Multiple Cylinder Misfire, 3.8

[Laser17]

I went to autozone and had the codes read, "Multiple Cylinder Misfire", the light started flashing last weekend, and i've driven it all week (1000mi) and its still misfiring, the gas mileage is bad and it sounds horrible, not to mention the total lack of any acceleration. I know getting this fixed involves having the spark plugs replaced but is there anything else that would need to be replaced? Has anyone ever had a misfiring issue on their 3.8 intrigue, and how did they go about fixing it. 98, 3.8L, 96k

[saturnspeed_12]

well my mom has a 98 3.8, and i get the pleasure of fixing it .

ok but anyways, we bought ours at an auction, and upon getting gas in it and driving it home, it was missing on me. it had about 96K on it i think. my dad had new plugs installed and fuel filter, premium gas, and i cant remember the rest. i replaced a vacuum line that was falling apart the i also said get some wires. i went out got wires and it fixed the problem.

because of the age, and being we went through the same thing, im going to say you at least need wires. i just recently put another set of wires on it and new ngk iridium plugs. got some taylor spiro pro for cheaper then very good replacements, and the taylors look nice. i couldnt resisit posting it since its finally back on the road after much trouble. looks good for 145K

[jmlangeveld]

I had the same problem on my '98 3800 V6 Intrigue. In my case as well, I replaced the wires.

Go to any parts store and get one of the more expensive sets--something with a lifetime warranty like Bosch or Autolite will work fine (I have autozone's lifetime warranty brand). Cheap sets will degrade quickly and you will have to make the same repair sooner than you would like.

You don't want to drive your car if the Check Engine light is flashing... This means that unburned fuel is being dumped in the engine (reduced lubrication = engine damge?)

Here is a great tool you can get if you need to tilt the engine to get the back plugs/wires out. They might also sell something like this at Sears.

http://www.autobarn.net/lienti.html

[Laser17]

what if i were to say drive it from florida to NJ, do you think it would make it?

[saturnspeed_12]

im sure you would make it, but there is always that chance.

i too agree with not going cheap with wires. the first set on put on ours were the cheap ones from aap but had a lifetime warranty which meant nothing. i replaced them while i did the intake gasket because it was easier. when i pulled them off, i could see a few wires looked badly kinked and probably about to break. id say autolites or bosch should do fine. i put autolites on our old escort and taurus, and while the motor blew in the escort, the taurus keeps piling miles on.

now the wires i put on the intrigue now were the same price as decent replacement wires. these taylors are wonderful for $38.

[kmohr3]

If it was my car I wouldn't be driving it at all..... until it was fixed. By driving a mis-firing vehicle you are diluting the engine oil with gas, thus reducing the lubrication of moving parts. Also, you could risk damaging the catalytic converter with an overly rich mixture, or even raw fuel. Why not just do the plugs and wires before making the trip? It might save you some money in the long run.

[BNaylor]

IMO the best spark plugs wires to use on a Series II 3800 are the AC Delco Premium Silicone 7mm wires. The Taylor Spiro Pro 8mm are good wires if you are performance oriented but the cost is usually good so they are hard to beat. Just stay away from Bosch.

[jmlangeveld]

Originally Posted by bnaylor3400

IMO the best spark plugs wires to use on a Series II 3800 are the AC Delco Premium Silicone 7mm wires. The Taylor Spiro Pro 8mm are good wires if you are performance oriented but the cost is usually good so they are hard to beat. Just stay away from Bosch.

I agree that the Bosch +4 or +2 plugs are typically gimmicks...but I have heard nothing bad about their wires... What have you heard / experienced?

[saturnspeed_12]

yes those taylors were hard to beat and im near summit, so it makes things better .

now i dont like bosch, the plugs have never worked out except for the bmws ive put them in. now bosch wires, i have put on my cousins car since i needed a quick cheap set to tune it up. its been running fine since. i dont trust the wires but they have been working.

but yeah the delcos would be best to go with.

[diecast_man]

One of the three coils were bad on mine. There are three that are on the spark plug wires, opposite end of the spark plugs. The motor was running real rough. Autozone put a tester on it and coded for misfire. I lossened the wires at the coil and started the engine, then removed one wire at a time(use a pair of rubber coated pliers so you don't get zapped). If the engine slows down, just push wire back on. When you come to one that stays running the same, first replace the wire. If that don't help, then replace the coil.

Diecastman