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Old 21-07-2006, 07:13 AM   #1
Banana_Chick
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Engine power problems

Recently I have been experiencing bad performace with my 2lt V6 323 Astina (manual transmission).

When I accelerate hard from any gear, the car drops back and refuses to keep up with the speed I want it to go and holds back until I pass a point, which is usually when I reach my max revs and need to change gear. It especially occurs when I am on a hill and start from 1st gear, I need to give it some more power to get it going faster, but the engine just doesn’t pull. If I give it more power, then it works harder and starts to bunny hop. However, in the same scenario, if I take off very slowly, it is fine. And once I reach 20km/ph then it pulls fine up until I change to 2nd gear which it then refuses to pull again! I can remember this problem starting ever since I floored the car from starting position, and hit a pot hole in the road, and the car just jumped and it sounded as if the car was air born.

I have spoken to a mechanic about my problem over the phone and they seem to think that the clutch is gone, or the the spark plugs and/or spark plug leads need replacing. Some how I don’t know how this relates to the clutch when the problem doesn’t occur when I am using the clutch.

Has anyone experieced this problem before?
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Old 21-07-2006, 07:50 AM   #2
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Yeah I had a similar problem in a very different car, the spark plug leads had reached the end of their life. The mechanic should be able to tell easily when you take it in, which I suggest but if you know how replace them your self.
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Old 21-07-2006, 10:27 AM   #3
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Oh cool - i'm glad its not a clutch problem, because that would have been alot more expensive.

I will be doing the service with my self. Any ideas of what type of leads I need to get? Also, do I need to replace the spark plugs as well as the leads?
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Old 21-07-2006, 10:31 AM   #4
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It could be something else remember but it sounds similar to what I experienced. Maybe (almost defiantly) some other members can advise better than I about what you need to fix.
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Old 21-07-2006, 10:32 AM   #5
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V6 Leads are know to be an issue, I replaced mine a fair while ago and noticed a smoother drive.
Replacing leads is fairly simple, just take a few pics of everything before hand and make sure you note what lead goes where. It is one of the few jobs I would undertake myself.



So this problem your having,
if your cruising along in gear and you suddenly floor it, would it bunny hop then???
or is it only on changing gears??

And what do you mean by max revs,
if its redline it should be pulling dam hard so somehting is wrong and leads is a decent chance.
Another thing it could be is engine mounts.

Theres my two cents,
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Old 21-07-2006, 11:01 AM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by skippy
So this problem your having, if your cruising along in gear and you suddenly floor it, would it bunny hop then???or is it only on changing gears??

And what do you mean by max revs, if its redline it should be pulling dam hard so somehting is wrong and leads is a decent chance. Another thing it could be is engine mounts.

Theres my two cents,
Yes, if I floor it, then it wont pull and it will bunny hop.

By max revs I mean the time I need to change the gear i.e. 1st gear is 20-30 km/ph max revs, 2nd gear 20-40 km/ph etc. does that make sense?
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Old 21-07-2006, 11:42 AM   #7
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So you change at about 3000, roughly the same as me (unless i am in a hurry).

I wouldn't think clutch, as if that was going it would rev but not accelerate and I think it would be fairly smooth as opposed to bunny hopping.

I changed to Custom made Splitfire leads (call them and they will prob make you some $200ish) and NGK iridium Spark plugs at the same time and there definently was an improvement in smoothness of ride, wether similar results would be expected from just leads I dunno. My leads however where pretty much dead when I changed them lots of arching marks (whiteish parts where the leads touch each other). that was at about 90,000 as I recall so if yours haven't been changed could be worth while.

look into them but if it is something else refer to smarter heads then mine.
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Old 21-07-2006, 12:07 PM   #8
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Look for evidence of the spark plug leads breaking down, particularly on the hard plastic extension where they reach into the cylinder head, at the spark plug end. Look for white residue where the spark jumps sideways through the insulator, instea of across the plug gap.
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Old 21-07-2006, 12:47 PM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by skippy
I changed to Custom made Splitfire leads (call them and they will prob make you some $200ish) and NGK iridium Spark plugs at the same time and there definently was an improvement in smoothness of ride, wether similar results would be expected from just leads I dunno. My leads however where pretty much dead when I changed them lots of arching marks (whiteish parts where the leads touch each other). that was at about 90,000 as I recall so if yours haven't been changed could be worth while.

look into them but if it is something else refer to smarter heads then mine.
Hi Skippy,
Thanks for the advice. Im not too sure If I will l buy the custom ones - unless the performace is dramatically better?? How much are the NGK ones? I've actually changed my spark plugs last year, prob 30,000kms ago, they should last longer than that thought, right? I didnt change the leads when I changed the plugs, does that make a difference?

John - what do you mean by "Look for evidence of the spark plug leads breaking down" (John)?
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Old 21-07-2006, 01:20 PM   #10
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http://www.astinagt.com/forums/showp...2&postcount=53

follow this thread for explanation - look for white marks where the leads touch each other, or pass over anything metal
Mine also died at about 90,000km.
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Old 21-07-2006, 01:51 PM   #11
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Plugs should be fine, i think, might be worth testing the gap on them if you have whatever sort of tool that is done with, I think it 1 or 1.1 mm your after.

The custom ones I got where not much more expensive then OEM, I just didn't want OEM as I heard many bad things. Wether they are any better I have only compared them to an old bin ready set so I dunno.

Evidence,
marks between where the leads actually rest against each other, any sort of discoloration is not good. Also they can suffer from leaking sparkplug wells.
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Old 21-07-2006, 06:15 PM   #12
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I dunno if you brought the leads yet, but we had the same problem with my brother-n-laws wrx, he would floor it and wouldnt go after the revs pass a point, we did heaps to it like change the mainfold, check exhaust, and other little things, at the end - lol - it ended up only to be the spark plugs ONLY.

So to save you money first, id maybe purchase the plugs first and see how it go's, if its still doing it the leads, and if its still doing it............. well good luck, lol.
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Old 22-07-2006, 05:10 AM   #13
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Always start at the bottom and work your way up the chain
PLugs
Leads
then Distributor
If the first tw seem to be fine it would be worth taking the distributor cap off and checking for any cracks etc
also would be a good idea to remove any of the buildup on the inside posts

If you clutch was shagged you would notice slippage as the most common sign
But engine mounts are a possibility (commonly front and rear then the drivers side)
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Old 22-07-2006, 07:32 AM   #14
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Also check for oil leakage into the spark plug holes.
Could be affecting the spark.
If the leads are breaking down under load try opening the hood when its dark.look for cross-firing or arcing while someone revs the engine.
Could also be a fueling or ECU sensor problem, causing the engine to flood.
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Old 22-07-2006, 02:40 PM   #15
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Anna should be fine with the oil in the spark plug wells as she has only recently changed her gaskets
Yeah its probably a good idea to reset the ECU in the car to see if the problem still remains (pull the negative battery cable with ignition on and depress the brake pedal fully for minimum 30 seconds and then reconect battery and you should have a reset ECU)
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Old 09-08-2006, 01:15 PM   #16
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I am also currently experiencing the same problem.

This happened after i upgraded my audio system (installed amplifier plus component set).

After installation, i took a drive and I immediately felt the effect. It felt heavy and i need to press the accelerator pedal deeper to get the power. But even that, I felt the engine was coarse and rough. I really dunno wat had happen.

Was scratching my head and figuring out why such a sudden change on my engine characteristics after installing the amplifier.

Would it be the amp took too much toll on my battery ?
Or would it be the things that was highlighted in this thread ?

I am doing a step by step check means replace plug cables, check spark plug condition (i changed it about a year ago; using Denso iridium)
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Old 09-08-2006, 02:43 PM   #17
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check for any air leaks - cracks, loose hoses etc.

that could be another reason why its ok on light throttle but dies on hard acceleration.
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Old 12-08-2006, 01:48 PM   #18
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Hi Guys,

Today I inspected the spark plugs and leads. The leads were fine, however I noticed that some of the plugs were dirty and oily. After cleaning them all and taking the car for a quick spin, I've noticed a slight improvement...but it still needs something...I will have to test the car on a longer drive and see how it goes. But at least I know that it was to do with the plugs...I may need to buy new ones. Weird how they only lasted 15,000kms... The plugs that I have in there currently are the Bosch Super 4's. Maybe I try different spark plugs? These super 4's dont have that gap where I can test if they are still working. Does anyone know how to test the ones I have? Or does anyone recommend any specific type of plugs for my v6?

Thanks in advance!

Ana
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Old 12-08-2006, 03:38 PM   #19
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If you want to check if the plugs are a problem you could borrow some from a similar car (ask first) or get a set of generic plugs from your local super cheap.
--oO ELSE Oo--
It may only be one plug or lead. Buy one generic plug and substitute it for each in turn, then try a 'long enough' generic lead.
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Old 28-08-2006, 12:05 PM   #20
Banana_Chick
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Guess What!?

I changed my spark plugs on the weekend, and it fixed my little baby! Its now back on track

Thanks for your help guys.

Ana
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