miata misfire

[mustangtomiata]

My car randomly started misfiring today, drove down to school normal as could be and today i went to go to the store and it was misfiring. I've had a check engine light on from from the catless pipe but i doubt that caused it, and i have no tools at school to work on it, any ideas? Coil packs maybe?

[amaff]

I'd say go cheapest to more expensive. Check / replace the plugs, then the wires (miatas tend to eat up plug wires for some reason) then the coil packs.

[ben91]

Did the CEL flash during the misfire event?

You need to read the code.

[mustangtomiata]

I put new NGK's with magnecor wires on it right after i bought it which was like 3 months ago anf i know i need to get the code but i don't know of anyone around here that can do it, cause i'm in the middle of nowhere and all the dumb ****s down here are like, "Miata? ain't that like wunna them viper thangs?"...or "ain't that the new meat seasoning?" my car is a piece

[RotorNutFD3S]

Do you have an Advance Auto Parts or something near you? Most parts places will read the codes for you for free, or let you take a reader out to do it yourself.

[mustangtomiata]

unfortuneately no, my town is maybe 4000 people and thats counting all the college students...

[RotorNutFD3S]

Where are you at?! lol

[mustangtomiata]

A BLACK HOLE! lol the wonderful town of cochran, georgia and the college is middle georgia college...yay! not

[RotorNutFD3S]

Wow, you have internet service there? :lol:
I've actually been through there when I was helping a friend look at colleges.

Unless their website is wrong, Advance has a store in Cochran:

175 E Dykes St
Cochran, GA 31014
(478) 934-8686

[mustangtomiata]

your right...i'm a dumb *** and thanks for the help lol as soon as i read that i was like i fail! i'll get it scanned tomorrow when i get outta classes, and hopefully fix it soon.

[RotorNutFD3S]

:lol: It's ok, I wouldn't want to venture out into the black hole either.
Be sure to report back!

[mustangtomiata]

will do

[ben91]

Go to walmart. Buy a code scanner. $25 for a basic one.

[Doppelgänger]

The 99's coilpacks are known to randomly funk out and start misfiring. Next time it starts running on 2 cylinders, open your hood and push on the wiring harnesses/connectors that connect to the coilpack. My 99 was doing the same thing and when it did, pushing on those wires would make it instantly go away.

[ben91]

while I agree with the coil pack issues, I'm going to disagree with Mike's advice to start pushing on plug wires. there's a reason why they make those long, insulated handle pliers for manipulating plug wires on a running vehicle.

[Flash13783]

Mine use to do the same thing, and it was a wire issue, but it also did it with the new plugs one time because i cleaned my engine and some water had got down in the 4th plug and was causing it to do the same thing. Took it out dried everything really good and back to normal.

[mustangtomiata]

No water has been under the hood in awhile, i went to have it scanned at the advanced close by and there was no obd2 hook up under my dash(are all NB's like this?), so the dumbasses didn't think to check under the hood so i popped it and there was a diagnostic connector like a obd1 car would be. A new coil pack from advanced was $277, and i didn't have it scanned. Auto parts store people piss me the **** off because 99% of them are idiots. GOD DAMNIT

[RotorNutFD3S]

There is an OBDII connector. You have to pop off the fuse cover that is under the dash near the driver's door. It's in there.

[mustangtomiata]

ight thanks.

[RotorNutFD3S]

Third time's the charm.

[mustangtomiata]

god i hope your right.

[mustangtomiata]

so...i had it scanned and the guy said all that came up was the code for my 2nd o2 sensor. I bought a track pipe from mike that has no bung for the 2nd o2 sensor so obviously the check engine light came on. No big, but the code says the second o2 sensor is not giving a reading at all so i guess i'll be putting one on in my school parking lot. It showed no other codes and nothing ignition related.

[ben91]

The post cat o2 sensor doesn't do anything other than monitor for cat functionality. Since there's no cat, there's no use in dealing with it.

This is not the source of your misfire.

[mustangtomiata]

I have the stock mid pipe back on now with full exhaust again and yeah i figured there was someting else to it than that...again i hate auto parts store people.

[Doppelgänger]

while I agree with the coil pack issues, I'm going to disagree with Mike's advice to start pushing on plug wires. there's a reason why they make those long, insulated handle pliers for manipulating plug wires on a running vehicle.


I never said anything about messing with the plug wires. However, I did say to wiggle the connectors on the bottom of the coilpack next time its misfiring. :rolleyes:

Also, the o2 code will not effect the performance of the car... it'll just keep you from passing emissions.

(so how loud was it? :lol:)

[mustangtomiata]

My friends and I decided it was a little louder than my mustang. It kept people from accidently trying to run me over going down the highway because they could hear my car, and it made spec miatas sound relatively quiet. A girl rode home with me that will talk your ears of but she couldn't talk because my car was too loud, the local area knew everytime I started my car and when I was doggin it and takin my friends for rides, it was a little faster...I enjoyed it, can't wait to get my o2 sensor pung on it and run it again.

[Doppelgänger]

LMAO.. I wish I would have thought of descriptions like that for the ad i made when I was trying to sell it

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[mustangtomiata]

OKAY...so the dip **** who scanned my car wasn't working today and I was like can I get the scan tool from yall? (I'm pretting handy with one) and I hooked it up to my car...two codes came up. The code about the second o2 sensor being unactive AND a code for cylinder/multiple cylinders misfiring, which we all guessed. Third time is a charm, can't remember who said that to me, and luckily Kurt had a coil pack for my car so it saves me a ton of money over buying a new one. She will run normal again! Putting in the second bung on the track pipe for the rear 02 sensor and I shall wake the dead again, THEN i suggest we all meet up and eat and rape mustangs on back roads! Thanks for the advice aqnd help.

[RotorNutFD3S]

Haha! That was me that said that. Very good though that a solution for your issue is in sight!

[mustangtomiata]

Indeed, because i **** nuns.

[Doppelgänger]

LOL... you feelin' ok lately?

[mustangtomiata]

i've been better but my roommate typed that last night lol i went to the bathroom and he told me he sent the message for me, he just didnt say he added his little "flavor" to it. and he wouldnt stop laughin so i read it and was like i'm not even gunna take that off.

[RotorNutFD3S]

Shenanigans!

[Doppelgänger]

you god damn postwhore....

[Jack-MX5ATLanta.com]

:lol: that brings about some very bad jokes I know and will keep to myself in the name of the forums

Glad you worked it out, I remember when my coilpack took a **** on my Suby, everywhere I took it they tried to fix something else no matter how many times I suggested it. Fortunately nowadays I'm more canny about this **** and can do it for myself.

[Doppelgänger]

I bet you 20 bucks i'll go up and call him a chicken****er...



IBTL??????

[mustangtomiata]

what is IBTL? And yeah I don't let other people work on my car, or anything of mine pretty much...unless its body work.

[Sawyer]

IBTL = In Before The Lock

[RotorNutFD3S]

you god damn postwhore....


:violin: :violin: :violin: :violin: :violin: :violin: :violin:

+1 :D

[ben91]

:butt:

[redrumracer]

The 99's coilpacks are known to randomly funk out and start misfiring. Next time it starts running on 2 cylinders, open your hood and push on the wiring harnesses/connectors that connect to the coilpack. My 99 was doing the same thing and when it did, pushing on those wires would make it instantly go away.

yours did that too? and here i was thinking i was the only one.


oh and Hello other MGC guy, im in Eastman :insert hi smiley:

[mustangtomiata]

What's your name? And i assume your doing something aviation related?

[redrumracer]

What's your name? And i assume your doing something aviation related?


Stefan and yea im in the pilot program.

[mustangtomiata]

Stefan, do you play soccer and have Ms. Lanier?

[mustangtomiata]

Okay, i bought a coilpack from kurt saturday, came back to school and put it on around 5. And to the delight of my ears it ran as smooth as can be when i started it. Thank you to kurt, and now just gotta fix all the other small problems with my car.
-Left rear tail light(lens came unglued)
-transmission
-new wheel(not bent but really ugly from small screw up when playing around)
-Right rear lower control arm
-1 new tire cuz sidewall is cut pretty bad
-either gut or put my interior back together
-fix hood latch and align body
...I think thats all the necessities, better get started lol, then I think im going to try and sell it.

[Doppelgänger]

yours did that too? and here i was thinking i was the only one.


oh and Hello other MGC guy, im in Eastman :insert hi smiley:


No ****?! You would seriously have to just push on the harness connector ON the coilpack and it would stop? Hmmmmm that's rather interesting. I wonder if the clips on the coil are bad and come loose and cause it to misfire.

mustangtomiata - I wish you would have left the old coil on your car nad when it misfired again, try what I suggested... we could be onto something here.

[mustangtomiata]

I tried it mike, unfortuneately didn't work.

[Doppelgänger]

ahhh ok.
If you want to eliminate the problem all together, there is a way to make your own coil-on-plug setup that's pretty cool.

[mustangtomiata]

explain this setup or how/where to get one.

[metalman]

I suppose one could just run a standard choke cable tied to the offending connectors and just yank on it whenever theres a misfire. :D

[ben91]

haha. universal lawn mower throttle cable FTW :lol:

[mustangtomiata]

hahaha, jdm tight i'm tryin it thursday!

[FlipKing]

Actually, Bleckley county has about 10000 people total in the county and there is an Advanced Autoparts in town by the Hong Kong. Also Eastman and Dublin arnt that far. :-p I live in Warner Robins when I am not away at school. Lived in Cochran for 8 years.

[redrumracer]

No ****?! You would seriously have to just push on the harness connector ON the coilpack and it would stop? Hmmmmm that's rather interesting. I wonder if the clips on the coil are bad and come loose and cause it to misfire.

mustangtomiata - I wish you would have left the old coil on your car nad when it misfired again, try what I suggested... we could be onto something here.

no ****, remember when I was pm'img you about seeing if you an extra coil pack? well that was why. I happen to discover this a couple says before I was going to buy another one. It is kinda embarrassing getting out every now and then to jiggle the plug in.

[mustangtomiata]

i was talking about cochran though not bleckley county.