Here's the story. Bought the car last year, never have had any engine problems with it, mostly all drivetrain (clutch, rear, tranny), car is cammed, full exhaust, and a lid. Today I get up to go wash my car, but before I get to the car wash I put gas since it was low. I paid, went to go pump gas, didn't work, called the lady and she came to press a button, and it worked. I was sure I pressed 93 octane... but don't know exactly what she pressed to make it work. The gas was coming out extremely slow when I was pumping.

Anyways, I get to the car wash (which is right next to the gas station), turn it off, wash the car, finish waxing the car, turn it on, reverse and notice that my car is significantly weaker and sounds way different. I get out while idling and notice that it's misfiring. Pop the hood, and hear a slight ticking noise coming from the driver side. While idling the service engine soon light is solid, while going down the road it flashes. The SES light has been on for quite some time now though (maybe 2 months)... I went to a vatozone that was close by to hook up that obd2 thing, and they couldn't get it to work. I left, and then realized a while back I had burned the fuse to the cig lighter while changing my shifter, so I figured that's why they couldn't get the diagnostic tool to work. While driving back home, the car backfires a ton at like 50 in 5th gear.

My question is, do you all think this is just spark plugs/wires or could it be the gas I used? Or am I entirely overlooking something else here? I bought the plugs and wires, because I'm HOPING that's the problem. I'll swap them in the morning and post back, but your insight would be helpful to diagnose this issue.

Here's a vid I took when I got home:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1nlym_520Kw

 

sounds like and internal noise, maybe you 918s fianlly gave out...
it may have been the fuel situation at the wrong time

 

Damnit, I was hoping it wasn't something internal. But don't you think if it was something internal that it would not even be idling? Or making a louder knock of some sort? IDK, maybe I'm being too optimistic about the spark plugs/wires.

 

no, a knock is a knock. My knock was quiet as **** and you had to have a tuned ear for it. but it was there, I'd say the lady inside gave you old shitty gas and your performance car doesn't like it. Drain it and put some new 93 in, see how it runs.

 

well ill tell you i work at a gm dealer and ive had multiple 2000+ model silverado,tahoes, subs. with misfires in onecylinder with no noise or a **** load of noise, and after trying a compression test go to pull the valve cover and bam a broken spring..
either way good luck

 

Sounds kinda like an exhaust leak to me.

 

Damn, these responses are all over the place! Man, start with the simplest most logical explanation first. The reason gas pumps are slow is because the owners are too cheap or lasy to change the filters. You probably got some bad gas. Try like previously suggested to drain that out, change plugs and put some good 93 in there. If that doesn't change the situation at all, then start looking at other solutions.

Good luck!

 

Check your fuel filter also. If it hasnt been changed in a while replace it.

 

Did you wash the motor also?

 

No. And thanks for all the responses, I'm going to check the wires right now. Then let it run off all this bad gas, and put new 93 to see how it runs.

 

Check the coils... may have a cracked one... I don't see bad gas causing the ticking unless that was there before and you just didnt know it... but a cracked coil will tick like that.

 

Im having the same problem without the ticking noise. Had the check engine code:420 come on. so im thinking once I change that I should be ok? check that too bro.

 

its probably your optisp....waiiiiit a minute.


sounds like bad gas. our cars hate anthing less than 93, not to mention your cam and all. im sure youre tuned for it, so the tuner prob advanced the timing a bit and such. i'd drain it, replace the fuel filter, and see what happens. if it runs better, try seafoaming it (in your gas only) to try and clean some of that crud out of the tank

 

Changed wires nothing. Ran all the gas, then put a half a tank of chevron 93 with a octane booster, nothing.

 

Like someone stated above, pull the valve covers and check the rockers/springs.

 

yep. Move on to the next possibility.

 

X2 had the exact same thing. Except I was driving and it just got significantly weaker and misfiring. Pulled into valero and put more 93 octane in. Didn't work.
Checked the plugs and what not, Turns out a valve had fused with the retainer and spring to make one piece, the other one dropped and put a hole in the piston. A week and $5700 later I had a crate ls6 in.

 

Considering it happened after the wash, I would take the plugs out of the computer and see if there is water in there. Once I washed the engine bay and water got in the computer and it was doing exactly what you are describing. Popping, and misfiring, and doing all kinds of other goofy ****. Even though you didnt wash the engine bay water could still get in the computer plugs.

 

Popped the driver side valve cover to find this

 

Wow....