So I bought an Aveo LS 5 speed. Last Weekend.
It drove great, during the test drive. Well - I liked it... Obviously.
It was low on gas, It had been sitting for a few months. I fill the tank with gas. - On the way home from picking it up.
Within a minute of that, I have a blinking CEL.
My OBD2 scanner says: P0300 - Multiple Random Misfire.
Well, that's just ... Well that's not desirable at all.
So I take it to a mechanic.
He charges a $110 + tax, says change the plugs, wires, and valve cover gasket. So I do that.
I kind of wanted the shop to do some vacuum tests, and leak down tests or something, not just point out the first most obvious thing. Maybe they couldn't. Who knows.
Is the timing OK I don't know. That's something I really wanted to know actually. Because that was how Sylvie Died but that's another story.
But the valve cover gasket along with plugs and wires - did not solve the issue. Granted it needed to be done, provided the engine is sound.
How do I know if this ignition system is working? I put new parts in, do the new parts work?
So I'm kind of short on money now, so I was following a thread, where much of the diagnostic process here begins with a vacuum test. How do I go about doing that?
Is there a specific line that I need to attach to?
Where do I get one of those gauges.
What about the timing? It should have been done by the owner before this owner. The car has 134000 KM or under 85000 miles on it. Do I just pull out the airbox, remove the cover and compare the marks? The belt should have been done at 100,000 KM.
I don't get the EGR - From my understanding if it's jammed closed, than I could have excess gasses building up in the engine causing a misfire?
The flashing light on the dash... Well if it was flashing for the previous owner, that would damage the Catalytic Converter, what would that damage look like? How would it effect the way the car drives?
I'm fairly used to driving mostly dead cars.
But this is perfectly springy lively little car.
I need to check fuel injectors. I thought it was driving just fine.
But I suppose it's one of the area's that I need to look into. You would be able to tell right? Maybe?
Worst case scenario: Burn't exaust valve - that sounds really bad. So that's not even in the head is it? that's part of the block, and that's when you toss the motor away and all that.
For scan tools, all I have to work with is torque pro.
Any Ideas?
I'm afraid that If I stick with this mechanic...
P0300 Random Multiple Misfire..., = "something, somewhere, may not be right with this engine, or some other part of the car, or maybe the road is bad, or some other thing, that prevents that thing from doing the other thing, eh?"
Now Replace these parts in this order:
Plugs,
Wires,
Coils,
Feul Injectors,
O2 Sensor,
EGR Valve,
ECM,
Replace every type and hose and gasket,
Camshaft/Crankshaft sensors..
And if that fails blame the problem on a burnt valve and buy a new car.