Check Engine Light! Any ideas?

[SallySpeed3]

Hey guys. Was just driving home, took her to around 5500 rpm's, heard some sort of fluttering sound, and boom, check engine light came on. Car still runs, can still hear the turbo spool and bpv, but definitely not as much power. Sound like a blew a spark plug? I put in Denso's about 2 months ago and haven't had any problems. Any thoughts would be appreciated. I want to get this taken care of asap.

 

[chief_wiggum]

Go to Autozone/Advanced Autoparts somewhere where they'll scan the computer for free; without the code, we're all just guessing.

 

[PCspeed3]

I guess misfire due to different plugs.

 

[MSMS3]

It's all pretty pointless guesswork until he gets Autozone or someone to put an OBD2 scan to it and he gives us the four digit number. Then all will be clear.

 

[AutoEuphoria]

Yup...all speculation until then. In the meantime, check your couplers to the turbo, from the turbo to the intercooler, and from the intercooler to the intake manifold and see if any of the clamps broke off.

 

[SallySpeed3]

Congratulations PCSPeed, it was a misfire, but not due to my plugs. It was due to my 1st cylinder being full of water. Imagine that. No idea how that happened. I've only rinsed off the engine bay like twice, but didn't think it would do any harm. So anyway, Midas charged me 90 bucks to fix everything up. Lesson learned, don't go crazy with a hose and your engine.

 

[Circle9]

Same thing happened to my Prelude, got in two cylinders, and I still don't know how the hell it got in there. I never rinsed off the engine.

 

[MSMS3]

I'm thinking that Midas found water pooled up under the intercooler, filling up the recess in the valve cover where the number one plug was located, causing it to short out.

If the cylinder itself were full of water, you would have had a catastrophic engine failure. If water gets into the the cylinder though the intake valves, you will usually bend a crankshaft rod, one or more valves and do a lot of damage. Water does not compress and it acts like a solid object entering the combustion chamber. When the piston comes up on stroke, something has to give since the water is taking up space. It's called hydro-lock. What gives are bending or breaking engine parts. Very bad. Very bad.

So, I think your "engine shampoo" rather harmlessly filled up the valve cover recess for one of the spark plugs.

 

[SallySpeed3]

What they said was when they went to access the #1 spark plug the whole chamber was filled with water. So, I guess technically that's not the inside of the cylinder right? The inside would be through the whole the spark plug screws in to?

 

[chief_wiggum]

I'm thinking that Midas found water pooled up under the intercooler, filling up the recess in the valve cover where the number one plug was located, causing it to short out.

If the cylinder itself were full of water, you would have had a catastrophic engine failure. If water gets into the the cylinder though the intake valves, you will usually bend a crankshaft rod, one or more valves and do a lot of damage. Water does not compress and it acts like a solid object entering the combustion chamber. When the piston comes up on stroke, something has to give since the water is taking up space. It's called hydro-lock. What gives are bending or breaking engine parts. Very bad. Very bad.

So, I think your "engine shampoo" rather harmlessly filled up the valve cover recess for one of the spark plugs.

I was thinking the same thing -- if it was really in the cylinder I would think it would have caused permanent damage; while air/fuel are compressible, water is not.

 

[MSMS3]

What they said was when they went to access the #1 spark plug the whole chamber was filled with water. So, I guess technically that's not the inside of the cylinder right? The inside would be through the whole the spark plug screws in to?

Correct. There is nothing to keep water from entering those recesses under the intercooler. If there is enough water accumulating there, it will:

1. Cause the spark plug to misfire.

2. Cause corrosion/rust.

Intercooler sits on top of the vale cover.
Valve cover sits on top of the cylinder head.
Cylinder head sits on top of the engine block (cylinders are in the block).

The valve cover has four deep recesses, one for each of the plug wires and coils to connect to the end of the spark plug. The spark plug screws into the cylinder head.

Engine shampoo/bath = BAD. Just wipe the exposed surfaces down every once in a while with a damp cloth and some Armour All type product of your choice to keep it looking new.