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Old 30th July 2008, 14:48   #1
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Ikon Shudders and mis-fires on cold start

My 03-Ikon flair shudders and mis-fires on cold morning starts, well once the engine is warmed up -Kaput!!

I have recently changed to a new ignition coil, new fuel filter , new set of spark plugs and air filter(last serviced in Feb-08). I regulalry use Iftex whenever I fill fuel, though lately(last one month) stopped using it, due to laxity of buying another one.

Well I have noticed this for the last two days , only during cold starts and once the engine is warmed up , i dont see any jerking or hestitation while running, till I drive back home in the evening. On The first day the car shuddered pretty badly, i guess the outside temp shud have been around 17 degc , well today it wasnt as high as 20degc , so it shuddered and fired pretty less than the first day.

Can anyone ponder - whts the issue could be...?
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Old 30th July 2008, 15:43   #2
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similar issue...

Hi Kary,

I've been facing this problem ever since I got my spark plugs replaced a couple of weeks back in my Ikon 1.6 nxt (OE replacement only). only difference is, I don't get any jerking or shuddering (even during the cold start), just a pronounced misfiring which decreases as engine temp rises.

even then, the car still misfires while idling. luckily not when revving. another strange thing is, the misfiring is less with the AC on! (after I've let the engine heat up a bit, like 20 mins into the drive)

In fact, I have an appointment with Metro Ford this coming Saturday to actually get this diagnosed. I'll let you know what I find!

PS I don't know if it's the spark plugs causing this. I've put iridium plugs in there before and never faced this problem!
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Old 30th July 2008, 15:45   #3
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Seems the ignition coil is not working properly or plugs not firing properly.. get both checked..
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Old 30th July 2008, 16:37   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by vezj420 View Post
Hi Kary,

I've been facing this problem ever since I got my spark plugs replaced a couple of weeks back in my Ikon 1.6 nxt (OE replacement only). only difference is, I don't get any jerking or shuddering (even during the cold start), just a pronounced misfiring which decreases as engine temp rises.

even then, the car still misfires while idling. luckily not when revving. another strange thing is, the misfiring is less with the AC on! (after I've let the engine heat up a bit, like 20 mins into the drive)

In fact, I have an appointment with Metro Ford this coming Saturday to actually get this diagnosed. I'll let you know what I find!

PS I don't know if it's the spark plugs causing this. I've put iridium plugs in there before and never faced this problem!
Thanks Buddy! I greatly appreciate If u keep me posted abt your Apt. Secondly Mis-firing in my case vanishes soon after the engine is warmed up and in your case probably my suspiciion is around clogged injectors..have u used Iftex ever?

Does anyone suspect adulterated fuel in the above case....?

Last edited by Jaggu : 30th July 2008 at 16:52. Reason: back to back post
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Old 30th July 2008, 16:53   #5
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Adulterated fuel can cause this, also revert back to regular plugs and see if problem is solved. IMHO Iridium are overkill for a stock car.
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Old 31st July 2008, 10:44   #6
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I had this problem soon after service from ford.. however disappeared in a couple of weeks. no idea what caused it though.
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Old 31st July 2008, 10:47   #7
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Please check condition of MPFI HT cables as well (workshops sometimes refer to these as card wires). Ideally, they need to be changed along with the spark plugs. Also, the connectors to the ignition coil can sometimes work loose thanks to our road conditions.

How much has the car run?
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Old 31st July 2008, 12:06   #8
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It has run around 46K so far, Had the same issue this morning as well, wht surprises me is the fact , it fades away once the engine is warmed up, even on high revs- no missing or hesitation.

Last week, I filled my gas at well-renowned outlet, could my gas be adulterated? If so, I find this phenomenon just when the engine is cold, doesnt happen during normal driving course.

Wht do you suggest?
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Old 31st July 2008, 12:50   #9
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Forgot to mention this - check for loose connections to both your ignition coils as well as to the MPFI fuel injector wires. I've seen the workshop guys disconnect just one of these for a quick diagnosis and the engine starts shuddering like crazy.
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Old 31st July 2008, 13:25   #10
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Is there a vacuum advance pipe in your car? This 'adjusts' the timing, depending upon engine temp and RPM. Maybe this 'thin' pipe/tube needs replacement.
Other than this, you could have the timing retarded just a wee bit from the ECU. Let Ford diagnose it and see what they find.
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Old 31st July 2008, 13:28   #11
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just do an ECU reset.

i generally disconnect battery negative at night and reconnect in morning each time I do any new changes like plugs, timing belt change, as I feel its right to do as its mentioned in most DIY jobs.

SINCE YOU HAVE CHANGED PLUGS PLS MAKE SURE YOU ARE RUNNING WITH CORRECT GAP AS THE EARLIER PLUGS OR SET GAP TO .4

The first step is to discoonect battery negative and do the repairs / changes but this is seldom done by any mechanics.

the above may sound stupid but works wonders.

Last edited by Jr Godzilla : 31st July 2008 at 13:31.
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Old 31st July 2008, 13:34   #12
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Before trying sophisticated stuff like retarding timing etc. , just check the connectors to both ignition coils (if in doubt, take them out and plug them back in, with the engine off) and get the MPFI HT cables / wires checked.
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Old 31st July 2008, 14:07   #13
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Thanks guys

I shall check for any loose connections with the coil and also will check for the plug wires.

Are these MPFI fuel injector wires any different than plug wires?
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Old 31st July 2008, 23:23   #14
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yes, the MPFI fuel injector wires are the ones in FRONT along the intake runners on the rocam engine. the spark plugs and wires are in the BACK.
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Old 3rd August 2008, 19:55   #15
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Check'em all - seems fine! still the engine shuddered a bit - but a lot less than my first day observation, thinkin about filling up tank and adding up some Iftex to check any diff!!
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