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help? 89 prelude si -- cylinder not firing


dewzenol
09-28-2003, 05:06 AM
No the engine isn't lost! It seems to be missing on one or more cylinders. The problem is intermittent but happens every time I drive the car. It's keeping me from passing my emissions test either because it is dumping raw fuel into the exhaust or no fuel is reaching a cylinder and the unburned oxygen from that cylinder is entering the exhaust. I suspect it's dumping fuel because the HCs are really high. It's isolated to cyl 2 I think. I get an error code on the O2 sensor on that bank. I couldn't figure out the cause so I did what any back yard mechanic would do: I replaced every part I could think of. I replaced the computer, the distributor (and cap and rotor), the plug wires, the plugs, the ignitor, the ignition coil, AND the #2 injector. (all with junk yard parts)
No dice!
The problem occurs mostly below about 3900rpm. It will have no power, and then all of the sudden the missing cylinder will kick in and everything is normal. I shift and the same thing happens. SOMEtimes it doesn't happen, 90% of the time it does.

Has anyone had a similar problem, and/or does anyone have an idea of what could be causing this?? Possibly a sensor that is malfunctioning?? I got a ticket for having the car in my driveway with expired plates and I'd really like to get it registered again so I can stop driving my gas guzzling SUV to work all the time.

Any and all help will be greatly appreciated.

- Rob

OldLudeDude
09-29-2003, 09:06 PM
I'm no expert on the subject, but you might want to take a look at your vacuum hoses. If those are cracked it can cause things to get out of whack. Loss of power is definately a side effect. I assume tripped codes could also result.

Good luck.

sperg
11-16-2003, 08:38 PM
ohm your injectors to see if theyre all equil and check the connection on the affected cylinders injector. if the probleb occurs at idle, pull the injector wire with it running {and missing} and check for flashing with a noid light or test light the see if the inj. is beeing properly driven by the computer

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