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Misfire after changing spark plugs/coil


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void00
User

Sep 22, 2023, 12:11 PM

Post #1 of 12 (1141 views)
Misfire after changing spark plugs/coil Sign In

2013 Nissan Sentra, 4 cylinder, 6spd

Last week one of my cylinders misfired while I was on the highway and I had the car towed home. Ran OBD and it said Cylinder 1 misfire (P0301) and Random/multiple cylinder misfire (P0300).

I swapped the ignition coils of cylinder 1 and 2 and noticed the issue followed the coil. So, I replaced 1 coil and all 4 spark plugs.

A day after the repair, I notice the engine sputters for a second (only when under load, like going uphill). I took it on the highway and drove 50mi without any problems. When I got back into the city and I'm going uphill, then it feels like one of the cylinders misfires for a second, there is momentay drop in rpm and power. I don't see any codes on OBD or a check engine light.

The issue is very random and doesn't happen all the time, so it's really hard to reproduce. Any advice/suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks!

Picture of old spark plugs:
https://imgur.com/a/mIbPHhd


(This post was edited by void00 on Sep 22, 2023, 12:41 PM)


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Sep 22, 2023, 2:47 PM

Post #2 of 12 (1124 views)
Re: Misfire after changing spark plugs/coil Sign In

Did you use NGK when you replaced the plugs?

How many miles on this car?



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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.



void00
User

Sep 22, 2023, 7:49 PM

Post #3 of 12 (1103 views)
Re: Misfire after changing spark plugs/coil Sign In

The new plugs I got are Bosch. Bought them from AutoZone. The car has 164000 miles. It was running perfectly fine till the first misfire on the highway a week ago.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Sep 22, 2023, 7:51 PM

Post #4 of 12 (1096 views)
Re: Misfire after changing spark plugs/coil Sign In

That's what I suspected. Those plugs are junk in Japanese cars. Get rid of them and get the oem NGKs.



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

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.



void00
User

Sep 23, 2023, 7:02 PM

Post #5 of 12 (1019 views)
Re: Misfire after changing spark plugs/coil Sign In

Thanks. I went to AutoZone today and got the OEM NGK plugs and put them in my engine. It runs smoother but still has random misfires under the same scenarios I mentioned in my first message in this thread.

Could it be the coils? I replaced the bad one, and the other three are still the old ones.

I also read in a couple older posts that it could be the mass airflow sensor, but I'm no expert.


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Sep 23, 2023, 7:06 PM

Post #6 of 12 (1016 views)
Re: Misfire after changing spark plugs/coil Sign In

It's hard to say without being there or having a code for a starting point. Usually when one coil is bad the others aren't far behind. I usually try to change them all at once.

Also with that many miles you could be looking at injector issues.



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

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 Sep 23, 2023, 7:07 PM)


void00
User

Sep 23, 2023, 7:22 PM

Post #7 of 12 (1010 views)
Re: Misfire after changing spark plugs/coil Sign In

Yeah it doesn't throw any codes. I was wondering if I could run a live OBD where I can get the number of misfires.

Also since you mentioned fuel injectors, I should be able to test the resistance to get a basic idea if they are going bad right? I'll do that in a couple of days and update the post. Thanks!


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Sep 23, 2023, 7:26 PM

Post #8 of 12 (1007 views)
Re: Misfire after changing spark plugs/coil Sign In

If you have live misfire data definitely look at that.
As for the injector resistance, that's not going to tell you much of anything. It's more than likely a clogging problem rather than electrical.



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

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.



void00
User

Sep 24, 2023, 11:30 AM

Post #9 of 12 (967 views)
Re: Misfire after changing spark plugs/coil Sign In

I was able to get live data. I took my car for two very short drives.

Drive 1: New coil on cyl 1, other cylinders have old coils
Number of misfires per cylinder-
cyl1: 48
cyl2: 0
cyl3: 1
cyl4: 0

Drive 2: New coil on cyl 2, other cylinders have old coils
Number of misfires per cylinder-
cyl1: 2
cyl2: 33
cyl3: 1
cyl4: 0

From this can I say the new coil is either bad or not working well with my car?

Is there a particular brand of coil I should buy? (Similar to NGK plugs for Japanese vehicles)


Hammer Time
Ultimate Carjunky / Moderator
Hammer Time profile image

Sep 24, 2023, 11:35 AM

Post #10 of 12 (963 views)
Re: Misfire after changing spark plugs/coil Sign In

No, I wouldn't assume the coil is bad. It could just as easily be fuel.

Just about every coil brand you find will be Chinese made so it's just a roll of the dice. You might also want to do a compression test to eliminate that possibility.



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

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.



void00
User

Sep 24, 2023, 2:29 PM

Post #11 of 12 (944 views)
Re: Misfire after changing spark plugs/coil Sign In

I wanted to see if I could eliminate the coil as the problem before I move on to the fule injectors as coils are easier to diagnose/service. I know Nissan uses Hitachi OEM coils, so I swapped out the new coil I put a couple days ago with the Hitachi and the car runs super smooth now.

I took it for a drive and checked the live misfire data, the cylinder with the new coil has 0 misfires and the other three cylinders have 2-3 misfires. These could be the old coils or like you said, the fuel. I will swap out the other three coils just to be safe and do further diagnosis next week.

Thank you for your help!


(This post was edited by void00 on Sep 24, 2023, 2:30 PM)


Sidom
Veteran / Moderator
Sidom profile image

Sep 26, 2023, 10:49 PM

Post #12 of 12 (827 views)
Re: Misfire after changing spark plugs/coil Sign In

If the misfires are moving with the new coil, which it looks like they are, then it's possible you got a defective coil.
Take it back a get it warrantied.






 
 
 






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