HELP 328 IS MISFIRING

Could be anything, but fuel starvation was my first impression from the description. How's the fuel filter? If that's not it, then you need to do the normal diagnostic by checking the big 3: Are you getting fuel? (Fuel pump, clogged line, all that fancy FI stuff you guys have; accumulators and such). Are you getting spark? Is the timing correct?

If you have fuel, spark and timing, the car will run.

Ken

 

If it's ignition related, it's more likely to be the spark plug extenders. When you get them ouot, look closely for burn holes are the start of holes near where the electrode connector is. Your description does not really sound like this problem, but worth a look. If you have tried to wash your motor recently, then extender failure is very likely.

Dave

 

I think you have a bad O2 sensor---Disconnect the single green wire to the O2 sensor and electrical tape the contact--You dont want this to touch bare metal and go to ground while you are testing to see if thats the problem---The car will run in default mode with the o2 disconnected--Run the car up to temp and see if the missing still occurs---If it doesnt miss , replace the O2 sensor---
The wire connection for the O2 sensor is near the fuel injection intake --You might have to remove the air cleaner and metal shroud to get to it--Dan

 

Hi,

I have a similar experience that was resolved with Hardtops advice. So check your plug wires for resistance through the extender.

ZGood luck!

Bill

 

The 3x8 fuel filter is readily available from AutoZone, Pep Boys, etc. You need the BOSCH P/N for them to cross reference. Brand doesn't matter as they're all made by the same company in Israel!

Don't remember p/n off-hand, but a search of the archives will turn it up as I've posted it half a dozen times. I know it's in the Old FerrariChat archives several times.

BTW, the 328 uses a mechanical injection system. You might try running a bottle of Techron concentrate into half-empty gas tanks, or 2 bottles into full tanks. Don't add gas until you've driven most of it out as you'll dilute the mix. It'll clean your injectors & the fuel system in general, including getting any accumulated moisture out.

 

I would agree, if you suspect ignition, check the extenders first...also check the condition of the wires. Not a bad idea to pull the distributor caps off and inspect the condition, and also the rotors. Go ahead and remove the wires from the caps, cut 1 or 2 cm of wire off, and reinstall the nut back down on them. Gives you a nice fresh connection to the cap.

 

While coils can fail, it's pretty rare. A test would be to switch the coils. Do a complete switch, ALL wires from one coil to the other. If it really is the coil, the problem will move to the other bank.

What will give similar symptoms to a badthe front bank timing sensor. If the sensor has a bad connection, or is failing, the bank won't get ignition. ie: w/o pulses from the sensor, the ECU won't fire the coil.

Has your car had the ground strap added for the ECUs? If not, now is the time to add it. A quick search of the archives will give the procedure.

 

on the 328, you can test the ignition modules by just swapping the plugs between the two modules. You don't need to touch the rest of the wires.

If you want to swap the coils themselves, though, you must move the coil wires and at least the plugs with the red and red/white wires. Moving the yellow wires is optional, but it does give more information since those wires are independent back to a connector in the passenger footwell.

If you yank off all the wires and forget which goes where, the plug with the red and white wires belongs to the 5-8 bank. The plug with two red wires is the 1-4 bank.

I dunno if it matters on the marelli coils, but the yellow wires should go into the terminals marked 15 on the bottom of the coil frame.