CIS/Ignition Gurus: Help!

JTO · 05-21-2003, 08:04 PM

Hi Guys:
As the weather got warm in Oregon this week, I found that a little oil was entering the airbox through the oil tank breather. No big deal. It dripped from the air cleaner cover onto the right side of the engine then onto the ground from the lower valve cover. I sprayed some Gunk engine cleaner on the valve cover and engine compartment area near the intake plenums, passenger side. I hosed it off carefully, started the car and pulled it into the garage. This morning I started the car to go to work and found that it was running very rough. I tried to clear the engine by revving the it. It wouldn't clear. I hopped in the truck and went to work, puzzled.

This evening I found that the no. 6 cylinder and no. 1 cylinder were not firing properly. I removed the spark plug wire from each cylinder and found the idle to diminish with each wire removed except nos 1 and 6. When I arced these two wires against the engine, there is spark, but kinda weak compared to the others. What the heck happened? The car ran great, I gently cleaned some oil, now the car runs very poorly. Please give me some ideas! The spark plug wire ends were dry when I pulled them out for inspection. Also, the spark plugs seemed dry.

Thanks,
Troy

HarryD · 05-21-2003, 08:49 PM

Check your wires. Sounds like a bit of corrosion. Look under the cap and the conections there as well. Could be whaen you washed down, you moved a few of the wires and lossened a connection.

avendlerdp · avendlerdp's Garage

Try staring it and running it for a while and letting the heat from the motor dry whatever you got wet. I have seen the same problem cured by a few laps around the block.

Alex

B.Lane · 05-21-2003, 11:33 PM

check that the small electrical plugs around the motor are dry. I had a 280zx years ago that gave me a similar problem. When i washed the engine a small electrical plug on the distributor got wet. if i didnt use a air complresor to blow out the water from the pulg end the car would run rough for days....not even drivable. Check little plug ends that attatch to the cold start valve, the distributor, and every electrical conector end u can find. Also make sure you dont have an exposed wire sitting in a small puddle of water somewhere around the top of the engine.

JTO · 05-22-2003, 07:09 AM

Thanks Guys!

Hi Noah. Nope, I didn't leave anything in the air cleaner housing.
I checked for moisture and Harry, I took off the cap. It was dry and I got good spark from the 1 and 6 positions on the cap. I have good spark ant the distributor in other words.

This is an odd one considering how little water was used and how the car started and ran fine after I cleaned the engine. Obviously water got on something over night, but what could it be and why would it affect number 1 cylinder, which is on the opposite side of the engine from where I used the water?

Anybody else please?

Troy

JTO · 05-22-2003, 11:48 AM

bump!

RickM · RickM's Garage

Hmmm, Process of elimination. I would switch one of the other good wires with the 1 or 6 wire. Does the problem move over to another cylinder?

B.Lane · 05-28-2003, 08:28 PM

just a thought here...are u getting spark to the plug wires in question? and if so, did you, by any chance, bump the distributor and now it's out of time? if you are getting spark then u might have a fuel problem. Problem with that is...it would affect every cylinder i would think....hmm...Did you say you washed the right side of the motor facing the rear of the vehicle? look close at the top right side of the shroud. There are a few different wires in there that have plastic plug ends on them. The plug ends tend to wear and crack. you might have a bit of watter in one and it could be shorting out your system. Also, consider the O2 sensor, the altenator, and the coil. hmmmmmmmm i currently have my 3.0 completly apart and am rebuilding it. I have that engine maped in my head pretty good and cant think of what is causing this other that what i have mentioned. Call a porsche dealer and get a service guy on the phone. Maybe they might have an idea.

JTO · 05-28-2003, 08:48 PM

Thanks B.Lane!

Troy

dougcl · 05-28-2003, 09:41 PM

Troy, assuming your car is stock, it does not have an O2 sensor, and there won't be any plugs or connectors on the passenger side of the shroud.

Doug
75 911S

JTO · 05-29-2003, 07:06 AM

Hi Doug,

I know. I just don't want to discourage anyone from contributing to the solution to this problem!

Thanks,
Troy