henryz28

I recently had my opti go out. The car started to ping then died. So I changed the opti. But the car does not run well when cold. I pulled a few plugs and they are black. So I cleaned them up with a spark plug cleaner. But then I started to think why are they black? If the bad opti caused the plugs to turn black shouldn't the good opti clean the plugs up. Also because they were dark black I think I should just go ahead and get new plugs.

BUBBA

Well, if you are going to take them out to clean them, you might as well change them. Make sure, of course, that you are using the correct plug, heat range, gap, etc. I'd advise sticking with some TR55 NGKs at .050 gap. Opt for the iradiums if you want a long lasting plug or go with the cheaper copper (best conductors). I'd opt for the coppers, just in case you continure to have overly rich A/F and wind up pulling them again. JMHO

henryz28

I have auto light 106's at .050 now.

BUBBA

Well, if they are the correct ones, you should be good to go. If however, they are sooted up to the point that they are fouled, I doubt that a new opti is going to clean them up since they will not fire well enough for that to happen. JMHO

henryz28

Will gutting your cats cause the car to run rich? I ask because my driver side plugs were dark black and the passanger side plugs were light brown. I gutted my driver side cat 150 days ago and I gutted my passanger side cat 7 days ago.

henryz28

I searched and I found that the pcm should throw a code when the cats are gutted. But my car does not throw codes. The car just runs really rich burns your eyes and fouls plugs. I also am at maybe 9 mpg in town.

mr.green

you got any other problems..rough idle...loss of power... anything like that

Green96Z

It could be the PCMforless tune. When I ran open headers I never threw a code. I still have an unplugged O2 sensor and still no SES light, after 7 months. I think they might have desensitized the rear O2 sensors or something.

henryz28

The idle is rough. But at wot it runs fine utill the plugs started to foul. Then it would miss if I tried to go wot when cold, but once it was worm it ran fine at wot. Now that I have cleaned the plugs it does not miss when cold or hot at wot but the idle is rough.

henryz28

The car cut out on me today. I drove it enough to bring it to the normal the temp of 175. After shutting it down I tried to start it but all it did was cut out. So after the temp drops I try to start it and it starts right up but has a little surge at Idle but not bad. Then I shut it down and attempt to start it back up but all it does is crap out. I am thinking coolant temp sensor but no codes are showing.

DrRuckus13

have you double checked the new opti is not a bad opti?

klrz28

maybe the icm or coil possibly

henryz28

Switched out the opti and the problem continues. Going test the Icm and Coil next.

klrz28

try doin the icm cooling mod too it doesnt cost a thing look up on www.shbox.com
http://shbox.com/1/4th_gen_tech2.html#ICM_cooling I think theres a coil test there too..

henryz28

I had the icm and coil checked they are good. Did the cooling mod and I am having the same thing going on. It does not pull as hard as it should and it has a miss after 4500rpms. For some reason I am loosing my number 7 plug; it turns black whial the others look ok. I do have a header leak on the number 7 primary. I can't really hear it but the header flange above and after the number 7 cylender has some black soot on it. I did find that the back 2 header bolts were loose on the driver side. Would this cause my car to run like crap?