We have a 1997 GMC Jimmy mini blazer 4x4. Vehical running a little rough check engine light is on when hooked up to diagnostics machine says miss fire on cylinder 4 did complete tune up plugs wires etc. Does anyone know what else it could be. My husband will be doing the work on it don't have money to put it in the shop. Do we have to have a new motor or is it something simple. Please help before we have to spend a bunch. We cannot get rid of it we still owe to much on it we got scammed by a car dealership.
2007-02-15 15:48:43 · 8 answers · asked by melissa A 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Get some fuel injector cleaner that lists NAPTHA on the label. I don't know if the GM dealer has it but I know the Dodge dealer used to have it in stock. I say Naptha because the cleaners you buy at most auto parts stores don't have it and they are nowhere near as good at cleaning injectors. DO NOT SPILL IT ON ANY PAINTED SURFACE. Most bottles tell you to use it with 20 gallons of gas. I normally use it with no more than 15.
IF your miss is due to junk clogging your injector it should clean it in one tank and it is the cheapest fix you will find. Since the diagnostic test listed #4, I would tend to believe that really is the problem and focus next on the ignition system if the cleaner does not solve the problem.
If the 1997 4.3 had a seperate coil for each cylinder the next least expensive soulution would be to replace the coil for #4.
Best of luck.....
2007-02-15 16:03:06 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Could be a number of things, I believe if i remember right, that it was on a distributer system. Correct me if i'm worng. If the system is with the distributor and not coil packed, then did you cange the cap and rotor button? it could be a bad distributor itself too, i've seen taht before. Also, it could be wrign, thats alwasy a pain to figure out. If it runs off of coil packs, then it could be a bad coil, or bad wiring. It could be something simple that the wires are wired up wrong (I've seen it where wires have been crossed and don't cause a power loss, but set off a code on one cylinder only, odd though, and very rare), or the wrong plugs have been installed (not all plugs that fit are the right plug, I've seen this many times over). It could be a sensor, modual, even a bad relay. It could be a number of things, It could even be bad piston rings, or a clogged injector. there are too many things that can be causing this. It could be that the code just wasn't cleared as well. clear the code, dubble check all the wiring, and try again, if it continues get a shop manual and try to diagnose it yourself, if not, garage will be you're best bet, and maybe in the long run save money. I've also seen that in the past.
I had a cliant that had a head light bulb burn out, so he changed it only to find it was still out, he replaced the pig-tail, and still nothing, he checked all the werign, fuses, relays, ect. he spent hundreds of dollars and many hours tryign to figure out what was causing the light to stay out. Turned out it was a bad bulb right from the start, new bulb and it worked no problem. Simple solution that was overlooked. By taking it to a shop, and paying a half hour diagnosis (minimum for shops in my area) and the cost of a new bulb, he paid about $60 total and left somewhat relieved. he spend hundreds of dollard doing the shotgun method, point to a part, replace it, and hope it works. Sometimes paying a professional to do his job can save you money in the long run. Would you go to court if you were being sued and represent yourself? No you would pay a professional and possibly save you hundreds, thousands, or even millions.
2007-02-15 16:07:51 · answer #2 · answered by gregthomasparke 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It could be numerous things if u have a compression gauge check the compression in # 4 cylinder if you just did complete tune up it is unlikely to be plugs wires or cap/rotor you may also want to check the intake gasket for leaks the 4.3 liter is known for intake leaks the best way to do this is with carb clean spray where intake meats the head if engine smooths out you have an intake problem. it may also be worth it to try a fuel injection cleaning you may have a gummed up #4 injector. good luck
2007-02-16 11:46:48 · answer #3 · answered by molson2050 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Pull the new pug from #4 (the one that is misfiring) what color is it ? Black too much gas, clean no gas. Too much gas could be the pressure reg or the fuel lines inside the intake. More than likely it is the lines. Pretty easy job, autozone.com has a good help section to get you through it. Good luck!
2007-02-15 16:25:47 · answer #4 · answered by Darrell R. 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
EGR sensor will cause a missfire but will also show up in the diagnotics. Catalytic converters can cause missfire nd loss of power on an incline when going up hill
2007-02-15 16:01:47 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
first you have to see if you have spark at #4..........remove spark plug......plug it into the wire.....lay it on the metal surface of the block......have someone crank the engine while you observe the plug for spark......now.....do you have coil fired ignition.... or a distributor.....check all these if you have no spark.......if you do...how doe,s the spark plug look.......replace them anyway.....now check the knock sensor, plug wire,s distributor cap,ignition rotor........if applicable.......hope this help,s...good luck!
2007-02-15 16:20:22 · answer #6 · answered by slipstream 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the coil for #4 could be bad. if you can remove it and take it to a parts store that can test it that would be what i would do first.
2007-02-15 15:57:55 · answer #7 · answered by Carol L 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Sound like typical american crap!
I'd take it out bush & just burn it & think of george w Bush, cheney,blair & john howard.
2007-02-15 16:34:05 · answer #8 · answered by Sheikh Mustafa El Bundy 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋