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arcing around coil packs, rough idle, ticking/pinging sounds
Ok so I have been having this issue with my car for a little while. It was idling rough and shaking really bad and having serious hesitation when accelerating so I changed the o2 sensors, spark plugs and spark plug wires and it helped a little but now my issue is I am seeing blue arcs around some areas of my coil packs and there is a ticking/knocking kind of sound coming from my engine. The rpms hesitate when I accelerate and it doesn't feel as strong or sound as good as it did a few months back. I am thinking that I need to replace my coil packs but I want to know if anyone else has this issue or something similar.
Another thing is my 'check guages' light flashes on and off rapidly and it seems to go along with the ticking and one of the arcs. My ses light has been on since i went ORY but now it flashes at times. Can anyone help
If your coil packs are arcing you should replace them. When they arc you get less of a spark which can cause misfires and poor engine performance. I wouldn't be surprised if you replaced them your problems would go away.
Also be sure you didn't accidentally switch 2 wires around, my bro did that on his truck and while it ran it ran bad and caused the check engine light to come on since it detected it as misfires.
__________________ '99 Camaro, Mystic Teal Metallic, L36, A4, cammed, headers, tuned, Stranos and Bilsteins, Founders LCAs, relos, and adj. panhard. BLS w/ 5000k HID, tinted corners.
'02 Trailblazer, Forest Green Metallic and rust brown two-tone, Vortec 4.2L I6, 4x4, stock
How can you do the plugs and wires poorly? I have done it before and not had issues....changing plugs and wires is pretty simple. If I still have arcing around the coilpacks with brand new msd plug wires, how would it be an issue of the plugs and wires?
be wary of people who state the obvious, take all the advice you can, and sift through the bs. Those msd's should have a thick rubber boot to prevent arcing. Recheck connections and try again.
i am actually having the exact same problem. it started on friday when i was on the highway cruising at about 75 the car bucks like crazy with no change in rpms. i can feel the car hesitate especially when trying to accelerate. i have the exact same "ticking" noise coming from my engine and the ses light was flashing when this happened. ever since the car has seemed to be fine but im not sure if its a plug and wire problem or someting else. i still have the original plugs and wires on the car and i have about 70k on the car. im going to try replacing them tomorrow. BTW the car is also running extremely rich, its actually so bad that its hard to stand next to the car. i have no idea if this has anything to do with the problem
How can you do the plugs and wires poorly? I have done it before and not had issues....changing plugs and wires is pretty simple. If I still have arcing around the coilpacks with brand new msd plug wires, how would it be an issue of the plugs and wires?
I take it from this response that you are too good to have to check your work.
The usual reasons for arching:
bad connections...boots not seated, loose plugs
poor insulator condition
cuts in insulators
way down the list is the coil pack itself
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I take it from this response that you are too good to have to check your work.
The usual reasons for arching:
bad connections...boots not seated, loose plugs
poor insulator condition
cuts in insulators
way down the list is the coil pack itself
I am not 'too good' to check my work....I looked everything over after I changed the plugs and wires and everything looks fine. Your initial response is that my problem came from me doing the work poorly and of course it can't be a problem with a part, how do you think I am going to respond?
I would check to make sure the coil packs are grounded good. You said that you saw the arcing? if it was coming out of the end of the boot that plugs into the coil pack then it is probably either a problem with the wires, which you already said were fine, or the coil pack could be bad. If it was arcing before you changed wires, it could have burnt through the side of the coil pack around the plug wire connection. Then it will keep doing it until it is replaced. I would also check all of the coils for cracks and/or burns around that area or anywhere you saw the spark. If you find any, most likely the coil pack is bad.
Good Luck.
__________________ Stock Bimmer with a bit of a miss at idle.
Sounds a bit deeper than it really is...
How did you fix the problem. My car is doing the same thing
Quote:
Originally Posted by redz2002
i am actually having the exact same problem. it started on friday when i was on the highway cruising at about 75 the car bucks like crazy with no change in rpms. i can feel the car hesitate especially when trying to accelerate. i have the exact same "ticking" noise coming from my engine and the ses light was flashing when this happened. ever since the car has seemed to be fine but im not sure if its a plug and wire problem or someting else. i still have the original plugs and wires on the car and i have about 70k on the car. im going to try replacing them tomorrow. BTW the car is also running extremely rich, its actually so bad that its hard to stand next to the car. i have no idea if this has anything to do with the problem
My car is doing the same and running rich. How did you correct the problem?
Sorry to bring this back from the dead. I'm seeing the same strange bucking problem as Torry and redz2002. Only happens with small throttle inputs, like giving it a little gas on the higway - bucks strangely. Anyone figure this problem out?
so i am having this issue, i have msd wires, nice new autolite iridum plugs, msd coils..
my o2s rear were giving me issues so i had them tuned out.. i feel the issues alot of us are having could be the cats if you still have them on. im gutting mine tommaorw. let you know.
ok here is some good info. cars sputtering on load. seem lacking power..?
ok i first thought was bad coil.. nope.. late at night unplug hood light and let car run.. no lights.. an look down both sides.
.
now on mine. i saw sparks.. top an bottom side number 1 cylinder..
so .. what i did..
ohm checked my msd red wire.. perfect ohms out.. i also had already applied msd spark guard..
so i thought.. hmm. mabye heats hurt the boots.. so i went to oreilly/checker. got a new set or there cheapest plugs wires(mine have year warranty) and just swapped it out.... no fix.. so took the wires back in..
litte more thought.. some say. the msd coils are horrible an crack.. so i removed. . inspected... nothing wrong there
(about these coils.. i have been around with msd for years on the top fuel side) an talked about these:issues folks have: the number one issues is miss installation.. they give washers to space the coil up for a reason.. without them.. they will crack. and or over heat. along with over tightening the 10mm bolts>> don't uses power tools..
next the auto light iridium plugs(spec for this car).. pulled out plug looked on on firing point.. along the ceramic. few very very lil line cracks...
i will have a report on these soon an they get back to me. the rNd for honeywell/autolite in ohio is checking them out..
there specialist and my tuner both agreed that that plug in a western(phoenix heat) condition will be to hot of a plug.. now.. i know alot of folks dont even talk or hear about a hot or colder plug...
i now run the autolte 104's copper plug which are step colder than the iridium pro plugs. gaped at .050:"/
arcing around coil packs, rough idle, ticking/pinging sounds 
Your initial response is that my problem came from me doing the work poorly and of course it can't be a problem with a part, how do you think I am going to respond?
