[gallagher007]

This is a problem that has been driving me crazy.
First: 2003 EX 4wd w/117K.
Changed plugs @100k, check engine light came on 112k.
Went off.
Came back on 116K: Went to autozone, first it was cylinder 2 misfire.

I rearranged the plugs and then cylinder 1 2 and 4 misfire.

Replaced all plugs. (NGK iridium x4) went off, now has been going on and off depending on the rainy weather.

Also idles rough. Any ideas?

I canceled my last appt at the mechanics this week when it went off. I was worried that they won't believe me and would just laugh at me after charging me $100 in diagnostics. Now today it is back on again. I swear it is driving me crazy and for me, that is not a long trip.

I think Ole Big Orange is taunting me to be honest.

 

[mkh]

Try changing your plug wires too. Older wires get brittle insulation under the plastic cover with age. My guess is when you changed the plugs, your flexing of the brittle wires created hairline cracks in the carbon insulation. Now, any flexing of the cracks with movement or changes in humidity and temp, will cause intermittent opening of some of the cracks, breaking current flow fractionally, which is causing what you describe.

 

[ramblerdan]

The Element doesn't have a cap and wires like old cars. There's a coil directly on each plug. Of course that doesn't rule out a bad electrical connection. Before replacing parts, you need to have the car scanned for stored error codes.

 

[slimerdogs]

If you getting codes that are multiple cyl misfire it could be bad fuel or dirty injectors or low fuel pressure. If its one cyl only try just changing the coils around and see if the code changes to the other cyl. If so it most likely is a bad coil. Make sure you clear the codes before taking it on a test run.

 

[gallagher007]

Darndest Thing

117.5K Engine Lamp just went off again. Might try replacing coil seals to see what happens. I guess there has been a lot of rain this year. Only a matter of time before the engine light will come on I bet.

 

[bigsmokes]

have it scanned,,,it could very well be a bad o2 sensor,,,if the light comes on after rain or dampness...its a very high chance its an 02 sensor..hope this helps...

 

[gallagher007]

when it goes off on it's own, do codes remain in the computer? should I have it reset? Have been thinking about getting a code scanner to use myself.

Thanks
JG

 

[paulj]

I had an intermittent check engine light - on in rainy weather, off in dry, and sometimes right after a fill up. Turned out to be the heater of the secondary O2 sensor.

 

[bigsmokes]

the computer had a memory,,so if the light goes out,,it should still be in the memory till you have it reset,,most auto places like ,,autozone,,nappa,pepboys will scan it for free.

 

[gallagher007]

On again 117K miles

Does disconnecting the battery for 5 minutes reset the computer?

 

[gallagher007]

Sorry

117.6Kmiles

 

[gallagher007]

Paul J,

Did you use a check engine scanner to learn of the o2 sensor heater, or did a mechanic figure it out?

Regards
JG

 

[paulj]

The dealer diagnosed the O2 problem. Based on the symptoms and reading on this list I suspected it was the problem, but wasn't sure.

 

[gallagher007]

117.62 Check Engine light off. Ordered Code Scanner from Ebay

 

[gallagher007]

Is there a link anywhere to pictures of the oxygen sensors and their location?

Is there a link anywhere to pictures of the oxygen sensors and their location?

 

[slimerdogs]

One is easy as its right in the cat in the middle and I think the other bank 1 sensor 1 is below the exhaust manifold.

 

[bigsmokes]

gallagher,,just get under the car and follow the exhaust pipe,,theres 1 sensor before the cat and one after,,once you find the sensor follow the wire on the sensor to the connector...there pretty simple to change...

 

[gallagher007]

check engine light has been off 1 whole gas tank and I just passed NYS inspection. Was worried that it would fail me w/this years inspection and that I would have to get it fixed at "the dealer" first. Now I have time to figure it out. The dry air and heat definitely seem to have made it dissappear. Will see what the reading is when I get my code reader.

 

[gallagher007]

got code reader, trying to figure out where it attaches

any pics? got the fuse cover off under the dash. Autozone guy got it in about 10 seconds

 

[gallagher007]

code reader plug in picture.

Here is a picture of the code reader plug in. It was all the way over by the center console pointing directly downward. Re read the code and got PO300 PO302 PO303. All cylinder misfires. Erased the data, and will proceed from here. Is it possible there is just a short somewhere and that is causing the misfire? my brother in law told me to open the engine compartment on a humid night and see if there is a blue spark. Is he putting me on? I thought the blue spark only occured when somebody lit a lighter and passed gas at the same time.