Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[PxMetro]

Hi All

My V6 has started to missfire. I first noticed it about two weeks ago when sitting in a traffic que in Drive. I selected Neutral and the problem went away. During normal driving the engine ran fine. This kept happening until this morning were it kept missfiring even when driving, the orange warning light (Engine symbol) was flashing at the same time. As speed increased to about 25MPH she came back onto all 6 cylinders and the warning light stopped flashing. This, I fear is only going to get worse. There does not apear to be any sign of oil leaking into the plug holes, and on the face of it nothing looks out of place.

I know someone on here will have experienced the same. Any ideas would be appreciated

[Jimbob]

1st port of call is the pedal trick to read any codes (see my sig)
and post back what you get.

[PxMetro]

Okay, shall give it a go tonight after work, then report back.

[joshwyatt]

I would guess you're going to get 0300 and one or some of the following; 0301, 0302, 0303, 0304, 0305 or 0306.
One the 2.6 and 3.2 engines I've found with missfires it's normally plugs or coil pack.
So the 1-3-5 or 2-4-6 bank coil pack may need to be replaced, or may just need new plugs.
Once you've got the codes that will tell you which side is at fault.

[JamesV6CDX]

I would guess you're going to get 0300 and one or some of the following; 0301, 0302, 0303, 0304, 0305 or 0306.
One the 2.6 and 3.2 engines I've found with missfires it's normally plugs or coil pack.
So the 1-3-5 or 2-4-6 bank coil pack may need to be replaced, or may just need new plugs.
Once you've got the codes that will tell you which side is at fault.

Just to add to this, the cause of the failure is usually water ingress into the plug wells via leaky screen/scuttle seal - or, oil in the plug wells as a result of leaky cam cover gaskets...

If never exposed to these fluids, the coilpack setup on these seems very reliable IMHO

[TheBoy]

I would guess you're going to get 0300 and one or some of the following; 0301, 0302, 0303, 0304, 0305 or 0306.
One the 2.6 and 3.2 engines I've found with missfires it's normally plugs or coil pack.
So the 1-3-5 or 2-4-6 bank coil pack may need to be replaced, or may just need new plugs.
Once you've got the codes that will tell you which side is at fault.

Just to add to this, the cause of the failure is usually water ingress into the plug wells via leaky screen/scuttle seal - or, oil in the plug wells as a result of leaky cam cover gaskets...

If never exposed to these fluids, the coilpack setup on these seems very reliable IMHO

Nah, reckon less reliable. They all seem to fail around 100k...

I reckon (again, without fluid contamination), DIS and lead setup is more reliable.  My DIS and leads are orig at 162k, though the DIS did have 4 or 5 litres of red hot coolant dumped on it at high speed on Friday, so may not be long left on this earth

[Kevin Wood]

I reckon (again, without fluid contamination), DIS and lead setup is more reliable.  My DIS and leads are orig at 162k, though the DIS did have 4 or 5 litres of red hot coolant dumped on it at high speed on Friday, so may not be long left on this earth

.. and it did go "Brrrrrrp" under Spirited driving conditions on LPG yesterday. :-/

Kevin

[JamesV6CDX]

I would guess you're going to get 0300 and one or some of the following; 0301, 0302, 0303, 0304, 0305 or 0306.
One the 2.6 and 3.2 engines I've found with missfires it's normally plugs or coil pack.
So the 1-3-5 or 2-4-6 bank coil pack may need to be replaced, or may just need new plugs.
Once you've got the codes that will tell you which side is at fault.

Just to add to this, the cause of the failure is usually water ingress into the plug wells via leaky screen/scuttle seal - or, oil in the plug wells as a result of leaky cam cover gaskets...

If never exposed to these fluids, the coilpack setup on these seems very reliable IMHO

Nah, reckon less reliable. They all seem to fail around 100k...

I reckon (again, without fluid contamination), DIS and lead setup is more reliable.  My DIS and leads are orig at 162k, though the DIS did have 4 or 5 litres of red hot coolant dumped on it at high speed on Friday, so may not be long left on this earth

A coil pack lasting 100k miles seems reliable to me?

[PxMetro]

1st port of call is the pedal trick to read any codes (see my sig)
and post back what you get.

Readings are as follows: 0300 and 0302

[joshwyatt]

0300 indicates random misfire detected. And 0302 detects a missfire on cylinder 2 which is the passenger side of the vehicle (N/S)
Take out the 2-4-6 coil pack and have a look. As James stated earlier, see if there's any oil in the plug wells. If not start by replacing the plug, if that doesn't cure it, it's most likely a replacement coil pack that's needed.

EDIT: Water ingress happens a fair bit on the 2-4-6 bank from the scuttle, but in my experience it starts with a missfire on cylinder 6 or 4...but I guess it could start on cylinder 2.

[VXL V6]

Water ingress on that bank was a known problem that was rectified at the factory on later 3.2/2.6's. Basically they put an extra bead of sealant on the camcover across the flat section between the gaskets.

The engine symbol lamp is not the normal ECU lamp, it's the emissions lamp, if it flashes then the emissions system has detected a fault that meets the parameters that are considered dangerous to the catalytic convertor - ie major missfire. this can put unburnt fuel into the catalytic convertor which they really don't like!

[PxMetro]

Thanks Guys, it would have to be the bank that's most difficult to get at. And would you believe I don't have a 16mm plug socket. (as yet)  I think it might be wisest to leave the car at home until I can start investigations in ernest. Interestingly, when I arrived home tonight it was missfiring quite badly, but after switching off and leaving for a couple of minutes, I re-started it and it ran on 6 again.  :-/ :-/

[PxMetro]

http://s163.photobucket.com/albums/t287/Metrogone/?action=view&current=DSC03104.jpg

Think I may have found the problem

[Andy B]

http://s163.photobucket.com/albums/t287/Metrogone/?action=view&current=DSC03104.jpg

Think I may have found the problem

What makes you think that?           

[Entwood]

http://s163.photobucket.com/albums/t287/Metrogone/?action=view&current=DSC03104.jpg

Think I may have found the problem

You a member of OPEC