Car Question

[jimscott]

My car misfires / coughs / hiccups when it's snowing. It doesn't do that in the rain and it doesn't do that when it's cold and dry. It only does it when it's cold and snowing and slush is being kicked up. Does that mean that it needs a tuneup or wires are corroded or....?

 

[mass]

It's getting old.
I do the same thing when it's snowing.. cough, hiccup, misfire..

 

[Not a Number]

When you say "cold and dry" I'm guessing the same temperatures as snow (<=32°F)? Does it only do this until the engine is warmed up?

Anyway, Googling the symptoms turns up nothing useful. It looks like one of those problems that a dealer will bleed you dry on without solving the problem. Common fixes tried: Replacing ignition wires, plugs, coils etc. Replacing air intake and manifold system.

Most common hypothesis: cracks in ignition or air intake/manifold that open when it is cold enough to allow water into the system.

If that's the case it's probably a matter of luck in replacing the faulty components.

I'd try finding a forum for your make of car (Ford, Toyota, Chevy etc.) and posting/searching the problem in the sub-forum for you model car.

 

[Av8tor1]

I would guess plug wires, the moisture is giving the high voltage a lower resistance path to ground....

But, drive to local auto parts chain store and get them to pull the codes, most do it for free.... many times this will even point to the specific cylinder that has been misfiring.... Might also be a sensor issue of some kind, this should show up in the diagnostic codes as well.

Warren also made some good points.... but first get the diagnostic codes, its free and non intrusive.

The poor boy way of finding cracks in intake was spray a little starting fluid at the suspected area while the engine is running.... but be careful, highly flammable.... easy to lose your eyebrows

HTH's
Av

 

[kulamauiman]

Warren also made some good points.... but first get the diagnostic codes, its free and non intrusive.

The poor boy way of finding cracks in intake was spray a little starting fluid at the suspected area while the engine is running.... but be careful, highly flammable.... easy to lose your eyebrows

HTH's
Av

Fire in the hole. I remember doing quick start with a little spray of gasoline in the carb and seeing flames

 

[AshG2385]

Probably wiring, it can't hurt to replace your spark plug wires if you haven't done so recently (in the last 2+ years). My neighbors SUV is doing the same thing, except it doesn't want to start in the cold and snow. The way the snow and slush sticks to vehicles up here it's not a surprise that everything rusts and or is eaten through fast.

How old is your car? A tune up won't hurt if it hasn't had one in awhile either. Do you have undercoating on it? What's your skid plate looking like? If it looks rough then a lot of the road slush is probably getting kicked up on your wiring and sticking to it.
My 2004 Mustang had only spent 2 winters up here and the skid plate was rusted almost through (it came from AZ originally) and the drive shaft was so rusted it took me 3 hours and a whole can of WD40 to drop it for the car dolly. Also, when I replaced the rack and pinion (what a job!) it took days to get all the bolts off due to the rust and a lot of the wiring was looking sad.

Go hit up Autozone like Av8tor suggested, they'll put it on the machine for free and give you the codes. Some of the codes are for multiple things (went through this with my old Explorer - stupid emissions component nightmare, it had similar issues and it was the Co2 sensors) but you can google them for the full array of what it "might" be.

 

[mass]

I knew that'd work..
One useless answer usually leads to many useful ones.

 

[jimscott]

I'm leaning to getting a tuneup. I've done the Autotune code thing before. That was disappointing. Engine light was on. Turned out to be bad sensors.. attached to the expensive cannister!

 

[Lizardom]

I had a 84 dodge truck years back and if suffered the same when there was lots of moisture, it turned out that I had some pretty bad vacuum leaks causeing the issue. I couldn't tell you why that caused the problem, but fixing the vacuum hoses did solve my problem. Although I think my dodge was and expetimental model because there were about 15 differant vacuum lines, 4 catalytic converters and 4 mufflers - that poor exhaust was so bogged down I'm suprised it even turned over... lol

 

[n bicalcarata]

Not a Number i think you mean >= 32 which means less than or equal to 32 degrees the other way is a comman misconception but means greater than or equal to
i asked a algebra teacher to make sure

 

[Sundrew]

No, NaN is correct. The sign opens to the larger value.

 

[Heli]

http://www.mathsisfun.com/equal-less-greater.html

 

[pebes]

what kind of car is it?

 

[AshG2385]

I had a 84 dodge truck years back and if suffered the same when there was lots of moisture, it turned out that I had some pretty bad vacuum leaks causeing the issue. I couldn't tell you why that caused the problem, but fixing the vacuum hoses did solve my problem. Although I think my dodge was and expetimental model because there were about 15 differant vacuum lines, 4 catalytic converters and 4 mufflers - that poor exhaust was so bogged down I'm suprised it even turned over... lol

I still have an 84 Dodge pickup, just like that, lol. Not that I drive it, with it's epic 8 MPG fuel efficiency...I drive a GMC Yukon XL SLT that gets 14 MPG instead.

 

[Av8tor1]

A friend of mine's wife once put black tape over the oil pressure light so it wouldnt bother her....
she didnt tell him (he is a good mechanic) till it locked up on way home.

ignoring early warning signs are never good and often lead to more expensive repairs....

when you have high resistance in the seconday of an ignition circuit, be it due to worn plugs or bad wires.... the secondary voltage must climb higher and higer to overcome that resistance. At some point, it may become easier to overcome the internal resistance of the coil than the higher external resistance of the plugwires/plugs...

at that point, you also will not only need the tune up but a coil and a tow truck..

 

[Lizardom]

I still have an 84 Dodge pickup, just like that, lol. Not that I drive it, with it's epic 8 MPG fuel efficiency...I drive a GMC Yukon XL SLT that gets 14 MPG instead.

lol... yep thats the right milage per gallon, although I'm rockin an Expedition these days - if the wind's right i can do 16mpg, lol

 

[Not a Number]

Not a Number i think you mean >= 32 which means less than or equal to 32 degrees the other way is a comman misconception but means greater than or equal to
i asked a algebra teacher to make sure

You must not be familiar with Boolean operators used in computer programming languages. Simply read as "tempertures less than or equal to 32°F.

In computerese (given altitude is sea level):

If Temp <= 32
    result = "It's freezing outside"
Else
    result = "It might be cold, nice or hot outside but it's not freezing"
EndIf

So if Temp is -5,10 or 32 the result would be "It's freezing outside"
If Temp is 33, 72, or 110 the result would be "It might be cold, nice or hot outside but it's not freezing"

 

[cpbobby]

all very good advice.....based off what i have read...."misfire" points to the ignition system.....does it misfire almost immediately or after you have driven a few minutes? lowest part of the ignition system is usually the crank position sensor(s) which usually tell the computer where your cylinders are/when to fire spark. over time these sensor housings can crack and will cause ignition system hiccups however generally the weather doesn't play a factor in their malfunction.

 

[n bicalcarata]

thanks heli
nan is that a joke or some coocoo head thing

 

[jimscott]

what kind of car is it?

2002 Chevy Prizm