ok im going to start out by saying sorry .. its a gm product which would already makes it junk but on top its a grand am. my gf has a 99 grand am v-6 with just over 100k on it. well it has been a lil rough idle but not lights and anything off idle was fine. well today she had a blown fuse so while she was at work i pick up and change it. i figure hey ill be nice since im off and do the seafoam treatment through a vac line. ( i have done this before on her car and my truck numerous times) this time was a whole lot different. after doing it and letting it sit i start it up to drive it. smoked like a mad mother ( more then usual) thought nothing of it. then the check engine starts flashing and everything.it seems fine while driving but when u pull up to a stop sign under decel and stop it bucks wildly then continues this until about 20-30 mph and seems to smoothen out. i dont really drive her car much (but when i got it from her work it didnt do this at all! and there was no light on) but it did seem a little under powered. Any idea what could have happened? the plugs and wires are newer (about 20k ago) and the pcv valve was replaced not too long ago. do you think i fowled a plug? or worse yet clogged an injector? ( i do have sea foam in the gas tank also) any ideas would be VERY GREATFUL. stupid grand ams

 

some one plz any ideas

 

Yes,it is possible you fouled a plug or plugs.You might have messed up the O2 sensor/sensors.

 

sounds like a plugg is fowld out or there was alot of gunk in the intake and it didnt burn out could have built up around the injectors. run a can of B-12 through the intake it will break down all of the crud... and it burns very easily...pull all the plugs and check em out

 

ok thanks i read the codes and found out its cyl 3 that was misfiring. of course its the one in the back:P but tomorrow im going to rip out the plug and see whats up with that. might as well check the coil too since i got the tools home with me. but thanks for the help ill keep it updated.

 

ok update everyone. it is still cyl 3 misfiring. i changed out all plugs again.. they didnt look bad or damaged. i took cly 5 (next to cly 3 in the back) and put its wire on cyl 3 and 3 on 5 did the same on top with the coils too. still misfiring on 3, took the first coil pack off the car and put it in place of middle coil pack (middle is cyl 3 hooked up to it) and switched them. still cly 3. so this basically rules out plugs, wires, coils, and modual right? i was starting think maybe something emissions but that would effect more then one cyl correct? im kinda thinking of narrowing it down to bad injector or clogged injector. i only have a socket set at my house the rest of my tools are at school so any sugestions? any other things i should look for?

 

Mabey the seafoam got rid of so much dirt and carbon in the top of the engine that it clogged #3's injector. Mabey put some B-12 in the gas tank! HTH

 

Or just quit pouring additives into your fuel.

 

Before you throw any money at it, do a compression test.




Your fuel comes with a variety of additives already in it. Exactly which ones depends on where you bought it. Further adding another proven additive, in moderation, won't do any harm provided the directions are followed.

Contrary to popular belief, the vehicles you buy (cars, trucks, bikes), and the fluids you use to make them operate, are not automatically the best that's available. They can all be improved upon, depending on your needs.

 

im bring it to work with me tomorrow to do a compression test. is it true if it was an emmison thing making it misfire that would make more then one misfire more then likely right? so the spark thing is taken care of. thats good. now its just an injector or.... something a little more spendy like rings valve gaskets right? im sick of the grand am its a pos. i told the wife not to buy it does she listen ...noooooo.... and who was out there all day in the rain trying to fix it for her..... meeeee....

 

they dont make stuff if it doesnt do anything. ya ur gas has additives but they dont clean all that well and u dont kno how long they sat at the bottom of a tank. i had a 91 gmc and a buddy had a 91 chev.... same motor same year same dang truck. mine went past 150k before i ever looked in to injectors and cleaning intake things and what not.. that was using b12 and sea foam every so often. he was not so luck. granted it was about 20k before me that he HAD to change them and our driving styles are different and everything but when we took his intake off and mine off... i would like to believe the cleaner worked.

 

I was very skeptical of Seafoam, that's just my nature. Then I tried it, and was blown away. I swear by it now. If used properly, in an otherwise healthy engine, it won't do any damage, and usually will make a marked improvement.




You have confirmed that the problem is cylinder specific. I'm not aware of any emission equipment on that car that is cylinder specific, so yes, I would rule out the emission equipment, at least as far as the miss is concerned. Do a compression test, and go from there. If the results are uniform for all cylinders, focus on fuel delivery/injector issues, including the wiring.

 

alright thanks for the advice on everything. im still a student learning about all this. i mostly work on fords since thats all i own. but slowly getting in to gm and the dready car from he// chysler products. im glad to see im not the only one that believes sea foam, while not a miracle in a can, does do the job its intended.

 

It states clearly in the owner's manual that there is NEVER a reason to add any additives to the fuel or oil, because they could potentially damage the vehicle and they WILL void your warranty. You can take that statement up with ford, not me. Ford does not recommend running an "injector cleaner" through their fuel system at any time or any mileage.

 

If that is true, why do Ford service centers and parts counters carry Motorcraft Injector cleaner? And why did my Ford Service Advisor suggest the Ford injector cleaner service for a $100? BTW never had a problem with Seafoam....great stuff

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