crazy missfire, please help!!

719prottege

Member
:
03 msp
So I am having some bad missfire, just happened today. Here is the rundown... I got the car a couple weeks ago, completely stock. Changed tv spark plugs the day after I got it to dome NGk iridium ones. Ram great. I saw someone on here put a cone filter where the stock airbox goes, so I slapped one on that I had laying around. Ran it for about a week, ran ok. Seemed to have a little worse hesitation than before, so I switched back like 3 days ago. Ran better but I couldn't find the bolts to bolt the airbox to the maf and it came undone at that point hike driving to work this morning, threw a cel freaked out untill I saw how easy of a fix it was. Fixed it, discontcted the battery to clear the light and it ran fine. Cruising home on the highway, about 85, ran great. Got offthe highway, at the first light it seemed to try and stall, and it had no power, than all the power in little spirts, so I pulled over made sure the maf as still hooked up correctly, babies it home. I when I got home I Lund some bolts for the maf made sure everything was tight , started the car, idled ok for 2 minutes, than crazy car shaking misfire. Sounded like possibley I hear a vaccum leak, or charge pipe leak, but tested for a leak with starter fluid rpmz stayed the same. Checked sparkpugs and wires for connection, everything seemed good. At this point I'm thinking a few posibilitys...
1. vaccum/chargepipe leak.
2. Injector problem
3. Coil problems

I did a little research but couldn't find much helpful, so please help me. I might be using this as an excuse to get a fmic and make sure it has go leaks. Please help!!!!
 
I had this problem a while back and I replaced my MAF sensor, spark plugs, ran fuel injector cleaner through the gas tank, checked my o2 sensors and nothing worked. Then, I replaced my coil packs and wires. BAM, problem fixed. I hope you find the problem. Let us know how it turns out.
 
wow thanks man i will try that when i get home i think. im gonna check the vaccum/charge pipe leak first tho because thats what i was messing with most recently.
 
im looking at coils and wires, where and how much did you get the coils for? ebay is like 80 for the set, or 80 each at like autozone so far. as far as plug wires, might as well upgrade i guess.. nology or ngk or what is good?
 
they should be $80 for the set at autozone that is where I got mine from when I replaced them. Autozone will tell you that you need four coils. You only need two coils and they come as a set and the wires that come as a set. It should total to around 80 bucks. I would stick with the stock setup right now unless you plan on doing some major modding. I have heard good and bad things about the nology hotwires. As far as NGK, stick with their spark plugs.
 
so when i got home, i stumbled upon a bunch of intercooler piping in my garage that i forgot i had...went ahead and rplaced the piping from the intercooler to the intake mani with that, relocated maf to that pipe, and made an intake too that actually fits very well and even has iat sensor whole. took it for a ride, everything runs good! i had a small boost leak for a little but, just double checked all the clamps and its good now. i have the stock bpv venting now, because the intake didnt have that large of a nipple. also, the crank bypass vent is now kinda just venting. but everything seems good, untill i can get my hands on a turbolife kit!
 
wow, you have the stock bpv VTA, I have not heard of anyone doing that. Well, if it is working I guess you can't complain. Glad its working for you.
 
im looking at coils and wires, where and how much did you get the coils for? ebay is like 80 for the set, or 80 each at like autozone so far. as far as plug wires, might as well upgrade i guess.. nology or ngk or what is good?

WTF.. They no where near that high even for BOTH coil packs from autozone... 57.76 for both after tax at autozone.
 
i just googled it and that was like the first price i saw, lol my bad. glad i dont need to replace them right now, might do it anyways though.

lol ah ok, I literally just ordered some today... stupid car runs fine and then all of a sudden feels like a random misfire but no CEL! Also right before it does that the car feels gutless like its pulling another car or something.

Take it out of gear and tap the gas a few times and its good for another day or two. It used to do this every once in awhile but not its becoming more often now. The plugs have been changed and are good so the only thing left is the packs and wires.
 
lol another thing is did u put the coil packs on the back the way they were when u changed ur plugs?
 
lol another thing is did u put the coil packs on the back the way they were when u changed ur plugs?

um... yes... I changed the plugs 20k miles ago. I'm not a retard mimus... btw how in the hall can you even install them backwards... seriously how in the hell can you install then incorrectly? I fail to see how that is possible.... so please entertain that idea for me mimus.

Edit: I am not new to the protege's nor do I claim to know all.
 
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yea im with stealth, you would have to really go out of your way and try to install those incorrectly...
anyways, it ran great all night last night than crappy again, idk if the piping came loose again wich is very possible, but it was too cold and dark out to check. im going to order those coils and wires tommorow regardless. love msp reliability! any other suggestions if its neither of those?
 
So I checked all the piping, nothi g is loose now for sure. It starts and idles fine for about a minute, but when it warms up it dies???? WTF!
 
So I checked all the piping, nothi g is loose now for sure. It starts and idles fine for about a minute, but when it warms up it dies???? WTF!

hm... just a stab in the dark here but is the air intake temp thing hooked up and have you tried cleaning the Idle air control valve? I'm not sure what would cause your issue either but it couldn't hurt to check those.
 
well i replaced the coils and the wires, total of like $90, and its been running great for 2-3 days now! i also cleaned the egr and maf. how would i clean the idle control? also, the temp sensor is pluged into the intake that i made, it fits like a glove.
 
if its the coil packs, then change them soon, you WILL melt your cat if your driving the car around and its missing, find someone local to alloe you to switch, 3min job, then drive around the block to see if it fixes the problem, if so the you have options,iv replaced mine with a coil pack from a 99-00 protege/miata and then ran miata plug wires, this is a small upgrade in performance, but the stock P5 coil packs fail ALOT.. search the forums on this, you will find a how to.. i got the coil pack from rock auto for about $60, though they had to order it.. NGK wires for $40
 

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i already replaced mine and it works perfect, also, i dont have emissions in my county so im ditching my cat soon.
 
replace it with high flow, i did mine with the midpipe, then the same issue with it missing, only it would do it off and on.. so i drove the car for a week this way while parts were on order only to destory the high flow cat :( i put an extra resonator in place of the cat, so now i have 2.5 pipe 2 resonators and the stock MSP (racing beat muffler) which is a real muffler, not the can type.. the car dosnt sound that good, its raspy, much louder,drone, etc.. with the cat, it was smooth clean notes, just vroomed nice.. the sound of the car will change with the cat, sure you will pick up 3-4 hp- mabey 5hp if the cat is bad. if you have the funds, do the cat, find a high flow cat ebay and spend the money, i wish i had, now i have $150 in a resonator/install and i hate it. i wish i just bought the cat again.. just my 2 cents.. ps, ill be passing through limon in about a week, on my way to my parents in carbondale.. dont know how far that drive is from you or if its worth it, but you could hear what it sounds like with no cat and GOOD mufflers, there will be MUCH more rasp without the good mufflers..
 
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