Welcome to the North American Subaru Impreza Owners Club Wednesday March 27, 2024
Home Forums Images WikiNASIOC Products Store Modifications Upgrade Garage
NASIOC
Go Back   NASIOC > NASIOC Technical > Factory 2.0L Turbo Powertrain (EJ Series Factory 2.0L Turbo)

Welcome to NASIOC - The world's largest online community for Subaru enthusiasts!
Welcome to the NASIOC.com Subaru forum.

You are currently viewing our forum as a guest, which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our community, free of charge, you will have access to post topics, communicate privately with other members (PM), respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is free, fast and simple, so please join our community today!

If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.







* As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 
* Registered users of the site do not see these ads. 
Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 08-04-2008, 12:42 AM   #1
DieselClown
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 36135
Join Date: May 2003
Chapter/Region: Tri-State
Location: New York City
Vehicle:
2005 WRX
Aspen White

Default first cylinder 1 misfire, after plugs, 1,3,4 misfire!

and a blinking CEL! I recently got one step colder NGK iridiums for my 05 WRX, vf39, supporting mods (to hopefully cure a cylinder 1 misfire) but literally 20 mins after the installation, the cEL came back. And about 2 days or driving, I pulled the code again and it was cylinder 1&3 this time. I then replaced cylinder one's coilpack to see if that was the original problem and no change at all. The misfire comes and goes randomly. I thought it was dirty wiring harness but I cleaned everything nicely.

a week later of no driving, then I get the code pulled again today and it's 1,3 & 4! Do you guys think that coincidentally, the one step colder plugs could have caused cylinder 2 and 4 to misfire as well? I honestly don't know what else to check. I'm thinking about just buy cheap NGK coppers (will that be ok with my vf39?) and seeing if thaqt fixes it. I wouldnt know how to check for bad wiring?

Please help. The car runs PERFECTLY and for some reason it started with the cylinder one misfire a few weeks ago. My friend datalogged the car and said there was nothing wrong mechanically, but he said it could be the gap. I bought the iridiums regapped at .028 from oakos. isn't that correct?

When i drive, i smell gas, so im not sure what that means.
* Registered users of the site do not see these ads.

Last edited by DieselClown; 08-04-2008 at 12:48 AM.
DieselClown is offline   Reply With Quote
Sponsored Links
* Registered users of the site do not see these ads.
Old 08-04-2008, 12:58 AM   #2
DieselClown
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 36135
Join Date: May 2003
Chapter/Region: Tri-State
Location: New York City
Vehicle:
2005 WRX
Aspen White

Default

can somebody tell me what to possibly check for when taking out the plugs again? I remembered the first time this happened, when I swapped all 4 plugs...cylinder one's plug was noticeably more white. What does that mean?
DieselClown is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2008, 07:19 AM   #3
ride5000
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 32792
Join Date: Feb 2003
Chapter/Region: NESIC
Location: lincoln, ri
Vehicle:
2003 GGA MBP
12.9 / 105+

Default

here's a pretty good page on reading plugs:
http://www.4secondsflat.com/Spark_plug_reading.html

as far as systemic misfires, it is unlikely to be the cause of all four plugs or coils. generally it's something more global, like AFR. do you have access to an OBD scanner? even better would be someone with a tactrix cable. i would be interested in your fuel trims, especially at idle. an exhaust leak, a front o2 sensor on the way out, a dirty maf sensor, an induction leak can all throw off the mixture enough to cause the car to miss.
ride5000 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2008, 02:46 PM   #4
NewGwrx
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 103645
Join Date: Dec 2005
Chapter/Region: NESIC
Location: Waltham Ma
Vehicle:
2011 Subaru Legacy
White

Default

if your smelling gas, I believe its possible that your car isnt firing in those specific cylinders and its just kinda lurking through your system. Are you back firing a lot? along with hesitations and bucking?
NewGwrx is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2008, 02:56 PM   #5
frdawg
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 24129
Join Date: Sep 2002
Chapter/Region: MAIC
Location: annapolis Md
Vehicle:
2002 wrx,EVO3 big16g
WRB 4.444fd Enginuity,E85

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by NewGwrx View Post
if your smelling gas, I believe its possible that your car isnt firing in those specific cylinders and its just kinda lurking through your system. Are you back firing a lot? along with hesitations and bucking?
what do these conditions indicate? My car does this. I changed the coils and the fuel pump and new plugs, It runs fine up to 12psi and 5000 rpm. If you floor it it hesitates at 5000rpm If you roll into throttle smoothly it will Go higher really well. I also changed my clutch and flywheel to a Sti 6speed unit in my 5 speed housing along with 4.444 conversion and front LSD , after my car was last tuned. Do you think the old tune could be my issue?

Last edited by frdawg; 08-04-2008 at 03:09 PM.
frdawg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2008, 03:08 PM   #6
DieselClown
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 36135
Join Date: May 2003
Chapter/Region: Tri-State
Location: New York City
Vehicle:
2005 WRX
Aspen White

Default

thanks for the info. Im trying to see if somebody locally can help me scan my car again. I had a tatrix cable a long time ago, and if I find it, what software can i use? Enginuity?
DieselClown is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-04-2008, 03:11 PM   #7
DieselClown
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 36135
Join Date: May 2003
Chapter/Region: Tri-State
Location: New York City
Vehicle:
2005 WRX
Aspen White

Default

also, I have no excessive backfiring as far as I can tell. The hesitations are strongest at idle and lower rpms. It used to be random, but now it's constantly hesitating and I feel like I can walk faster than my car.
DieselClown is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-05-2008, 01:29 PM   #8
bluegrasswrx
Scooby Newbie
 
Member#: 147339
Join Date: Apr 2007
Chapter/Region: MWSOC
Location: Lexington, Kentucky
Vehicle:
05 STi

Default

I'm pretty close to being in the same boat as you are. Cylinder 1 and 3 seem to be the ones that like to miss on mine. I do backfire alot while giving it gas right after start up though. Just thinking about trying to find the source of my misfires makes me want to curl up in a ball. There are so many possibilities.

Keep us updated so that I can know if anything seems to help yours out. Could it be the 1 step colders? That's what I have too.
bluegrasswrx is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-05-2008, 08:37 PM   #9
DieselClown
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 36135
Join Date: May 2003
Chapter/Region: Tri-State
Location: New York City
Vehicle:
2005 WRX
Aspen White

Default

thanks...i was thinking it could be the one step colder plugs too. Are they too much for a vf39?
DieselClown is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-06-2008, 06:33 AM   #10
ride5000
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 32792
Join Date: Feb 2003
Chapter/Region: NESIC
Location: lincoln, ri
Vehicle:
2003 GGA MBP
12.9 / 105+

Default

that depends on your driving habits mostly, and your tune to a lesser extent.
ride5000 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-07-2008, 05:45 PM   #11
frdawg
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 24129
Join Date: Sep 2002
Chapter/Region: MAIC
Location: annapolis Md
Vehicle:
2002 wrx,EVO3 big16g
WRB 4.444fd Enginuity,E85

Default

I fixed mine. I had replacedtwo coils based off misfires on 1/4 cyl turns out 2/4 were really bad. Switched coils. And voilà

Last edited by frdawg; 08-08-2008 at 06:05 PM.
frdawg is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-09-2008, 08:49 PM   #12
DieselClown
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 36135
Join Date: May 2003
Chapter/Region: Tri-State
Location: New York City
Vehicle:
2005 WRX
Aspen White

Default

thanks again all. I'm going to try swapping out coils to see if that works. So the .28 gap is correct on the NGK iridiums? I shouldn't touch that right?
DieselClown is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-11-2008, 03:34 AM   #13
Magnum626
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 62856
Join Date: May 2004
Chapter/Region: Tri-State
Location: McDowells
Vehicle:
MBP SQC#197
Stockpiling parts...

Default

Just curious, did you actually measure the gaps or just assumed they were correct out of the box?

Always check the gaps regardless. Who knows who threw those boxes around before they got to you.
Magnum626 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-11-2008, 11:01 AM   #14
WRXislander
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 50064
Join Date: Dec 2003
Chapter/Region: NESIC
Location: Maine
Vehicle:
'12 WRX
(WRX#8, Subi#12)

Default

yes, that gap is fine. I think anywhere from 28 to 31 is okay.
WRXislander is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-11-2008, 11:52 AM   #15
DieselClown
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 36135
Join Date: May 2003
Chapter/Region: Tri-State
Location: New York City
Vehicle:
2005 WRX
Aspen White

Default

Quote:
Originally Posted by Magnum626 View Post
Just curious, did you actually measure the gaps or just assumed they were correct out of the box?

Always check the gaps regardless. Who knows who threw those boxes around before they got to you.
i double-checked them before and they each measured around .28. do you think having the one step colder plugs made the other 2 cylinders misfire? Before i swapped plugs, only cyl 1 misfired and then only randomly. after i swapped them, 1,3,4 misfired.
DieselClown is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2008, 11:23 AM   #16
ptirmal
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 82243
Join Date: Mar 2005
Chapter/Region: Tri-State
Location: Philly
Vehicle:
13' BMW X3 35i

Default

What plugs were they when cyl 1 misfired (heat range and type [copper, plats, iridium])? (Gap is .028-.031", not .28-.31")... Since you're running a vf39 I assume you swapped injectors, did you check to make sure they're not leaking, were they purchased new or were they tested?
ptirmal is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2008, 12:34 PM   #17
hybrid gti 2
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 67004
Join Date: Jul 2004
Chapter/Region: SCIC
Location: (818) 300k+ ej205 ppg 5mt
Vehicle:
02 vf30 pnp wagon
silver and cf

Default

Even with the .028 gap it may need to be adjusted closer to the .031. As I had problems with the gap even at the the quote correct gap.
hybrid gti 2 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2008, 12:47 PM   #18
DieselClown
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 36135
Join Date: May 2003
Chapter/Region: Tri-State
Location: New York City
Vehicle:
2005 WRX
Aspen White

Default

they were the stock plugs when only cyl1 misfired. I thought it might have been the coilpacks, but when I swapped out all 4 plugs, the car was fine and the CEL cleared. Then about 20 mins later, it misfired again. the injectors are sti pinks which were new when i bought them. how do I check it they are leaking?
DieselClown is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2008, 01:09 PM   #19
ptirmal
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 82243
Join Date: Mar 2005
Chapter/Region: Tri-State
Location: Philly
Vehicle:
13' BMW X3 35i

Default

I meant literally check if there is a fuel leak near, specifically around the o-rings since you said you smelled gas. If they're new though I doubt they would have an issue, unless the o-rings were torn. I would try to go back to the stock heat range - try out coppers because a few people (myself included) have had problems with iridiums and misfiring.
ptirmal is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2008, 01:09 PM   #20
ride5000
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 32792
Join Date: Feb 2003
Chapter/Region: NESIC
Location: lincoln, ri
Vehicle:
2003 GGA MBP
12.9 / 105+

Default

misfires can also be caused by a bad tune, particularly fuel-related in the idle region.
ride5000 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2008, 01:38 PM   #21
x99percent
Scooby Specialist
 
Member#: 27108
Join Date: Oct 2002
Chapter/Region: MWSOC
Location: Detroit-ish, MI
Vehicle:
2004 STi
2004 A4

Default

If a cylinder was not firing, the ECU would inject extra fuel to make up for the unburned O2 it's seeing at the O2 sensor. Things end up running so rich that the extra fuel causes more misfire events... that may explain your fuel smell. Also, it may sound weird, but if you're getting codes for cylinders 1, 3, and 4... then I would take a look at cylinder 2 first.

- Examine the condition of the plugs for clues
- Compression test (why is everyone so hesitant to do this?)
- test/check the ignition coils
- test/check the fuel injectors
x99percent is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2008, 02:23 PM   #22
DieselClown
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 36135
Join Date: May 2003
Chapter/Region: Tri-State
Location: New York City
Vehicle:
2005 WRX
Aspen White

Default

sorry but how do you do a compression test?
DieselClown is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2008, 02:42 PM   #23
DieselClown
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 36135
Join Date: May 2003
Chapter/Region: Tri-State
Location: New York City
Vehicle:
2005 WRX
Aspen White

Default

i can get a hold of a scanner! Can somebody tell me what to look for?
DieselClown is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-12-2008, 07:25 PM   #24
DieselClown
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 36135
Join Date: May 2003
Chapter/Region: Tri-State
Location: New York City
Vehicle:
2005 WRX
Aspen White

Default

ok,...got the following freeze frame data.

shot term fuel trim 0.0
coolant temp 135
Lt fuel trim 7.8
Map 9.4
IGN ADV 16.0
IAT 113 degrees
MAF lb/min .506
ABSLT TPS 16.1

I'm not really sure what all this means!
DieselClown is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 08-13-2008, 02:17 AM   #25
Magnum626
Scooby Guru
 
Member#: 62856
Join Date: May 2004
Chapter/Region: Tri-State
Location: McDowells
Vehicle:
MBP SQC#197
Stockpiling parts...

Default

Compression test.

BTW, motoracer can do it for you also.

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/show...mpression+test

Ahh just realized the pics are gone.
Magnum626 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
FS: NoVA: Samco Radiator Hoses in Black and 4 No Tear Clamps for 02-07 WRX / STi. adjasont Engine/Power/Exhaust 5 11-27-2011 03:06 PM
FS: WRX Cruise control and other parts...Priced to SELL mister hashimoto SCIC Private Classifieds 235 09-14-2010 10:56 AM
FS/FT : FS (NOVA): Nordictrac eliptical FREEEEEE!!!!! sti robot MAIC Private Classifieds 11 07-04-2010 10:47 AM
Cosworth #1 main bearing $old! shipped bertune Engine/Power/Exhaust 3 04-05-2010 08:51 AM

All times are GMT -4. The time now is 12:58 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.7.0
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Powered by Searchlight © 2024 Axivo Inc.
Copyright ©1999 - 2019, North American Subaru Impreza Owners Club, Inc.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission
Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.