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P0300 Code & Fuel odor

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Old 12-14-2008, 08:39 PM
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EFI-1
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Default P0300 Code & Fuel odor

Well I posted a few months ago when I started throwing this code. I haven't had much time over the last couple of years to play with the Z and I need some help.

Symptoms: Rough idle, heavy fuel odor, intermittent backfire.

My Z is a 2003 I/C Mag, LG LT headers with HF cats, B&B Bullets, Hurricane air intake. All coils, plugs, wires are still stock. Any help is appreciated.

Mahalo!
Old 12-14-2008, 09:22 PM
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dougbfresh
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Random misfire can come from many causes, plugs and wires are always the first thing to suspect. Get a lot of black exhaust?
Old 12-14-2008, 10:09 PM
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Originally Posted by dougbfresh
Random misfire can come from many causes, plugs and wires are always the first thing to suspect. Get a lot of black exhaust?
No but I should with the fuel odor being so strong. I am guessing that the O2 went out and the driver side bank is getting excess fuel dumped into it but I was hopeful someone had a similar experience and could point me in the right direction.
Old 12-14-2008, 11:04 PM
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I have no first hand knowledge with this but from the manual, there is lots to look at.

DTC P0300
System Description
The powertrain control module (PCM) uses information from the crankshaft position (CKP) sensor and the camshaft position (CMP) sensor in order to determine when an engine misfire is occurring. By monitoring variations in the crankshaft rotation speed for each cylinder, the PCM is able to detect individual misfire events. A misfire rate that is high enough can cause the 3-way catalytic converter (TWC) to overheat under certain driving conditions. The malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) will flash ON and OFF when the conditions for TWC overheating are present. If the PCM detects a misfire rate sufficient to cause emission levels to exceed mandated standards, DTC P0300 will set.

Conditions for Running the DTC
DTC P0101, P0102, P0103, P0106, P0107, P0108, P0116, P0117, P0118, P0125, P0128, P0335, P0336, P0341, P0342, P0343, P0410, P0500, P0502, P0503, P1114, P1115, P1120, and P1220 are not set.
The engine speed is between 425-3,000 RPM.
The ignition voltage is between 10-18 volts.
The engine coolant temperature (ECT) is between -7 and +130°C (19-266°F).
The fuel level is more than 10 percent.
The throttle angle is steady within 1 percent.
The antilock brake system (ABS) and the traction control system are not active.
The transmission is not changing gears.
The A/C clutch is not changing states.
The PCM is not in fuel shut-off or decel fuel cut-off mode.
The PCM is not receiving a rough road signal.
Conditions for Setting the DTC
The PCM is detecting a crankshaft rotation speed variation indicating a misfire sufficient to cause emission levels to exceed mandated standards.

Action Taken When the DTC Sets
The control module illuminates the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) on the second consecutive ignition cycle that the diagnostic runs and fails.
The control module records the operating conditions at the time the diagnostic fails. The first time the diagnostic fails, the control module stores this information in the Failure Records. If the diagnostic reports a failure on the second consecutive ignition cycle, the control module records the operating conditions at the time of the failure. The control module writes the operating conditions to the Freeze Frame and updates the Failure Records.
Conditions for Clearing the MIL/DTC
The control module turns OFF the malfunction indicator lamp (MIL) after 3 consecutive ignition cycles that the diagnostic runs and does not fail.
A current DTC, Last Test Failed, clears when the diagnostic runs and passes.
A history DTC clears after 40 consecutive warm-up cycles, if no failures are reported by this or any other emission related diagnostic.
Clear the MIL and the DTC with a scan tool.
Diagnostic Aids
Excessive vibration from sources other than the engine could cause DTC P0300 to set. The following are possible sources of vibration:
Variable thickness brake rotors--Refer to Symptoms - Hydraulic Brakes in Hydraulic Brakes.
Drive shaft not balanced--Refer to Vibration Analysis - Driveline in Vibration Diagnosis and Correction.
Worn or damaged accessory drive belt--Refer to Base Engine Misfire without Internal Engine Noises in Engine Mechanical.
There may be more or less cylinders actually misfiring than indicated by the scan tool.
Spray water on the secondary ignition components using a spray bottle. Look and listen for arcing or misfiring.
If there are multiple misfires on only one bank, inspect the fuel injector and ignition coil, power and ground circuits for that bank. Refer to Engine Controls Schematics .
Test Description
The numbers below refer to the step numbers on the diagnostic table.

If the actual CKP variation values are not within the learned values, the misfire counters may increment.

DTC P0135 or P0155 can be set because of a misfire.

Step
Action
Values
Yes
No

1
Did you perform the Diagnostic System Check-Engine Controls?
--
Go to Step 2
Go to Diagnostic System Check - Engine Controls

2

Important
You must perform the crankshaft position (CKP) system variation learn procedure before proceeding with this diagnostic table. Refer to CKP System Variation Learn Procedure .


Start the engine.
Allow the engine to idle or operate within the conditions listed in the Freeze Frame/Failure Records.
Monitor all of the misfire counters with the scan tool.
Are any of the current misfire counters incrementing?
--
Go to Step 3
Go to Diagnostic Aids

3
Are any DTCs other than P0300, P0135 or P0155 set?
--
Go to Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) List
Go to Step 4

4
Can any abnormal engine noise be heard?
--
Go to Base Engine Misfire without Internal Engine Noises
Go to Step 5

5
Does the scan tool indicate that the HO2S bank 1 sensor 1 or HO2S bank 2 sensor 1 voltage parameters are below the specified value?
200 mV
Go to DTC P0131 or P0151
Go to Step 6

6
Does the scan tool indicate that the HO2S bank 1 sensor 1 or HO2S bank 2 sensor 1 voltage parameters are fixed above the specified value?
900 mV
Go to DTC P0132 or P0152
Go to Step 7

7
Inspect the following components:

The vacuum hoses and seals for splits, restrictions, and improper connection--Refer to Emission Hose Routing Diagram .
The throttle body and intake manifold for vacuum leaks
The crankcase ventilation system for vacuum leaks--Refer to Crankcase Ventilation System Inspection/Diagnosis in Engine Mechanical.
The PCM grounds for corrosion and loose connections--Refer to Ground Distribution Schematics in Wiring Systems.
The exhaust system for restrictions--Refer to Restricted Exhaust in Engine Exhaust.
The fuel for contamination--Refer to Alcohol/Contaminants-in-Fuel Diagnosis .
Did you find and correct the condition?
--
Go to Step 20
Go to Step 8

8
Turn OFF the ignition.
Disconnect the spark plug wire from the spark plug that corresponds to the Misfire Current counters that were incrementing. Refer to Spark Plug Wire Replacement .
Install the J 26792 Spark Tester to a good ground.
Start the engine.
Does the spark jump the tester gap, and is the spark consistent?
--
Go to Step 10
Go to Step 9

9
Remove the spark plug wire for the affected cylinder. Refer to Spark Plug Wire Replacement .
Inspect the spark plug wire. Refer to Spark Plug Wire Inspection .
Measure the resistance of the spark plug wire with a DMM.
Is the spark plug wire resistance less than the specified value?
700 ohms
Go to Electronic Ignition (EI) System Diagnosis
Go to Step 19

10
Remove the spark plug from the cylinders that indicated a misfire.
Inspect the spark plug. Refer to Spark Plug Inspection .
Does the spark plug appear to be OK?
--
Go to Step 11
Go to Step 12

11
Exchange the suspected spark plug with another cylinder that is operating properly. Refer to Spark Plug Replacement .
Operate the vehicle under the same conditions that the misfire occurred.
Did the misfire move with the spark plug?
--
Go to Step 18
Go to Step 15

12
Are the spark plugs oil or coolant fouled?
--
Go to Base Engine Misfire without Internal Engine Noises
Go to Step 13

13
Are the spark plugs gas fouled?
--
Go to Step 16
Go to Step 14

14
Do the spark plugs show any signs of being cracked, worn, or improperly gapped?
--
Go to Step 17
Go to Step 15

15
Perform the fuel injector coil test. Refer to Fuel Injector Coil Test .

Did you find and correct the condition?
--
Go to Step 20
Go to Base Engine Misfire without Internal Engine Noises

16
Perform the fuel system diagnosis. Refer to Fuel System Diagnosis .

Did you find and correct the condition?
--
Go to Step 20
Go to Base Engine Misfire without Internal Engine Noises

17
Replace or gap the spark plug. Refer to Spark Plug Replacement . If an improper gap is found, be sure to gap the spark plugs using a wire type gage.

Did you complete the replacement?
--
Go to Step 20
--

18
Replace the faulty spark plug. Refer to Spark Plug Replacement .

Did you complete the replacement?
--
Go to Step 20
--

19
Replace the faulty spark plug wire. Refer to Spark Plug Wire Replacement .

Did you complete the replacement?
--
Go to Step 20
--

20
Was the customer concern the MIL flashing?
--
Go to Step 21
Go to Step 22

21
Operate the vehicle at the specified value for 4 minutes.
Operate the vehicle within the Conditions for Running the DTC P0420 or P0430 as specified in the supporting text. Refer to DTC P0420 or P0430 .
Does the DTC run and pass?
2500 RPM
Go to Step 22
Go to DTC P0420 or P0430

22
Clear the DTCs with a scan tool.
Turn OFF the ignition for 30 seconds.
Start the engine.
Operate the vehicle within the Conditions for Running the DTC. You may also operate the vehicle within the conditions that you observed from the Freeze Frame/Failure Records.
Did the DTC fail this ignition?
--
Go to Step 2
Go to Step 23

23
Observe the Capture Info with a scan tool.

Are there any DTCs that have not been diagnosed?
--
Go to Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) List
System OK
Old 12-14-2008, 11:49 PM
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STL94LT1
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Originally Posted by EFI-1
No but I should with the fuel odor being so strong. I am guessing that the O2 went out and the driver side bank is getting excess fuel dumped into it but I was hopeful someone had a similar experience and could point me in the right direction.
A bad o2 sensor should throw its own code, not a p0300.
Old 12-15-2008, 01:32 AM
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87SAM, mahalo.

STL94, I thought so as well. I did see on the OBD guide I was looking over that a faulty O2 could also activate the same P0300. Hopefully, get this sorted ASAP. I'll post up the solution.
Old 12-15-2008, 09:32 AM
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Thats not a backfire your hearing, it's raw gas exploding in your exhaust.

The diagnostic information that the C5 is capable of displaying will only be able to show a P0300 code, get a real scanner and hook it up to your car and it will be able to isolate it further by showing a P030X code, the "X" will be the cylinder thats misfiring.

If the scanner is still showing a P0300 code then you do have multiple cylinders misifiring and you'll need to start checking plugs, wiring and possibly coil packs.

While a bad O2 sensor can eventually cause a misfire and P0300 code, I don't recommend following the shotgun approach to troubleshooting.
Old 02-07-2009, 02:12 PM
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Hey EFI-1, did you correct the problem? I have the same issue.

Thanks!

Gary
Old 02-07-2009, 02:38 PM
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Typically random misfires are plug/wire/injector related. If you've changed wires and plugs, probably time to clean the injectors and check them for leaks with a pressure guage. They should hold pressure after you shut the car off, if you've got "leakers" those cylinders will run rich because of the leaking fuel in those cylinder(s). If the car has a lot of miles, you can send them out to be hydrostaically cleaned and their flow measured before and after. www.cruzinperformance.com did some for me and posted the flow #'s on his site. You can have them all cleaned and rescreened for less than the price of 1 new injector.
Old 02-22-2009, 07:07 AM
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Just got time to work on EFI-1 now. Should be commencing some of the trouble shooting tomorrow. Sorry for the lack of updates.

I pulled all the plugs and so far all but the first plug (Front of engine) on drivers side were heavily fouled with carbon. I'll be replacing tomorrow and giving some feedback if I can find a shop selling the replacement plugwires I'm looking for.....
Old 02-22-2009, 09:19 AM
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Figured my problem out. It was the plugs. I had installed the E3's. Went back to NGK's and all is well.

Gary
Old 03-04-2009, 01:11 AM
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Just wanted to post up the solution to the issue, and yes, I only finished working on it today.....I've been busy.

Swapped out original plug wires with GM Performance wires from Bob Fitchner Chevrolet (Who was AWESOME TO DEAL WITH), and swapped the stock plugs for NGK V-Power TR6's gapped at .40. Closed everything up and fired her up after sitting since September.

No fuel odor and she ran like she used to. I'm grinning ear to ear again! Thanks to everyone who helped in trying to zero in on the issue.

Aloha, Dave
Old 03-30-2009, 03:16 AM
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Okay, 2 short trips since I initially resolved the problem and the check engine light came back on. The initial problem is slowly resurfacing.....Any ideas on what it could be? Bad 02 got me running rich and possibly fouling the plugs to the point of misfire?
Old 03-30-2009, 02:02 PM
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What is/are the code/s this time?

P0300 is random/multiple misfire.

You may want to try a good OBDII code scanner to get the freeze frame data (conditions when it sets the code)

Random misfires that jump around from one cylinder to another (P030x codes) also will set a P0300 code. The underlying cause is often a lean fuel condition, which may be due to a vacuum leak in the intake manifold or unmetered air getting past the airflow sensor, or an EGR valve that is stuck open.

Other things to check...
coil packs
injectors
vacuum leak/s

Even more things to check...
oxygen sensor/s
cat/s
valves
pcm


Doug
Old 03-30-2009, 03:01 PM
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Doug, thanks for the input. That helps big time.

I'll be inspecting the injector wiring harness, cleaning and applying dielectric paste to all electrical connections. If that doesn't work, I have (2) 02 sensors on order. I'll post back the outcome of those 2......Ugh.
Old 03-30-2009, 03:40 PM
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If your O2's were on the way out, you'd probably have more codes dealing with the O2's. I would suspect leaky injectors or malfunctioning Fuel presuure regulator. Did you throw a guage on the fuel line schrader valve to see what the pressure is? Keep the guage on the fuel rail and shut the car off, it SHOULD hold pressure for quite some time, if it leaks down quickly, you have a stcky injector hanging open.
Old 03-31-2009, 10:56 AM
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Hey David,

Pull all the codes first and post them here.

Don't just throw parts at it.

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Old 03-31-2009, 11:41 AM
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EFI-1, I had the PO300 code immediately after installing headers/hi-flow catted X-pipe and vararam cai. Had all the symptoms you described as well. I let it cool down for a day, then went around and checked everything I touched during installs. I found a loose clamp on cai bellow allowing outside air after passing maf sensor. Also found loose clamp on master cyld brake booster hose, creating vacuum leak. I tightened the clamps and made sure all connections to coils, plugs, o2 sensors, etc. were correct, and fired up car and it ran fine with no problems. Hope this helps, Mike.
Old 05-19-2009, 04:46 AM
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Guys, sorry for not getting back to this thread sooner. I've been swamped. Had some time to work on it today. Will look into all of the things you guys mentioned and post back. BIG BIG MAHALO GANG!
Old 05-19-2009, 05:28 AM
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Here are the DTC's

[PCM] P0300 - Engine Misfire Detected (History) (Immature)

[PCM] P0327 - Knock Sensor Circuit Low Voltage (SES) (Old) (History) (Current) (Immature)

[Brake] U1300 - Class 2 Short to Ground (History)

[Unknown] U1096 - Loss of Communications with IPC (History) (Immature)

[Restraints] U1096 - Loss of Communications with IPC (History) (Immature)

[Restraints] U1040 - Loss of Class 2 Communications with ABS (History) (Immature)

[Convenience] B2284 - (History) (Immature)

[Convenience] U1064 - Loss of Communications with DIM (History) (Immature)

[Convenience] B2282 - (History) (Immature)

[Convenience] U1096 - Loss of Communications with IPC (History) (Immature)

[Convenience] B2285 - (History) (Immature)

[Convenience] B2283 - (History) (Immature)

[Convenience] U1064 - Loss of Communications with DIM (History) (Immature)

[Convenience] U1096 - Loss of Communications with IPC (History) (Immature)

[Convenience] B0851 - (History) (Immature)

[Convenience] U1255 - Class 2 Communication Malfunction (History) (Immature)

[Convenience] U1300 - Class 2 Short to Ground (History) (Immature)

[Convenience] U1255 - Class 2 Communication Malfunction (History) (Immature)

[Convenience] U1096 - Loss of Communications with IPC (History) (Immature)





Continuous Tests

Misfire: Complete

Fuel System: Complete

Comprehensive Component: Complete





Once Per Trip Tests

Catalyst: Incomplete

Heated Catalyst: n/a

Evaporative System: Complete

Secondary Air System: Complete

A/C System Refrigerant: n/a

Oxygen Sensor: Complete

Oxygen Sensor Heater: Complete

EGR System: n/a


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