Cylinder misfires or bad injectors, please post here.

^This.

 

Also check your IM gaskets, both the IM>TGV and TGV>CH. These are known issues on 08+ and there's a TSB on that. But as our engines age, these gaskets dry-out, crack and leak. Smoke test or do the carb cleaner spray around these to see if/what changes.

So the mechanic found a few interesting things when he was tearing things down.

 

First, the previous owner had already done ARP head studs...but for some reason didn't use the proper nuts (they were 6 point, not 12 point), and one was missing altogether!

 

Second, it looks like somebody (again, probably the previous owner) did an absolute hack job when adjusting valve clearances. The mechanic said that it looked like it had been done "with a die grinder."

 

I guess the bright side is that I now have a pretty good idea why the valve burnt so early.

Who sets valve clearances with a grinder? I guess he was too cheap/lazy to find the right bucket shims...

Valve porting AMIRITE?

 

Sounds awful. Hopefully it gets fixed proper and there was no damage to the camshaft as a result.

Who sets valve clearances with a grinder? I guess he was too cheap/lazy to find the right bucket shims...

I adjusted mine on my drill press using small dremmel grinding wheels. It sounds similar to using a die grinder, but the important difference is that with a drill press and a mic you can be precise. When done correctly (carefully) it's just as effective as buying new buckets and it's exponentially cheaper. Heiche's thread (here) gave me the balls to try it. Adjusting your valves this way obviously only works to increase the bucket/camshaft clearance, and if you need less clearance you'd have to buy new buckets.

My 3.6R was getting recurring misfire codes but only from the odd bank. One day it was cyl#5, next day cyl#1, and so on. Long story round and round with coil packs, injectors and spark plugs but no dice. Ultimately identified a gummed-up oil OSV Valve. Two oil flush-changes cleaned it out. Misfire no more. I didn't want to believe this but 2000 miles without a misfire code tells me it must be true.

Ok let me first say I am a vw mechanic been a mechanic since 1968 ....

And this one has me stumped. ,

I have a 99 Legacy/Outback with a #4 misfire .

I tested the coil and the coil had bad ohms readings were bad . So I replaced it . ( it is a 3 wire coil. ) with wires and plugs.

what I am getting for symptoms is #4 is firing twice ( at least ) as fast as the others.then skipping a couple of beats. then back to firing to fast .

 

the compression is #1 240 #2 235 #3 230 #4 230

 

Anyone have any Ideas?

Edited August 11, 2017 by 4x4xvw

Ok let me first say I am a vw mechanic been a mechanic since 1968 ....

And this one has me stumped. ,

I have a 99 Legacy/Outback with a #4 misfire .

I tested the coil and the coil had bad ohms readings were bad . So I replaced it . ( it is a 3 wire coil. ) with wires and plugs.

what I am getting for symptoms is #4 is firing twice ( at least ) as fast as the others.then skipping a couple of beats. then back to firing to fast .

Anyone have any Ideas?

 

Have you swapped coils and injectors (one at a time) between two cylinders yet?

yes changed coil out with a new one. ( the old one had bad ohms readings ) and changed injectors with no symptom change .

yes changed coil out with a new one. ( the old one had bad ohms readings ) and changed injectors with no symptom change .

 

How is the compression?

#1 240

#2 235

#3 230

#4 230

#1 240

#2 235

#3 230

#4 230

 

I missed it earlier - did you put new plugs in?

Found the problem.

was a loose wire in the main harness plug ...it had worked its way out.

pushed it back in and all is well.

thank you everyone.

-Bill-

Help...

 

2009 Subaru legacy non turbo. Having issues firing. Changed starter about a year ago, replaced crank position sensor, replaced fuel pump, replaced coil pack, still taking a few seconds to long to start. Sometimes won't start on first try.

 

Starter does not whine or click,

 

Maybe Injectors next?

 

Any opinions and advice would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

 

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

I need help!!!

2001, , manual tranny, 166,000 miles on it. It was running rough so we hooked it up to a code reader and misfire cylinder 3 came back, intermittently- it runs smooth as silk until there is a load on the engine. Over the past two weeks we have changes plugs (twice), ignition coils (twice), a cam sensor and the computer. The original computer still has the misfire intermittently, the second computer came back with the cam sensor issue and still reads a code on there even after we changed the part (a new part).

 

 

What on EARTH is left? We have compression in the cylinder, when we unplug the wire from the coil there is a significant difference. We are going to check the voltage going to the coil but ANY ideas would be appreciated!!!!!

I need help!!!

2001, , manual tranny, 166,000 miles on it. It was running rough so we hooked it up to a code reader and misfire cylinder 3 came back, intermittently- it runs smooth as silk until there is a load on the engine. Over the past two weeks we have changes plugs (twice), ignition coils (twice), a cam sensor and the computer. The original computer still has the misfire intermittently, the second computer came back with the cam sensor issue and still reads a code on there even after we changed the part (a new part).

 

 

What on EARTH is left? We have compression in the cylinder, when we unplug the wire from the coil there is a significant difference. We are going to check the voltage going to the coil but ANY ideas would be appreciated!!!!!

 

Compression and/or leakdown test. You seem to be throwing parts and money at the problem. Try to use this thread to guide your troubleshooting and avoid unnecessary expense. Codes don't pinpoint the issue, they only tell you the electrical circuit where the fault (a misfire in this case) is occurring.

 

Check basics for air inlet, inlet sensors, and vacuum lines. Check hoses, clamps, seals etc.

Check battery voltage under load (take it to an autoparts store to test).

Swap injectors. See if the code follows the swap.

Swap coil pack. See if the code follows the swap.

Perform a compression and/or leakdown test.

 

Are you burning oil? Do you have oil in your coolant?

Edited January 31, 2018 by compsurge

Woo, 3rd time posting in this thread.

 

Back in December, threw a single cylinder 3 misfire code. Cleared the code, never came back.

 

Last week, threw a cyl #3 misfire code again. I moved the coil pack to cylinder #1. The code followed...but it still threw a #3 misfire code as well!

 

I thought what the heck, replace the coil pack anyway and see what happens. While I was at it, I replaced the spark plug on #3. So now new coilpack and new plug on #3...and what happens? Misfires codes on #1, #3, *and* #4. WTF?

 

I'm going to try cleaning the MAF next. After that, injectors. After that, time for leakdown and compression test.

 

Keep in mind, it's now been a little over 2 years since my last adventure when I had my burnt valve on #4 and had the whole top end rebuilt.

 

Symptoms: It's idling like crap (was stalling at nearly every stoplight). On the first half of the idle relearn procedure after clearing a code, it actually idles a bit better, but on the second half of the idle relearn it throws a code and starts idling poorly again. Also a lack of power on the highway and fuel consumption has gone to crap.

 

Also found a crack in the plastic PCV crossover pipe that runs just in front of the intercooler. Doesn't really matter, since I had it capped off anyway when I installed the Grimmspeed AOS. I ended up breaking the pipe off at the crack and just putting the rubber cap over the new broken end instead of a little further downstream where it used to be. But that vacuum leak may have been at least partially responsible for some of the bad idle problems, at least.

Edited March 31, 2018 by Arcteryx

Diagnosis is in and it's not good: burnt (or broken) valve on #3 cylinder.

 

Now I have to decide what to do next - I think I'm going to pull the engine, replace the valves, and send the heads out to be machined. Besides all the other stuff I should do while I have the engine out, what parts do I need to get for the valve job besides new valves and new valve seals?

Burnt valve again just after two years??? Who adjusted your valve clearance 2 years ago?

Burnt valve again just after two years??? Who adjusted your valve clearance 2 years ago?

 

Since it's on the opposite head, I wonder if they only did one side when they pulled them last time.

Didn't they provide the before/after clearances though?

No, unfortunately they didn't.

 

I'm starting to think my choice of shop for the last job may have been suboptimal. :|

 

Friend of a friend, and all that...

That sucks. sorry to hear.

Pulled the engine today and got the heads off. Here's the burnt #3 exhaust valve:

 

One of my mechanic friends says this looks like evidence of excessive blow-by. So is it time for new piston rings?

New rings are too cheap not to replace. I got NPR rings off ebay for like $50. The description didn't mention anything about being pre-gapped, but they came perfectly gapped to the STI spec.