Misfire mystery - HELP!
#1
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Misfire mystery - HELP!
2002 Z06, 94000 miles, stock exhaust, mild cam, previous owner had it tuned, engine is a fresh rebuild due to spinning a bearing while racing and has a new crank but stock except mild cam. New NGK spark plugs, MSD wires all measure 24-35 ohms.
- was told the air injection system had been disabled when tuned. So we left it blocked off.
- We bought the car after it sat for 2 years with the engine out.
- We got the car running and on the first drive trying to accelerate basically at ALL it would backfire badly. However idle was stable and can be revved fine not under a load.
- checked the fuel and it looked like urine or apple juice. So I purged all the old gas out jumping the fuel pump relay into a jerry can. We added 5 gallons of premium gas.
- the car began running much better but still it would miss at partial throttle accelerating.
- engine codes? I’ve gotten a code for the air injection oddly even though it was “deleted” I had a code for the left bank HO2S heater, it’s been replaced with a new Bosch sensor. Oddly I’ve not seen any codes yet for fuel trim or misfiring through the instrument cluster.
- I drove the car on a trip gingerly with the tank having been filled with 93 and a Bottle of Techron. Still after that entire tank, anything more than 1/2 throttle the engine misfires. In 6th gear for example at 1500 RPM And just easing in the throttle, it’s begins to break up.
- (on that trip P0153 HC set for right bank front O2 slow response now which is interesting) not sure if that’s related here or just a faulty sensor.
- I’m beginning to think it feels more like ignition but then I had found such dramatic improvement with new fuel but this condition remains.
- I haven’t checked yet for intake leaks but felt that all went back together properly, but I know that’s something I need to consider.
Anyways… this whole situation is driving me kinda nuts… any help you guys may have with situations like this would be great. I know this was long but I wanted to front all the info I could think of.
-Steve
- was told the air injection system had been disabled when tuned. So we left it blocked off.
- We bought the car after it sat for 2 years with the engine out.
- We got the car running and on the first drive trying to accelerate basically at ALL it would backfire badly. However idle was stable and can be revved fine not under a load.
- checked the fuel and it looked like urine or apple juice. So I purged all the old gas out jumping the fuel pump relay into a jerry can. We added 5 gallons of premium gas.
- the car began running much better but still it would miss at partial throttle accelerating.
- engine codes? I’ve gotten a code for the air injection oddly even though it was “deleted” I had a code for the left bank HO2S heater, it’s been replaced with a new Bosch sensor. Oddly I’ve not seen any codes yet for fuel trim or misfiring through the instrument cluster.
- I drove the car on a trip gingerly with the tank having been filled with 93 and a Bottle of Techron. Still after that entire tank, anything more than 1/2 throttle the engine misfires. In 6th gear for example at 1500 RPM And just easing in the throttle, it’s begins to break up.
- (on that trip P0153 HC set for right bank front O2 slow response now which is interesting) not sure if that’s related here or just a faulty sensor.
- I’m beginning to think it feels more like ignition but then I had found such dramatic improvement with new fuel but this condition remains.
- I haven’t checked yet for intake leaks but felt that all went back together properly, but I know that’s something I need to consider.
Anyways… this whole situation is driving me kinda nuts… any help you guys may have with situations like this would be great. I know this was long but I wanted to front all the info I could think of.
-Steve
#2
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Member Since: Sep 2013
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Without a scan tool and a scope you'll only be guessing my friend...your situation is not unique so the best thing I could say is take it to a diagnostic shop and pay for an hour or two of diagnostic time and let them make an quick and accurate diagnosis...since the car sat for a long time I would remove the injectors and have them cleaned and reinstalled...you will not see any DTC's for "fuel trim" but a P0171/P0174 for a lean condition...and yes that P0153 should be addressed.
#4
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The following users liked this post:
servohead (10-14-2021)
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servohead (10-14-2021)
#6
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
#7
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
Without a scan tool and a scope you'll only be guessing my friend...your situation is not unique so the best thing I could say is take it to a diagnostic shop and pay for an hour or two of diagnostic time and let them make an quick and accurate diagnosis...since the car sat for a long time I would remove the injectors and have them cleaned and reinstalled...you will not see any DTC's for "fuel trim" but a P0171/P0174 for a lean condition...and yes that P0153 should be addressed.
#9
Burning Brakes
So many variables that you cannot answer without a proper scan of the engine function. And that is not just 'pulling codes'.
Last edited by KOZ; 10-14-2021 at 05:17 PM.
The following users liked this post:
servohead (10-16-2021)
#11
Burning Brakes
Thread Starter
So, I found the problem… almost assuredly. #8 plug is absolutely cracked in half. It was either damaged when I received it and I didn’t notice it or the plug wire was fitting loosely on there and overheated it. This whole time I’ve been telling myself the car was misfiring… I should have believed myself before way over analyzing things.
What is really STRANGE is that the tech 2 showed NOTHING, not one misfire at all, and never set ANY misfiring codes at all.
I still need to sort out the P0153 but I’m thinking at this point it’s just a bad HO2S.
I did check the intake for vacuum leaks and found nothing at all.
thanks everyone for your advice!
What is really STRANGE is that the tech 2 showed NOTHING, not one misfire at all, and never set ANY misfiring codes at all.
I still need to sort out the P0153 but I’m thinking at this point it’s just a bad HO2S.
I did check the intake for vacuum leaks and found nothing at all.
thanks everyone for your advice!