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Idle/Starting problem + engine code help

CityRatedXJ

NAXJA Forum User
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My '01 (4.0L) has been acting up once in a while when started warm and cold. It will idle really really low and I can floor it, and it will slowly rev up, and once it hits about 2000rpms or so it's fine and runs smoothly. The idle is a little rougher than normal too, when stopped while in drive and parked. Check engine light came on a little while after this started and it read cylinder 2, 5, 6 misfire; some emissions problem, and something with the fuel system.

My question here is what could be done to further diagnos the problem. I have to have the vehicle tested for emissions by June 1st, and they won't even look at it if it has a check engine light; I am certain that it will fail because the code was for emissions. I ran seafoam through the engine a little while after it started, and am considering cleaning the fuel injectors. Spark plugs are less than a year old but have about 25k on them, and I have cleaned them every three or four months. Any suggestions or ideas of what my problem is would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
 
CityRatedXJ said:
Spark plugs are less than a year old but have about 25k on them, and I have cleaned them every three or four months.

What you said about the plugs made me think...frequent re&re of the same set of plugs for cleaning/ inspection can over-crush the gaskets and create a small compression leak. It would make sense that the problem would be most prominent at lower rpm where cylinder pressures are cycled more slowly/less frequently than at a high rpm where pressure would be more easily maintained. Just a crazy idea with a cheap solution, new plugs and leave em' in.. My .02 Cdn.
 
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I have always pulled and cleaned plugs on other cars that I have had and have never experienced any problems from it. I'll try replacing them, right now I have Bosch 2's in there, would you suggest staying with them or getting something different?
 
Don't get fancy, just go with Champion copper or truck plugs. I've been the Bosch route and they are great in my Caddy and the wifes 'Yota but IMHO in a 4.0 they are a waste of money.
 
Saterday while at NAPA paying $5.20 PER FOOT for fuel injection fuel line I noticed the foam backed thing on the counter claimed that cars with the coil on the plugs had the polarity on the sparks plugs reversed. (instead of center to outter it's outter to center) and it claimed whatever sparks plugs they were selling were better. But definetly stay away from the bosch platinum plugs, I've tried them too many times other cars and they've never worked right.

JoBo
 
Ok, I'm having the fuel system flushed tomorrow and replacing the plugs. The retard at autozone erased the codes after I told him not to, so the stealership tried taking my left nut to look at it.
 
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