Problem: Flashing C.E.L. Engine sputters and cuts out.. Help!

[zet16v]

Hello All,

First post on here but have read many before and love this site. Vehicle is an 03 Sport with 136,000 on it. Just replace my front drive shaft the other day!

Check engine light is on all the time and was never on before. She starts and will run and drive fine at low rpms. Seems like it will get worse the longer the drive. If I want to accelerate or if I get a downshift to go up a hill the engine will hesitate and sputter under load at or above 3000 rpms. It will sputter and miss and sometimes cut out all together but not stall. Check engine light will flash at this point and it will no longer run smooth at low rpms.

I have to pull over, put it in park, turn the vehicle all the way off and wait for a min or 2 and then restart. After this it will run fine again at low rpms (with no flashing light) until I have to use power then the same thing happens.

When takin to auto zone and scanned codes come up P0300 thru P0306 (cylinder misfire). Oil has always been changed with 5w30 synthetic and I put a bottle of gumout regane in every 5000 miles or so. Plugs are new Bosch Platinums, air filter is just been cleaned K&N.

It seems like a fuel delivery issue to me. I bought a new fuel filter but have yet to put it on but most think this is not the problem. Could it be a dirty filter that gets clogged under load and then settles when power it turned off for a few minutes? Or does it seem like a sensor issue, maybe the Throttle Position Sensor? I would think if it was a sensor issue it would display an error code for that sensor?

Anyone else with this problem? Sorry for being long winded but didn't wanna leave anything out. Any help would be great!

Thanks,
Tim

 

[Marlon_JB2]

Recheck the plugs. Some may have been bad from the factory. Also, swap the coils around to see if the misfire moves. The computer will know this and will display a new code for a different cylinder.

 

[ridenby]

Coil or coils breaking down? It misses on all cyl? every time? I am assuming you have pulled codes several times? There is a "how to" about getting the codes through the dash.

 

[Marlon_JB2]

Coil or coils breaking down? It misses on all cyl? every time? I am assuming you have pulled codes several times? There is a "how to" about getting the codes through the dash.

There is also a video.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=256325487779031200#

Courtesy of "me" of course.

 

[zet16v]

Had the codes checked twice at autozone. Both times it came up with every code P0300-P0306. Random misfire and in each cylinder. Plugs are brand new.

 

[zet16v]

just watched that video, went out in driveway and tried it. P0300, P0304 and P0305 showed up

 

[ThunderbirdJunkie]

multiple misfire and cyl 4 and 5.
So you have a cyl 4/5 misfire.

First thing to do is swap coils from cylinders 4 and 5 with two other coils that are not 4 and 5, clear codes, and see if it continues.

If it continues on 4 and 5, likely what is going on is you have an issue in your coil harness. If the misfires move, then it will be the coils.

Since you'll be in there, may as well change your plugs, too.

 

[zet16v]

just did it.... disconnected battery, switched 5 to 1 and 4 to 6. hooked battery back up and drove for about 10 minutes problem free. near the end of the trip light started flashing again. shut it off and checked codes and it came up P0306 only. sounds like coil to me?

 

[zet16v]

plugs were just changed 3000 miles ago

 

[ThunderbirdJunkie]

Change the coil that is now on cylinder six.

Also, if you have a misfire, you are fouling your plugs. ThunderbirdJunkie would recommend installing new ones all around when the code finally goes away for good, but it ain't his ride home...do whatcha do

 

[Midgear]

I used a set of bosch platinums and the bastards FELL APART when I was installing them.. I didn't even know they cracked untill I took it for a drive and I got extreme sputtering.

got back to the house, pulled a couple plugs out, cracked, pulled the rest out and 4 / 6 plugs were cracked. I was out about 60 bucks because auto zone wouldn't take them back.

 

[ridenby]

I used a set of bosch platinums and the bastards FELL APART when I was installing them.. I didn't even know they cracked untill I took it for a drive and I got extreme sputtering.

got back to the house, pulled a couple plugs out, cracked, pulled the rest out and 4 / 6 plugs were cracked. I was out about 60 bucks because auto zone wouldn't take them back.

If you had a receipt,and it was fairly soon after purchase you should have gotten a refund/swap. Work at one and you would freak on the amount of refunds/swaps done just to keep customer happy,not even counting the truly deserving refunds.

 

[Midgear]

I had the reciept, and it was the same day. they said the reason they cracked is because I torqued them too hard and they said theres nothing they can do..

so I went next door to advance auto parts and bought from them.. no issues.

 

[ridenby]

I had the reciept, and it was the same day. they said the reason they cracked is because I torqued them too hard and they said theres nothing they can do..

so I went next door to advance auto parts and bought from them.. no issues.

Sorry to hear that,can assure you that Autozone corporate office would hate to hear of your experience,or rather would like to hear it.
http://www.autozone.com/autozone/homePage.jsp?DPSLogout=true&_requestid=249038

Scroll to bottom of page,Customer Service/contact us,tell them your story,be sure to note the store location,bet you hear from them.

 

[ThunderbirdJunkie]

Have had a ton of spark plugs come apart like that. The porcelain doesn't crack from over-torquing. It's usually in-box damage from being dropped

 

[ridenby]

Have had a ton of spark plugs come apart like that. The porcelain doesn't crack from over-torquing. It's usually in-box damage from being dropped

Eggactly

 

[jcbll95]

I use to work at NAPA, we use to have problems with the delivery drivers throwing our totes full of parts in the back door at night. it was nothing for half a box of light bulbs to be broke, same with plugs and other delicate parts.

 

[Marlon_JB2]

I used a set of bosch platinums and the bastards FELL APART when I was installing them.. I didn't even know they cracked untill I took it for a drive and I got extreme sputtering.

got back to the house, pulled a couple plugs out, cracked, pulled the rest out and 4 / 6 plugs were cracked. I was out about 60 bucks because auto zone wouldn't take them back.

Well that *****. I've had good luck with Bosch products. I've used 3 sets of Bosch Platinum plugs on 3 different 3.7Ls with great results each time.

 

[zet16v]

new coil on cylinder 6 and some new platinums, ran great last night!

 

[ThunderbirdJunkie]

Excellent!