Ugh!! Sorry guys I dont mean to keep starting threads!! I just got back from a 300 mile round trip up to lake tahoe, I park my car, go inside. I get back in my car an hour later and it barely stays running. Everytime I push in the clutch the idle will drop to the norm 750-1000 and stumble and start to fall slowly until it dies at which point I would pop the clutch and "jump" my own car as Im trying not to get tboned in the middle of the intersection. Im about 99% sure its not the engine, Im not panicing at all. i still have all 240 ponies, it just dies. My plugs and wires are new but my coils have over 40K on them. My #1 guess is my coils are failing, what do you guys think??? Hopefully this is something I can fix so I can get to work on monday

 

low gas? bad coil..

 

HAHAHAHA! That's a good one...nobody else here has that going for them! Anyways, I think your coils are failing personally. Mine did the same thing but I only manage to get about 6-11k on the coils before they burn out. Always get them replaced under parts warranty though, HAHA!

 

yea I was sure it was the coils but I needed confirmation from some people here. My tank is at 3/4 so its not gas. ****, how am I going to get to work bc the dealership will have to order them on monday!! Lol, you get your coils replaced every 6-11K, I drive like a total ******* and mine have been there for over 40K!!!

 

They should last longer than 11k. Your dealer might just have some in stock.

 

Loose plug wire or it fell off. Check all the connections.

If thats good look for a vaccum leak.

 

altitude up in the mountains effect your car a bit??

 

Confirm that it's your coils, don't just walk in and tell them to replace parts that you think are bad. Replacing parts until you find the solution is no way to trouble shoot a problem. Could be as simple as bad gas, the car, not you.

 

My experience is a little more detailed though. I had the engine replaced at 36k, and ever since there seems to be an electrical gremlin running around in the system. I've had the PCM replaced and changed the plugs and wires multiple times...same result, misfires in the rear rotor like crazy around 6-11k miles. The coils just seem to be burning up. I'm doing a mod here shortly to move the coils away from their engine mounting position and relocate them so they get more air flow.


I agree with others though, have the coils tested first before you start swapping parts...

 

Check your eccentric shaft sensor...if it has a piece of metal or something on it, or if it is too close to the sender ring...it will get weird signals...and cause a strange pattern of misfires.

Ask me how I know....and no...it didn't throw a CEL code either

 

They suggested I replace my plugs coils and wires at 58K (Im at 64 now) because the plugs are bad causing mass numbers of misfires, my wires are bad, and my coils have hot spots. I was replacing it as I went through the dealership I work at (employee discounts). First was the plugs which got the misfires to stop. Then I started hearing a knocking noise at around 62K which turned out to be my wires which I then replaced. Now the last recommended part has been left untouched. I mean my car stalled out once a year ago when I lived in Iowa and the dealership there recommended I replace my coils soon, Ive been neglecting it though because the car ran fine. I figured it would START to go bad, not just STOP working!!! Lesson learned I guess, thats why Im so sure its the coils, but I could be wrong.

 

Well that was another thing, I was up 8000 feet yesterday for about 300 miles round trip. My car barely ran at that altitude. I had to keep it in 4th to maintain 75 mph. Its a noticable difference, I live in Auburn which is 1300 feet up, and I can feel a difference in power when I go to work in sacramento (sea level). So I havent taken it out for a spin today, maybe it needed a rest. (wishful thinking) Ill go out there and check it out.

 

And just some more info, I just filled up yesterday with chevron gas 91 octanes. I usually try to use chevron or shell and i ALWAYS use premium. In Iowa it was 93, out here its 91. So I doubt its bad gas since it was less than 24 hours ago but who knows.

 

Now this is bizarre!!! I went out there and touched all the wires and hoses before starting it. I started it and let it idle there for about 10 minutes until it was nice and warm and the idle was at 850-1000. Then I took it out, went around the block with roughley 8 stop signs. Not one stall..........

Would extreme variations in elevation in short periods of time mess with this car. I mean VERY extreme. Like 8000 feet to 1300 feet in 40 minutes at 80 mph extreme......... Reason I ask is because my 8 started acting up as soon as I got back from my trip at ground zero...

 

WOO i was right. haha go me.

yeah i would not worry about it. Your problem was altitude change. The higher you go the less oxygen is in the air, so i would like to believe that it was the lack of oxygen in the chambers that gave your car a funky attitude

 

Man, you have no idea. I drove my car with a clogged cat and bad plugs and THAT had more power than my car did at 8000 feet. Im not being sarcastic. I literally had to set my cruise in 4th gear to stay at 75-80. Its been running good all day, I just took it through the mountains for my sunday cruise , its running strong.