[mcqueen]

So I was about to head over to the gf's house after work tonight. Pulled outta my parking spot and started to head over there. Was going down a hill in the parking lot so I put the clutch in and at the bottom I let it out to keep going. I look down and my CEL is flashing at me. For a second I thought about just ignoring it but I decided against it and went back to the apartment for my tuner. Pulled the code and I got P0300 - Random Misfire. The car has never misfired before and I haven't done anything to it lately. I'm trying to understand the code, does it mean the car just randomly misfired or that a random cylinder (that it can't figure out) misfired? I drove the car the rest of the night, cleared the codes, and it's been fine and hasn't misfired since. I'm sure my spark plugs are on their last leg and my fuel filter may be getting clogged up, so would those lead to such a code?

[wraitherx]

check all your coil, wires, and plugs. make sure that they are nice and secure and go from there. good thing that you didnt ignore it as when it blinks it pretty much means that the miss was bad enough to make the SES light blink. Usually if it is just a small miss it will record the cylinder and throw the code for it.

[mcqueen]

Thanks wraith, I'll check it out in the morning. I'm leaving my tuner in the car for now so I can keep an eye on any other codes that might pop up. Hoping it was a one time thing and if not the damn weather needs to get nicer so I can get the plugs, wires, coil pack, and fuel filter all changed
I hate winter.. And it's snowing right now..

Oh I forgot to mention, I noticed a metallic sort of clinking noise a while after it misfired and the noise slightly increased with the RPMs. When I got a chance to stop I popped the hood and revved the car by hand but the sound had stopped by then and I haven't really noticed it since. Any ideas what that could be/could have been?

[stephen]

It is a misfire in random cylinders. It could be ignition or an injector.

The metallic clicking sound could be some valve train component such as a sticking lifter
or worn rocker arm. That could be related to the misfire.

[97fordsixer]

that metallic noise was the arcing of the wires where at only you will no but it finds the nearest metal and arcs! you can use a spray bottle to see it just lightly mist the wire from one end to the other( be careful of other electronics) when you get to a bad spot youll know. my money is on plug wires(either cracking or not connected 100%)

[mcqueen]

Alright thanks guys. I'm gonna get a new coil pack, spark plug wires, and fuel filter on order soon so I can just replace it all. Does anyone know if Prestolite is a decent brand for spark plug wires? I can pick a set up for $14 otherwise Motorcraft are going to be close to $40 and at that point I'll look into something like AM has (Taylor Spiro Pro 8mm for $50).

[mcqueen]

I checked the spark plug wires when I got a chance today. Couldn't get to all the boots because the engine was hot but they all seemed alright. That car hasn't misfired again so I'm happy about that Couple of quick questions though..

1. Should I change the coil pack for sure, or start with the plugs/wires and see how it goes from there? My coil pack is still the original that was put in the car from the factory. Don't want to spend close to $100 on something I might not need.

2. When I change the spark plugs, I know I'll need to remove the air intake tube but how hard is it to work around that copper pipe? (I think it's for the coolant overflow but not 100% sure). The passenger's side looks like it's going to be a complete PITA to get to the plugs..

[stephen]

Originally Posted by mcqueen I checked the spark plug wires when I got a chance today. Couldn't get to all the boots because the engine was hot but they all seemed alright. That car hasn't misfired again so I'm happy about that Couple of quick questions though.. 1. Should I change the coil pack for sure, or start with the plugs/wires and see how it goes from there? My coil pack is still the original that was put in the car from the factory. Don't want to spend close to $100 on something I might not need. 2. When I change the spark plugs, I know I'll need to remove the air intake tube but how hard is it to work around that copper pipe? (I think it's for the coolant overflow but not 100% sure). The passenger's side looks like it's going to be a complete PITA to get to the plugs..

I wouldn't replace the coil unless you know it is bad.

The pipe on the passenger side is part of the EGR system. It is somewhat in the way but with the air intake out of the way it isn't that hard.

[mcqueen]

Originally Posted by stephen I wouldn't replace the coil unless you know it is bad. The pipe on the passenger side is part of the EGR system. It is somewhat in the way but with the air intake out of the way it isn't that hard.

Cool, thanks stephen. I want to get a windstar intake so I have a good reason to delete the whole damn egr

[southfour!]

if you get the kit from VAP you can keep your EGR, it comes with a custom bracket to make everything fit perfectly.

[mcqueen]

But I want it gone
It looks so messy

[southfour!]

Is there any benifit from removing it?

[mcqueen]

Engine bay looks cleaner without it. Only negative I've heard about it is your might lose 1mpg.

[southfour!]

Does it have any effect on passing emmisions?

[wraitherx]

if you have emissions you will fail without it just FYI

[mcqueen]

Emissions really limit where I can move when I finish college. I prefer to have plenty of freedom when modding my car