Missing

[AGlobalThreat]

My car seems to be missing quite a bit lately. On startup it sounds like its running on 5 cylinders, and won't catch until till after driving for a bit. Idle is usually crap, not smooth, and when I'm just cruising I'll be backfiring randomly. What are some things to check? Spark plugs? Wires? Distributor? I noticed that some of my plug wires are lifting up a bit, they aren't sitting flush in the spark plug valley, some are just barely lifted up. They go on the plug, click in, but don't go down all the way. Should I replace these wires or what else should I check? The spark plug all the way at the back near the firewall was completely clean, and that's the one that usually gets the dirtiest so I dunno what else, unless I should check all of them. Can anybody :1zhelp: ??

 

[Godspeed]

are the vacuum lines all hooked up? are the plugs all the way screwed in? you never know

 

[Nick M]

Well tune up parts is a good place to start. In fact they are the only parts you should ever just throw at the car. OEM is the best in this.

 

[IJ.]

If #6 plug is clean try holding a screwdriver on #6 Injector while it's missing then rest it against your ear and listen to see if it's clicking.

You could also try undoing the Clip to see if it makes a difference to how it runs.

Maybe a dead or dying Injector.

 

[AGlobalThreat]

Yes but backfiring would be from unburnt fuel entering the exhaust, so I really don't think it's a bad injector, I'll try that though.

 

[Nick M]

It depends on the backfire. Is it a muffler explosion that is obvious, or just popping from the engine?

 

[AGlobalThreat]

Lol yes it's from the muffler. When standing behind it and u can feel the big rush of air. I think I might have found the problem though, won't know until tomorrow morning. I had a vac line that was most likely disconnected the whole time, o2 sensor wire has been giving me trouble so I'm soldering it, and a sensor on the thermostat ripped out so I need to reattach that too. Hoping fixing all this will stop the backfiring, if not, I need a longer extension to check the rest of the plugs.

 

[IJ.]

You need Fuel and Spark for it to run so by your description it sounded like no fuel if the plug has no colour at all.

If it was no spark the plug would at least be wet when you pulled it out.

 

[AGlobalThreat]

The plug was wet, I just meant it wasn't dirty, discolored, broken, or had anything noticeably wrong with it. In other words, it looked brand new still.

 

[IJ.]

Should have said it was Wet....

It's hard enough to try and diagnose over the net !