missfire

[IsaacHayes]

Before we go and replace the 24x sensor (I agree don't get autozone electronics), try replacing the plugs.

1) Since you gapped them normally you could have damaged the coating.
2) I've read from spark plug manufacturers that even with a platinum plug 30k is when they say to replace.
3) If they are worn/damaged that would explain the red color and missfires at cold temps.

Go pick up 6 R44LTSM6 if you don't want to spend a lot of money, or 6 of the 41-101 iridiums (don't gap em!) and you should run a lot better.

Your spark plugs are questionable and that directly relates to miss-fires/etc.

[pontiac3100]

do i have to use irridiums?
i don't wanna buy the regular ones...she bruned those out within a month

[MantaGreen97]

With the ignition system on these cars, you shouldn't be burning out any plugs (not even old skool standard copper plugs) in a month. There's obviously some problem here and I wouldn't put money into expensive spark plugs until you fix that. Because if you wore out plugs that fast, you're just going to wear out your wallet that fast if you buy more expensive plugs.

Since you may have a problem related to the plugs I'd just suggest you try new ones that are reputable but not overly expensive. Platinums should work fine for you as they aren't that expensive. If you start wearing those out quickly then you have some type of ignition or mixture problem I would imagine.

[IsaacHayes]

The Iridiums are only $1 more than the Platinums. Use the standard plug I mentioned and if it runs better great. If it burns them up then you gotta figure that out. Maybe a bad O2 sensor causing it to run lean? Or a fueling issue with your injectors since you said it ran bad with the injector cleaner...

[pontiac3100]

and they clean themselves...hmm gotta save a lil' money.

[IsaacHayes]

$12 + tax for the normal plugs. Throw em in one afternoon and see where you're at from there.

Normal plugs "clean themselves" too, they just take longer to get up to temp to do so.

[drptop70ss]

Mine has been doing the same thing for many months, and I have been losing coolant over time. What I didnt know was my rear headgasket was eaten away at a cooling port and was leaking coolant into the #1 cylinder. Finally blew last week and I changed it today. It looked like dexcool had eaten away at the gasket, it wasnt blown out like a combustion burn.

[TazMan]

You said the distibutor wires are fine. Do they just look fine or have they been changed recently enough. I had a car do the exact same thing to me and it turned out to be the wires. I had just changed the spark plugs too. They looked fine to me and I didn't think wires could cause a missfire like that unless they at least looked a little bad, but new wires fixed it. Do you have another car you can swap some wires with just for a quick test?

[pontiac3100]

umm i got the wires a couple months ago.
and from what i heard our cars ONLY LIKE delco products.

and i heard that 'bout the dexcool too.
thats why as soon i got her i flushed that dexcool crap out>>>

[pontiac3100]

what if it's the catalytic convertor??
becuase once it was just raw gas and i could smell something and it seems when that "bogg" happens i could smell the same thing...i though it was richness but a car running rich smells like pumkin seeds.....

[pontiac3100]

bump

[pontiac3100]

there's this blue harness by the pcm area (not the blue connector on the pcm) and that has been causing all sorts of problems...and it looks like it has with the previous owner too.
becuase it was sticky as if tape was over it.

but today it was bad and the gauge was twiching all crazy it time a bass note hit,etc.

so i used the cruise control and everytime the gauge would twich the cc would get confused.

so i touched it and the speedo twiched so i dissconnected the harness and the engine shut off, follwed by a consistant alert ringing.

[pontiac3100]

okay another update.

turn sout that harness seemed to be the problem (i gotta check when she's cold or 100*F or lower).
i removed it and some of the pins had corrosion on it.

so i cleaned em' and what do ya know no bogging!!!
the speedo gauge still act's up.
it's not the vss 'cause the pcm shows the speed.

but aparantly the cruise control module is tied within the speedo becuase everytime you tap the gauges while the cc is on it'll hesistate then pulls the gas REALLLLLLLY hard.

[pontiac3100]

how do you know if the cat is bad??
i don't see it glowing red hot.

when i floor it and it "bogg", followed by this smell.
its not rich, or lean (rich smells like pumkin seeds cooking).

i think it's the cat....

[torq455]

it won't glow. usually it'll break apart and clog the exit pipe and slow you down at higher RPM. maybe fill up and clog some with carbon.

i had the prob with the wiring. when the turn sig was on the tach would twitch with the flasher, and the starter sounded like the pinion was jumping in and out the the flex plate.