misfiring

[matt_elan]

I had this bright idea of jet washin me engine bay as ide jus finished some major work on it(it needed it)! I was kinda carefull not 2 completly drown it but afterwards it had a slight misfire while ticking over and if u put ur foot down, then it just makes a fluttering sound and doesnt move! Im guessing i got some connections wet somewhere and its a case of wd40 time but has anyone got any ideas where to start and what it cud be? apart from bein a bit damp maybe!

[Dave M]

I've had this once or twice with other cars after an engine cleaning. Most times it seems by just raising the hood and letting the engine dry for a few hours solved it. However you may want to remove the plug cover, dry up any excess water in/around the plus. Also it might help to disconnect, blow in them or spray with contact cleaner, and reconnect the plug leads at both ends, as well as the coil "base" connections (the plate that the coils sit on plugs into the main harness under the coolant tank. They are a bit of a trick getting to, but hopefully this solves any problems.

[Fubar1764]

Matt, you dolt! Er wait, I've done the same thing too!
To follow up on Dave's suggestion with something a bit more specific. . . get some brake cleaner spray with a straw that attaches to the spray nozzle. (Note: you don't need to get brake cleaner necessarily, just something that's hydrophilic. Rubbing alcohol would work just fine. But if some is good, more's better, right; go with 100% grain alcohol, right? NO! The alcohol's going to be too abrasive. Brake cleaner is readily available. If you're not familiar with the stuff, get accustomed to that voodoo juice.) Immediately under the coolant tank, you'll find the "distributor." Get the brake cleaner (with straw) and spray into the module liberally. A few chants and a liberal spray of the stuff, you should be in good shape! See if that helps.

[Ashaman]

Just so everyone knows (though most everyone probably does already) brake cleaner also makes a great paint stripper.

Use with care!

[matt_elan]

ok ive cleaned and sprayed both ends of the leads and gave the distributar a good drownin but still no joy . the distributer is obviously all enclosed, can i get some brake cleaner inside it some how?

[matt_elan]

JUST 2 MAKE THIS CLEARER, IT ONLY MISSFIRES AND FLUTTERS UNDER PAST 1/2 THROTTLE.

[ESM]

eerrr yeah that really cleared things up

Look at the injectors - clean all the connectors. They can collect water and get corroded contacts, although usually if this is the issue the engine runs badly at low throttle. The sensors and their associated wiring are all worth attention (drying/cleaning).

[matt_elan]

er yeah i was pretty drunk last night when I wrote that!! I meant when u floor it! I changed the plugs and played about earlier and it was perfect! for about 20 minutes! then it started doin it again.