Engine Misfire?

[bcredliner]

the engine not to turn and start---Do you mean the engine did not even turn over or was the engine turning over but would not run?

[garfield81]

Originally Posted by bcredliner

the engine not to turn and start---Do you mean the engine did not even turn over or was the engine turning over but would not run?

Well it felt like the engine was hesitant to turn.

[bcredliner]

The error codes could have been there for some time. I suggest you clear them and see if they return. I don't think the error codes have anything to do with the starting issue.

I think you had a a low battery and the smell was from trying to start it for so long which resulted in overheating starter wires, the starter solenoid or perhaps battery cables. Since you got it running and it the restarted fine it doesn't sound like you hurt anything.

What I would do next is have the battery load tested to see if it is failing. Local auto parts stores will test it at no charge.

Now that is running can you tell if there is a lose of performance or a miss?

[Whitecat]

Just throughing this out, would it be possible that the misfire is link with the valve cover gasket repaired but still with repair problematic ? I have some misfire at cold start and we locate some leaks on the valve cover gasket which will fix (or help) misfire....strange that u have this right after the repair.

[bcredliner]

Yes, if the leak was to the point that it was also a vacuum leak.

[garfield81]

So I hoping (but not really) that I would have some issues starting up the car this morning after having it sit all night but the car started right up without any issues. Car performance seems to be okay with no noticeable degradation.

One other thing I forgot to mention is we cleaned the car a day before and had the radio on the whole time we cleaning it. The radio kept auto shutting off after 15 minutes and we kept turning it back it and did this a couple of times. Could the radio have drained the battery out?

Also if it was a battery issue why would the car die soon after starting up? I would think the car wouldn't start at all in the first place if the battery was dead/low.

This is really puzzling. I am glad the car hasn't had any issues since but on the other hand I hope this is not a symptom of something big coming in the near future.

And another question. I have been trying to get INPA setup on my laptop but honestly haven't spent much time doing so. Will that help me diagnose if there is something wrong with the fuel system (fuel pump, etc.)?

[mferek]

I've had a low battery cause a number of weird problems on my car, so I'd say it's possible that that's your issue. Also, 12.3V on the battery means it's at ~70% charge. While not bad, it's not ideal either. Battery charge directly follows open circuit voltage, so anything below 12.6V will be less than 100% charge.

[bcredliner]

Yes, INPA will list error codes but they need to be interpreted. If you have the DIS portion it will help you diagnose the code.


Yes, don't know how long you were playing the radio but depending the timeframe and the condition of the battery it certainly could run down the battery. If the battery was discharged enough the radio could cut as you mentioned.

I don't know what you deem something big in the future. So far, I see some potential for a new battery or alternator and a long shot that it could be both. At this point, it could easily be that a very low battery was the cause of everything you experienced and you haven't had any problems since because the battery has an adequate charge to provide appropriate voltage.

Once again, I urge you to have the battery load tested.