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01-10-2006, 06:42 PM | #1 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 51703
Join Date: Jan 2004
Chapter/Region:
NWIC
Location: Colorado/Oregon
Vehicle:1998 Legacy Outback White/Grey |
CEL cylinder four misfire.
This has been a continuing problem for me and I was just looking for a little more advice on it. Everytime I go on a long road trip my check engine light comes on, and flashes from time to time. I've taken it in to have the code read and it always says cylinder four misfire. I've changed both plugs and wires. It appears that the CEL flashes when I am at around 3000 to 4000 rpms in fifth gear, and it seems to me that its usually when I let off the gas because I am going to fast or going down a hill. Also it's usually towards the later part of the road trip so the engine has been running for anywhere for 4 to 10 hours. My owners manual says that if the CEL is flashing then the misfire is happening right then, but I've tried accelerating while the CEL is flashing and can tell no difference than normal, the car picks up and accelerates just fine.I was just wondering if theres anything else I should do for this, or if maybe this is just a fluke.
Thanks so much for your help. Bryan 98 outback 154,000 miles
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01-10-2006, 06:57 PM | #2 |
RIP 10/12/83 to 02/10/08
Scooby Specialist Member#: 83254
Join Date: Mar 2005
Chapter/Region:
NWIC
Location: Roy, Washington
Vehicle:98 2.5 RS 04 WRX |
Ok, you changed plugs and wires....
Have you checked the coil pack? |
01-11-2006, 10:43 AM | #3 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 58806
Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: New york
Vehicle:1998 RIP Legacy2.5GT 2.2L legacy wagon |
I had same problem and it was the timing.
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01-11-2006, 12:36 PM | #4 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 87762
Join Date: May 2005
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I had the same problem recently and it looks like it ended up being clogged fuel injectors.
I was getting a mis-fire code on 2 of my cylinders....I also had a rough idle that was very irritating. I put in new Japanese plugs and installed new wires....but the problem did not go away. I took it to a local oil change place and paid to have the injectors cleaned. My idle problem is gone and my check engine light went away. Car also has better acceleration. |
01-11-2006, 04:36 PM | #5 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 51141
Join Date: Dec 2003
Chapter/Region:
MWSOC
Location: SW Chicago
Vehicle:2013 WRX PBP |
Yeah, I would say injectors or Coil Pack. The only thing is when my coil failed, it was noticable. Cylinder #4 misfire.
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01-11-2006, 04:44 PM | #6 |
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Member#: 95483
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: PaSaDenA Califorina
Vehicle:2002 wrx midnight blue |
i know that the 2002 wrx gets cel lights when you replace the flywheel with a lighter one but if its a stock flywheel i dont know
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01-11-2006, 04:56 PM | #7 | |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 87762
Join Date: May 2005
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Quote:
I would think that the engine would being running badly if it were the coil or a bad spark. On my car I was able to fix the problem by having the Injector Service performed. But my engine still ran strong. I was getting a check engine light and a very very rough idle when stopped at a red light....but when I did not perceive any major issues when I had the accelerator engaged. |
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01-11-2006, 05:09 PM | #8 |
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Member#: 11808
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Cape Coral,FL
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First try a bottle of Techron fuel system cleaner CONSENTRATE. Get the bottle for "up to 20 gallons and follow the instructions.
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01-11-2006, 08:31 PM | #9 | |
Scooby Guru
Member#: 120
Join Date: Jul 1999
Chapter/Region:
AKIC
Location: Where the Navy sends me...
Vehicle:1997 Legacy 2.5GT 1996 Impreza coupe |
Quote:
With that in mind, Bryan, sometimes people say they can see their coil pack sparking to ground (through the spark plug boot) if they pop the hood in a good, dark location. Another possibility, albeit one that's pretty unlikely, is a bad valve. You said this has been going on for a while - how long? I had an exhaust valve that apparently wasn't adjusted right, and over time it began to trigger a misfire code (due to very slight loss of compression in that cylinder), and then I could actually hear it as the valve started to get cut by the exhaust gasses. Eventually it burned through and the car sounded and performed like absolute crap, at which point I had to get it fixed. For the first few months, I kept getting the #2 misfire CEL light, but other than the CEL there was no noticeable effect on the car's performance. I even did 2 open track events with it that way. I tried replacing the coil pack (the dealer told me it wouldn't fix it, for exactly the reason I posted above, but I did it anyway) - no change. The unfortunate thing is that it's tough to diagnose it - you'd have to get a compression test and leak-down test done (I say it's tough because it's not something most of us can do ourselves, and I hate to give my car to the dealer for anything). With as many as you've got, it wouldn't surprise me to see a mechanical issue beginning to develop. Pat Olsen '97 Legacy 2.5GT sedan |
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01-12-2006, 06:28 PM | #10 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 51703
Join Date: Jan 2004
Chapter/Region:
NWIC
Location: Colorado/Oregon
Vehicle:1998 Legacy Outback White/Grey |
expanding
I have been getting the CEL with this code for about a year now, off and on. Originally I was getting terrible acceleration at low RPMS like if I went around a corner in second gear it would just stutter when I would attempt to accelerate, so I change the plugs and the CEL went away and it accelerated just fine....for a little while. Then again it started to stutter probably a month later so I changed the wires which temporarily fixed the problem again.
Since that time I haven't noticed the hesitation in acceleration, it is only there minimally I would say, which for the amount of miles I have is understandable. How much does it cost to have the injector service done? Also is it any danger to the longevity of my cars life for me to drive it under these circumstances? Thank you guys so much for your help, otherwise I would surely be lost on this and be forced to pay a bunch of money to a dealer or just go without the car being fixed. Hopefully this will give some more info on the problem. Thanks again. Bryan |
01-29-2006, 06:34 PM | #11 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 51703
Join Date: Jan 2004
Chapter/Region:
NWIC
Location: Colorado/Oregon
Vehicle:1998 Legacy Outback White/Grey |
I finally got a few free moments, so I ran my car by shucks and borrowed their code reader to see what the problem codes are that are keeping my CEL on. I sat in my car as the computer performed the tests, and I saw the codes for cylinder 3 and 4 misfires pop up, after the test was completed. However, upon taking the computer back into the store to a clerk who had no idea what she was doing, she told me she only saw the cylinder three misfire code. I think that it really is both though, she just didn't know how it worked. I think this would narrow it down though to probably being the coil pack since both of those cylinders run off of the same coil. How hard is it to install a new coil pack and how much do they cost? If I can park in a dark place and see no spark does that mean the coil is bad? I will give that a try, any more info you guys can give me would be greatly appreciated. Thanks so much for your help.
Bryan |
02-03-2006, 11:17 PM | #12 |
Scooby Newbie
Member#: 51703
Join Date: Jan 2004
Chapter/Region:
NWIC
Location: Colorado/Oregon
Vehicle:1998 Legacy Outback White/Grey |
coil
How hard is it to change a coil pack? I'm pretty sure that is the problem, so thats the direction im headed. Thanks so much guys.
Bryan |
02-04-2006, 10:16 AM | #13 |
Scooby Guru
Member#: 120
Join Date: Jul 1999
Chapter/Region:
AKIC
Location: Where the Navy sends me...
Vehicle:1997 Legacy 2.5GT 1996 Impreza coupe |
It takes all of about 30sec. The coil pack is held onto the intake monifold with 4 10mm bolts, obviously the 4 spark plug wires are plugged into it, and then there's a wiring harness that goes over to the passenger side of the throttle body. Remove bolts, unplug wiring harness, remove plug wires from coil pack, then reverse to install the new one. Very simple.
Pat |
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