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Engine misfire

11K views 6 replies 3 participants last post by  ATOMANT 
#1 ·
I have a serious misfire usually under load, from my 04 t and c 3.3. I have changed plug and wires but front left plug is arc ing to the head, it looks to come directly from plug to head. Once again, plugs and wires are new, and it did this before I changed them. Any ideas?
 
#2 ·
but front left plug is arc ing to the head, it looks to come directly from plug to head.
This most likely is your misfire. Electricity follows the path of least resistance and for whatever reason, your cylinder spark is going to ground. If you are VERY certain that your plug is good (not cracked) and gapped correctly, I would start by giving the engine a compression test (both wet and dry). What did the spark plugs look like when you changed them? Were they all consistant in color and gap? Reading your old spark plugs can tell you alot about your engine. Bottom line: It appears the spark is getting through the plug wires but stopping at the plug. We just need to find out why.
 
#3 ·
All the plugs looked very similar. Replaced them with e3 diamondfires. I'll switch some things around this afternoon to see if the miss moves. 4th mopar van and only 140000 miles, never seen anything like this. Hard to see which one is misfiring unless it's dark out.
 
#4 ·
Replaced them with e3 diamondfires.

Good point about looking at night. I’ve found many a misfire (spark jump) just by lifting the hood at night with all the lights out. Very easy to see the spark jumping.

When you mentioned the E3 Diamond Spark Plugs, my first reaction was, well, that certainly would be the first thing I would check to be the cause of the fault. The E3 plugs taunt better performance, better gas mileage, better emissions and longer engine life. Wow, that’s a lot to expect from a spark plug.

A spark plug just needs to ignite the gas in the cylinder. The ignition systems in our vans are very good and plugs can last a very long time while they keep working. I don't see any manufacturers moving toward these plugs for better MPG or more HP. Wouldn't you think if there was a magic spark plug out there, that they would be the first to know about it? These plugs fall into the category of the Tornado Intakes, the K&N air filter and cow magnets.

If you check the reviews on the Internet you will find many people unhappy with the E3. They just don’t live up to the advertisements for $5.99 per plug or more, depending where you buy them. Many reviews claim a loss of gas mileage and some even claimed engine misfire. Hmmm.......

Now, with that information, I would suggest that you purchase one OEM spark plug for this misfiring cylinder. Install, and see if the miss goes away.
 
#5 ·
I put the Bosch 2 splits back in the front 2 (cyl 2 & 4 i believe), reset engine light, and drove the heck out of it today, it seemed to be good, no check engine light after 100 miles of extremely varied driving and never felt a miss. Maybe that is it, the e3plugs. The gap in those plugs is huge! But the reason I put them in was a miss. Maybe that was a bad wire that I changed at the same time.I wish I had kept all of those plugs. Never thought about it that way but if the e3 were that good the oem would have figured that out and used them. I think I'll just get a set of normal plugs and call it good. Thanks for the advice, if I learn anything else I'll share it here. Btw, my older mopar vans were much better than this 04.
 
#6 ·
Depending on where you purchased the E3's you might be able to take them back for a refund. Seems about every 10 or 15 years, there is new spark plug on the market that will give you 20% more horsepower, 20% better fuel mileage and make your engine last longer. These scams usually come back around as gas prices get higher. Stick with an OEM plug and you will do just fine.
 
#7 ·
If you have new wires and the spark still jumps thru the boot to the head [ground] then I would be 100% certain the plug is totally screwed. Take a bottle of Windex and spray around the wires, it will provide a perfect environment for a short path to ground for the spark to travel.
 
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