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Car started having problems (misfires and almost dies at idle)

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Old Oct 29, 2009 | 08:15 PM
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Default Car started having problems (misfires and almost dies at idle)

Well just a little bit ago i got in my car to come home and the car started up fine and also ran fine just before this. I pull up to a stop light and the car about dies and it starts misfiring bad. I have to keep the idle up at about 1k. I'll take off and the car feels like it has no power and then it will all of a sudden take off just normal and then start misfiring again and has no power and while this is going on the SES light is flashing. I just put new plugs in about 2 or months ago. Could this be a faulty plug thats just now causing problems? or could this have something to do with the coils?
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Old Oct 29, 2009 | 09:44 PM
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First thing would be to have the code(s) read. If the SES light is flashing, that's usually worse than if it stays on.

Getting the codes will make it a lot easier to diagnose.
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Old Oct 29, 2009 | 10:06 PM
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codes codes codes, if the SES light flashes its bascially like an emergency thing i guess. i doubt plugs would do it, sounds like a fuel delivery problem.
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Old Oct 29, 2009 | 11:53 PM
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Originally Posted by itsslow98
codes codes codes, if the SES light flashes its bascially like an emergency thing i guess. i doubt plugs would do it, sounds like a fuel delivery problem.
Would Autozone or another parts store be able to check the codes?? It wouldn't be a good idea to drive it to far and there is an Autozone just down the road from me.
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Old Oct 30, 2009 | 03:45 AM
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Autozone should read them but won't clear them I think, and yes you can drive it just don't do very many long hauls until it's fixed

As far as what is causing it, it could be a bunch of things like plugs, wires, coil, coil harness, fueling, vacuum leak, dirty MAF, and bad O2's off the top of my head.

Pull the codes and go from there, you may be able to isolate a cylinder that is having issues and narrow down your search. I'd start with doing the free stuff first like checking plugs and wires until I know if something needs to be replaced or I'm forced to replace a part because I'm out of options.

I hate to see people just throw money at an issue and end up not fixing it or it ends up being something that could have been free.
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Old Oct 30, 2009 | 04:55 PM
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I went to O'Reilys and did the diagnostic test. The code was P0300 if i remember right, came up as "Random/Multiple Cylinder Misfire Detected." Thats about as much as i know at this time as to what the problem could be. It ran perfectly fine for about 30 minutes while i went a few places and to O'Reilys. But...right when i pulled out of O'Reilys it started doing it again... Does anyone have any ideas as to what it COULD be and what i could check?
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Old Oct 30, 2009 | 05:39 PM
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help?
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Old Oct 31, 2009 | 10:18 AM
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umm help?
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Old Oct 31, 2009 | 10:25 AM
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I would check the plugs for cracks. Also make sure a wire didn't touch the headers and burn through.

The flashing ses light does mean a misfire. My turbo gp did that. I scaned it with hptuner. The light would flash and it would show misfires. If you get on it and the light flashes and you stay wot, the light will just stay on. But don't do that. Trust me.
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Old Oct 31, 2009 | 10:31 AM
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well 2 different people told me that they've experienced the same problem before and it was due to one of the O2's going out. Well, one of the guys said he was driving his car in the rain and the O2's go soaked and it was doing the same thing as i discribed.
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Old Oct 31, 2009 | 04:51 PM
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had a bad O2 cause same problem, O2 would report a lean condition and it would go so rich it would misfire. never seen a code for O2 just for misfire.
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Old Oct 31, 2009 | 05:16 PM
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So who sells a good o2 that won't go bad so fast?
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Old Oct 31, 2009 | 09:02 PM
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replaced the O2's and the problem is fixed!
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Old Nov 1, 2009 | 04:47 PM
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Originally Posted by 01SOMZ28
replaced the O2's and the problem is fixed!
That's good to hear. What brand did you go with?
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Old Nov 1, 2009 | 10:54 PM
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bosch is what they sell at autozone which i believe is an oem product. one o2 really isnt better then another IMO. no one sells high performance o2 sensors lol.
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Old Nov 1, 2009 | 11:33 PM
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Originally Posted by 1gt2nv
That's good to hear. What brand did you go with?
i just went with Bosch, thats all they had haha
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Old Nov 2, 2009 | 09:36 PM
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Running a set of long tune headers, the Bosch 13111 have a long wire and you will need no extentions.
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