Misfire and CEl after plug change.

Perkul8r · 07-04-2011

Ok so here is the story. I have a 04 Legacy with the EJ251 SOHC. It has around 104,000 miles. I decided to do some tune up work to it to try and make it last longer.

So, last night I changed the plugs out with NGK plugs that are listed in the Chiltons manual as being compatible. I also was trying to get the timing belt changed too. But we didn't have the right tool to hold the crankshaft pulley, and it accidently got turned counter clockwise a little bit.

I gave up after that and I finished putting the plugs in. And once that was done I fired the car up. And now it spits and sputters like crazy. I did the plugs one at a time so as not to mess up plugs wires. So i know the firing order is fine.

Now, I did suspect that Cylinder #2 was not firing. I pulled the plug on it and it was gas soaked. I swapped the plug with an old one and the same affect. I than swapped plugs wires from 2 to 4 and than it seemed like it was doing the gas soaked plug on cylinder #4. So than I swapped wires again back to #2 and put an old plug in the wire aand attempted to start it to see if I had spark. And it did. I tried both the new plug and the old one. Both had the same results.

Now I am lost. The car was running fine before this, I just wanted to do a tune up. My questions are:
1. Could the timing had possibly jumped when the crank pulley accidently got turned counter clockwise,
2. Is there anything else that I could check before jumping in and pulling everything apart to check the timing.

Any help would be great. My family and I are supposed to go back home tomorrow, so I am trying to get this fixed asap.

Thanks.

93gtpeater · 07-04-2011

Check the plug wire. The wire going in to the cap could of lost connection to the cap.

Perkul8r · 07-04-2011

I have metered all plug wires and they are within 100 ohms of each other. I do plan on replacing the wires if someone in this shit town has some.

**goodhart** · 07-04-2011

Any CEL's? My Subaru threw a code when a coil pooped out.

Perkul8r · 07-04-2011

There is a CEL but i have no way of reading it. There wasn't any place open today, and the car dont run enough to get it to a shop to read it. I have a couple looking to see if they still have their little ones.

Perkul8r · 07-05-2011

So after doing some looking tonight, I think my whole problem may be that I have the wrong plugs. I was told by the stealership and given the part number for the supposed correct plugs which are NGK BKR5EGP. And they are a Platinum spark plug.

Now I was leaving town at the time I was given the info so I wasn't able to look into it, and I guess I put to much trust into the stealership.

But I looked up the number off my old plugs and they are nothing more than a plain Jane plug. So I am gonna try to find some new plugs in the morning and hopefully that will fix my problem.

1QUICK4 · 07-05-2011

Quote:

Originally Posted by Perkul8r

I also was trying to get the timing belt changed too. But we didn't have the right tool to hold the crankshaft pulley, and it accidently got turned counter clockwise a little bit.

Did the whole belt/pulleys spin or just the crank pulley. If you are off a few teeth it will definetly run like pewp.

Perkul8r · 07-05-2011

I wanna say it all moved, but I couldn't tell. Only had one end of the timing cover off cause you have to have the pulley off to take the rest off.

I did try new plugs and wires today and that changed nothing. So it looks like its coming apart to check timing. We'll see how that goes.

Perkul8r · 07-05-2011

Well, it had to have been the timing. Got all apart, put new timing belt in, needed that anyway, and got it back together. Now it runs great.

I just cant believe that it was that. Oh well. Now its got a new timing belt, new ac and alt belts, and new plugs. Should be good to go for awhile now.