Rough running JLX 1993

[Brown]

I bought this 93 Sidekick last November. It's a 16 valve 1.6 engine. I've solved my high screaming idle issues, rusted brake lines, a radiator that basically crumbled it was so corroded, heater-defroster cables frozen it's always something but thats why I bought her. Right now its running rough, not during acceleration but around 15-1800 rpm. It does stumble a little at first but then she'll climb up to hwy speed but then she sounds bad. Last year I replaced fuel filter, plugs,wires,cap and rotor. I did find the coil wire arc across to the mount for the coil. Correcting It made a little difference but my question is where do I go from here.

[fixkick]

I bought this 93 Sidekick last November.
It's a 16 valve 1.6 engine.
I've solved my high screaming idle issues, rusted brake lines, a radiator that basically crumbled it was so corroded, heater-defroster cables frozen it's always something but thats why I bought her.

Right now its running rough, not during acceleration but around 15-1800 rpm. parked? too just gunning it?

It does stumble a little at first, but then she'll climb up to hwy speed, but then she sounds bad.
Last year I replaced fuel filter, plugs,wires,cap and rotor.
I did find the coil wire arc across to the mount for the coil. That is a bad coil wire, seems solved now. Bad insulation,
Correcting It made a little difference, but my question is where do I go from here.

so does the CEL lamp flash 12 on demand per my CEL page.

[fixkick]

btw that is called misfire.
heard and felt and low power when it happens. misfire is violent.
bogging is another set of symptoms.,

yes, fixing one bad thing in a field of many , one seen no change,
like a 2 broken legs, one heals, but still cant walk, same deal.
never seen a 93 with out like 15 major problems, all ignored, by previous owners, some folks don't act until car stalls then wonder why fixing 1 prob, is not the cure.
oldest story on old cars, for 100 years now same same sad story.
The truth is ,EFI lets you run a very ratty engine., in fact limphome mode is just like that, runs like crappy lawnmower but runs.


the word rough means misfire.
and there are 3 class failures, that cause that. (engine, spark ,fueling)
bad engine, compression bad, on one or more cylinders the new timing belt , shows checking lash, during the new belt, if skipped, the lash can be wrong, and when engine gets hot the lash goes to zero and it burns the valve up and misfires, all this is service, at the 60k mile mark... new valve cover gasket or those 4 seals in the kit, in the 4 spark wells leak and that oil puddles up there, cause sparks to short out and misfire,
what's more, sure injectors clogged, or bad wiring to them. lots if issues with injectors or just 1.
if spark ok, then its the above, or the ECU has bad inputs.

This car, the ECU creates all spark and advance, in calculates all injection rates base on sensors..
This ECU is know to have bad caps, see my bad caps page.
just type ECU in the search box. and leaking caps show up. they love to leak, 89-1995

[fixkick]

are the spark tips, white or cream?
or black or
dipping in oil.
or antifreeze.
or soaked in raw fuel,
spark tips tell a story, all mech, learn to read them. they talk to you.

[fixkick]

what is your flash code.
http://www.fixkick.com/CEL/CEL.html#OBD1codes

have you looked inside the ECU yet.
be smart to check,.

http://www.fixkick.com/ECU/ECU.html
see if the corner cap and puked its guts yet? most do. or did, once fixed it will run longer than me.

[Brown]

what is your flash code.
http://www.fixkick.com/CEL/CEL.html#OBD1codes

have you looked inside the ECU yet.
be smart to check,.

http://www.fixkick.com/ECU/ECU.html
see if the corner cap and puked its guts yet? most do. or did, once fixed it will run longer than me.

HelperBee I've been away for a couple days. Going to get going checking a few things out and will post my findings.

---

Flash Code is 12

[fixkick]

great !
Misfire has many cause.
but when it happens is key to why.
as CEL flashing 12 or not.