Bad spark plug(s), bad ignition wire(s), bad coil, bad distributor cap or rotor, ignition wire(s) not fully connected, etc. There could also be computer related problems causing it. Unfortunately, there is not a simple 'this is it' answer.

 

yeah i figured with my luck it cant be easy lol

i just replaced the plugs not too long ago but not the wires so i guess i will pick up new plugs anyway as well as new wires, cap, and rotor and see if that gets it done

the plugs didnt really look bad at all when i did compression testing they were just a little tan like a cardboard brown color and didnt smell weird but i know that they can sometimes fail without looking bad so i can give that a shot and see what happens

 

To give you a closer answer, you really need to get the codes read.

 

I agree and I will get that done asap and let you guys know

ok i did have one last question, if the cat. converter is plugged would it make it feel like it has a miss?

 

Yea what he said [sm=icon_ladiesman.gif]

 

Allrighty guys just to give you an update, I changed the oil and it was fine and the antifreeze has stayed at the same level so hopefully no gaskets are bad


I did a compression test and all is good there


Today I changed the plugs, wires, cap, and rotor and it is running FANTASTIC, actually its running better than it has in the 6 months or so that we have owned it. The cap had decent wear but the rotor was destroyed with really no good surface for contact.


the check engine light is still on but i only drove it for about 10 minutes after the new plugs etc etc etc so i hope it goes off in the next couple runs or i will have to have the codes pulled.


I hope that the catalytic converter or sensors were not damaged due to faulty spark or not full combustion from the same issue but if they were i guess ill deal with that tooo


I wanted to thank you guys for all of your tips and you are truly a help in the face of a disaster

Thank you sooooooooooooooooooo much

 

I have a leaking lower intake manifold gasket, but I am not going to get it fixed yet because it is not leaking that quickly. I have been checking the antifreeze very often, and it is barely losing it. As for the dye, I don't even need it because I can already see the orange Dex Cool leaking out. My question is can aleaking intake manifold gasket cause strong fumes to come out of the exhaust. It's kinda hard to describe the smell. The only thing I do know is that it makes you cough from how strong the fumes are.

 

i was told that if your exhaust smells weird or burns your lungs ( it was described to me as a pepper type smell ) then you have antifreeze in your cylinders and it is steaming out your exhaust but also the guys on here told me to check compression and see if the compression is the same on all cylinders so i would try that. I found the best way for me to get to my plugs was to jack up the front of the car and remove the wheel, the i just hold up that rubber inner finder and there they are.

May not work best for you but it worked good for me


also i forgot to add that if you dont have a compression tester you can borrow one from oreilly's or auto zone with a minimum deposit which you get back when you return it