
| |
|
|
Iblis
Novice
Oct 29, 2012, 8:18 AM
Post #13 of 14
(2438 views)
|
Re: 1999 Grand Am engine- missing cylinders, won't run right
|
Sign In
|
|
plugs #2 and #3 of four were blackened, fouled up. No, I don't think the plugs were part of it. It ran good after I replaced the first new coil. It ran good for half a day then went bad. I replaced the plugs with Delco's and started it up. No improvement. If the plugs were bad to begin with, it never would have ran better at all. It did not improve until I replaced the first new coil with a new one, different brand. That coil operates cylinders #2 and #3. My nephew didn't recommend Bosch plugs either. Are they that bad? Why are they bad? I just don't know. I appreciate your willingness to help me get that thing going again, thank you very much.
|
|
| |
|
|
Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky
/ Moderator
Oct 29, 2012, 3:14 PM
Post #14 of 14
(2429 views)
|
|
Re: 1999 Grand Am engine- missing cylinders, won't run right
|
Sign In
|
|
Yep, 2 and 3 share the same coil.
Bosch plugs work OK in Mercedes and some other German cars but they just don't work with Domestic or Asian. You always want to stay with the plug it came with new. That's the one that was engineered to that ignition system. Auto parts stores push Bosch because of the larger profit margin.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We offer help in answering questions, clarifying things or giving advice but we are not a substitute for an on-site inspection by a professional.
(This post was edited by Hammer Time on Oct 29, 2012, 3:15 PM)
|
|
| |
|
Auto Repair Home
SEARCH
WHO'S 
LOG 
mdma pills for sale : WhatsApp +33758633852
Drive Shaft Repair
2006 Toyoto Camry XLE Driver Side Electric Window Trouble
Grounding Cable, 2017 Jeep Renegade Trailhawk
equipment
