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SOLVED ~ 2004 Pontiac Grand Am V6, Engine Misfire Cylinder 5 ~230 000 KM


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WailFin
New User

Jul 2, 2015, 10:41 AM

Post #1 of 8 (2456 views)
  post locked   SOLVED ~ 2004 Pontiac Grand Am V6, Engine Misfire Cylinder 5 ~230 000 KM  

Let me start this by saying I'm not super mechanically knowledgeable, but if you give me some suggestions, I can figure how to go about getting them done!

The car hooked up to a computer says that it shows a cylinder 5 misfire. Whenever you stop and start accelerating, it shakes extremely bad while it gains speed, and while going at higher speeds, ie: highway driving, or going up hills, it starts to hesitate and act sluggish, while the service engine light is flashing.

Stuff I've done to try and fix it: replaced fuel filter, spark plugs, spark plug wires, ignition coil for cylinders 2+5 (when I changed it, it got mildly better for a couple hours, the misfire was gone on the computer, but the next day it started up worse than ever), fuel injector cleaner (multiple bottles), and the only other thing I can think of is a fuel injector, but as it's one of the back one it requires taking off the entire manifold and everything else, which is above my mechanical ability, and it's apparently a time consuming process.

We also tested the compression on cylinders 1, 3 and 5 and they were all around the same apparently, and in a good range.

I've also posted this on Yahoo Questions, but I feel like maybe this is a better place!

Anything else you can think of to help me is greatly appreciate!


(This post was edited by WailFin on Jul 9, 2015, 12:22 PM)


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jul 2, 2015, 11:06 AM

Post #2 of 8 (2443 views)
  post locked   Re: 2004 Pontiac Grand Am V6, Engine Misfire Cylinder 5 ~230 000 KM  

I'd probably agree that is sounds like a fuel injector. Don't waste your money on chemicals in the fuel tank. There is no such thing as "Mechanic in a Can". The only one that benefits from that stuff is the guy that sold it to you.



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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.



WailFin
New User

Jul 2, 2015, 11:09 AM

Post #3 of 8 (2441 views)
  post locked   Re: 2004 Pontiac Grand Am V6, Engine Misfire Cylinder 5 ~230 000 KM  

That's what I was thinking, but I can't always be a hundred percent certain which I why I tried the other little "quicker" stuff to try all my options, and why I've turned to here to see if there's anything else someone can suggest.

The process for changing the fuel injectors seems pretty invasive, requiring the manifold to be taken off and everything like that. Do you have any idea on how long that would take?

I figured it was worth a try, right? ;) Some people like to swear by it.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jul 2, 2015, 11:23 AM

Post #4 of 8 (2438 views)
  post locked   Re: 2004 Pontiac Grand Am V6, Engine Misfire Cylinder 5 ~230 000 KM  

The flat rate time on it is 2.7 hours. You probably want to pick up new O rings the the other injectors because once you disturb the seals, they will likely leak. Blow all the dirt around the base of the injector very good before removing it and apply some dialectric grease on the seals when going back in, not regular grease!



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.



WailFin
New User

Jul 2, 2015, 11:31 AM

Post #5 of 8 (2436 views)
  post locked   Re: 2004 Pontiac Grand Am V6, Engine Misfire Cylinder 5 ~230 000 KM  

I got told a lot longer than that whenever I talked to a shop. Well.

Do I replace just the one that's gone bad, or go in and buy the other five, plus seals, and I also got told that I'd probably need a new manifold gasket as well.

Also, thank you for being so helpful!!


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jul 2, 2015, 3:39 PM

Post #6 of 8 (2430 views)
  post locked   Re: 2004 Pontiac Grand Am V6, Engine Misfire Cylinder 5 ~230 000 KM  

It's only the upper intake (plenum) that gets removed.

If this was a customer we would recommend but not require that all the injectors get replaced, simply because it's so much labor to access them again. If one is plugged up, it's not unreasonable to think others might be also but it's your decision. If you can handle taking it apart again if another one goes bad, then just change the seals.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.



WailFin
New User

Jul 9, 2015, 12:15 PM

Post #7 of 8 (2394 views)
  post locked   Re: 2004 Pontiac Grand Am V6, Engine Misfire Cylinder 5 ~230 000 KM  

So I figured I'd give ya an update.

I tried one last thing to see if it'd fixed it before relenting and taking it to a garage. A guy I know who works at a scrap yard mentioned that I might need a new distributor pack? At least, that's what I think the same in. The little metal plate that the ignition coils bolt into, at least.

We took the old one out, fixed some shoddy wiring where the small cord on the left hooks into it (cleaned up the wires, respliced them), put the "new to me" one in, with the "new to me" ignition coils, and put everything all back together. We plugged it in to the computer to reset the code, then took it for a quick drive on the highway to see if the misfire came back - AND IT DIDN'T!!!

The piece had been replaced previously (a problem with the V6 engine, perhaps?) So far the car seems to be working just fine, and the only other things I need to do are just some basic upkeep. I will keep the fuel in


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Jul 9, 2015, 12:26 PM

Post #8 of 8 (2391 views)
  post locked   Re: 2004 Pontiac Grand Am V6, Engine Misfire Cylinder 5 ~230 000 KM  

That would be the ignition Control module.

Glad to hear you got it fixed. I will close this now as solved to keep the spammers out. If you need it reopened, just ask any Mod.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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.







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