Fault/Error code - misfire on cyl 1, 3 & 5

**Swatty** · 6th February 2007, 17:18

Went to pick up car (after timing belt change) and the garage was chasing an engine management light problem.

Code read as misfire on cyliners 1, 3 & 5, which was giving a lumpy tick-over at idle.

Disconect the coil (it has two) and re-connect and the engine runs fine for about 1 min then returns to same fault. Various cables etc have obviously been disturbed during the work.

Has anyone sorted a problem (on a 3.2) like this before - I wondering whether it is a coil problem or the belt maybe a tooth out. They are going to look at the various possible candidates but I was just checking in case anyone had seen the same problem.

P.S. Codes read and re-set using a £135 machine they got of e-bay (plugs in under ashtray in centre console), the £3k machine they have on trial only went as far as the omega).

**VauxVeteran** · 6th February 2007, 17:21

More likely to be the DIS pack playing up.

**Swatty** · 6th February 2007, 17:24

What's the DIS pack VV

**VauxVeteran** · 6th February 2007, 17:29

It's the unit they put on to replace the distributer and coil in modern engines, it will be either bolted on to the side of the head or running through the top of the head under the plastic cover, easy way to find it is start at the spark plugs and work back until you find either a long plastic looking strip that fits directly onto the sparkers, of the leads from the plugs will run to a rectangle shaped black box much like a coil with 6 lead interfaces. hth.

Look for cracks and corrosion on it. If it's not got any, then a lead itself if you have leads will probably be the problem, if you have leads, buy a good quality set, £30's worth of Champions ones wont be any good, Vx charge nearly £200 a set, but you can get a good set for about £80, I think you will find the strip one though, so leads wont be an issue.

It looks like it will be the problem, 1.3.5 are on the same side, so you may find two independant packs, all you have to work out is which side of the V is the odd side.

**Swatty** · 6th February 2007, 17:34

Originally Posted by VauxVeteran

It's the unit they put on to replace the distributer and coil in modern engines, it will be either bolted on to the side of the head or running through the top of the head under the plastic cover, easy way to find it is start at the spark plugs and work back until you find either a long plastic looking strip that fits directly onto the sparkers, of the leads from the plugs will run to a rectangle shaped black box much like a coil with 6 lead interfaces. hth.

Look for cracks and corrosion on it.

Thanks VV, just looked under google and it mentioned coil pack and DIS - I recognise coil pack it was the DIS bit that threw me.

**VauxVeteran** · 6th February 2007, 17:37

Check all the connections 1st before you splash on a new one, cos they ain't cheap, generally when they fail they are corroded and the spark arc's out of the side of it, and hence the misfire.

**Swatty** · 6th February 2007, 17:43

I've chased similar problems at night, when it's easier to see the arcing.

Hopefully they will sort it but any thoughts/pointers will be helpful if they draw a blank.

**VauxVeteran** · 6th February 2007, 17:46

Ahh, it's a warrenty job then? no worries then

The only other thing I've had before that reminds me, was a crankshaft sensor.

**Swatty** · 6th February 2007, 17:50

Originally Posted by VauxVeteran

Ahh, it's a warrenty job then? no worries then

Local independent doing the work, the warranty finished last year.

Asked them about the crank-shaft sensor and they said it was one of the 1st things they checked

**Gsi3.2** · 6th February 2007, 18:11

Other things to ask them.. was the fault there before the belt change??.. have they checked the camshaft sensor??.. did they try and run the car with the coilpack not connected?

If it's a failing coilpack then they won't know which of the the 3 coils will be dropping out, as the error code covers the pack only, not individual sensors..the good news is the pack is only about 80 quid if you buy it right

..swapping it however is a bit of a nightmare and you might as well change all the plugs cause you'll be stripping it back that far..

1st stop..recheck the cam timing..then swap in another good camshaft sensor on that bank to see if the fault clears.. then swap in another coilpack..

Was it running rough before?? is there any evidence of poor firing on the plugs in that bank??

Lots of questions only they can answer..