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  #1  
Old 12-20-2002, 04:18 PM
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spark plug woes

I just swapped out my plugs last night and now the car is sputtering like its running on only 5 cylinders. I checked vac hoses, nothing there. Has anyone had a problem damaging plug wires/coil units during a change? Thanks.

Stephen
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  #2  
Old 12-20-2002, 05:17 PM
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Significant Technical Input
More than likely you either picked up some dirt in the gap or cracked the porcelain of a plug or two. Possibly you may have disconnected the connector to a coil(s) while re-installing. To find the culprit disconnect coil connectors one at a time from each coil while the engine is running. If you disconnect one and the engine doesn't run worse you have found a cylinder that has a problem. Please be careful while doing this and don't place yourself in a precarious position, I'd hate to read that you were injured while doing this.
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  #3  
Old 12-20-2002, 11:31 PM
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Thanks Beav. I did disconnect each one separately like you stated and found the front most pass. side didn't change. Well, it seemed like it changed less than others. I swapped out the wire/coil with one from my parts car, but that didn't do anything. Of the plugs I put in, four were new and two were used a couple hundred miles and then sat six months. I don't know if that had anything to do with it or not. I am going to change all my plugs again, because it's so much fun, and delve a little deeper. We'll see what happens.
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Old 12-21-2002, 02:36 PM
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Well, I changed my plugs again. Only took me an hour this time, but still the same. Now I guess I will have to swap out all the coils next. What fun. At least I have six extras to play with. I wonder if the 87 octane is causing any of this sputtering.
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  #5  
Old 12-21-2002, 05:12 PM
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It may seem like a pain the rump but switch whatever you're working on one-at-a-time. That way you can pitch the offending part and keep the rest as 'maybes'.
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Old 12-21-2002, 11:34 PM
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Well, I swapped the lines/coils as well and still the same. For now, I will have to attribute this to the possibility that those three different octanes of gas in my tank didn't mix so well. It seems plenty peppy a if you just tap it off idle in park. But when you get on it under load, it will just kind of sputter out. And there are some new foul odors coming out the exhaust as well. So we'll see.
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  #7  
Old 12-22-2002, 08:22 AM
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Significant Technical Input
The foul odors are a result of unburnt fuel, either from misfire (more like multiple misfires) or too much fuel being dumped into the mix. If you continue to drive the car while it's producing that odor you are risking catalytic convertor replacement in the near future. If you're at the end of your diagnostic abilities save yourself some grief, bite the bullet and take the car in for a diagnostic check. In the long run it should pan out cheaper than the consequences.
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Old 12-22-2002, 06:35 PM
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Thanks again, Beav. Today I drove the car to work and back and it seemed fine. It didn't misfire at all. But the C/E light came on for about 10 seconds. First time I've seen it in this car in 5 months. I do have a brand new center cat that will be going on in the near future. Of course, after this little snafu subsides. I probably will be taking it over to CARR Subaru soon if I see that light anymore.
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