2 Cylinders Rich - Wires or Coil?

[DrumrBoy]

I threw codes 305 and 308 a couple of times recently (305 is misfire on cylinder 5, 308 is same for cylinder 8) so I pulled all the plugs and those two are indeed a shade rich... just a little carbon but probably enough to cause a random misfire.

I checked the spark plug boots to make sure they're snug and they are.

Ordinarily at this point I'd change the plug wires, but I replaced them a year ago with new Mopars.

I know its not alot of data but based on this would you think this is a coil issue, a wire issue or something else (like sticking injectors????) I don't think the coil packs have ever been changed.

 

[dave6666]

I think your wing is out of alignment.

Meanwhile, plugs are less than 20 bucks. Change them all?

Mopar wires are cheap? Change them all?

Try swapping your 5 & 8 injectors to another spot and see if the problem moves or stays.

 

[Joseph Dell]

I threw codes 305 and 308 a couple of times recently (305 is misfire on cylinder 5, 308 is same for cylinder 8) so I pulled all the plugs and those two are indeed a shade rich... just a little carbon but probably enough to cause a random misfire.

I checked the spark plug boots to make sure they're snug and they are.

Ordinarily at this point I'd change the plug wires, but I replaced them a year ago with new Mopars.

I know its not alot of data but based on this would you think this is a coil issue, a wire issue or something else (like sticking injectors????) I don't think the coil packs have ever been changed.

With a VEC, we can fix the individual cylinders from being too rich or lean. change the plugs, set the injector offsets, and don't worry about it. and a tad too rich or lean on your set-up isn't going to hurt anything. i promise.

now show up at the GA VCA x-mas party today at 11 so i can help you with this!

JD

 

[99 R/T 10]

Check to see if the plug wires are snug on the other side(coil pack). I found a couple that looked like they were on, but were not snapped in place and caused problems over 5000 RPM.

 

[dave6666]

With a VEC, we can fix the individual cylinders from being too rich or lean. change the plugs, set the injector offsets, and don't worry about it. and a tad too rich or lean on your set-up isn't going to hurt anything. i promise.

now show up at the GA VCA x-mas party today at 11 so i can help you with this!

JD

You are certainly the more savvy when it comes to tuning, but wouldn't it be wise to ensure that there is not an injector, plug wire or other hardware issue before you re-tune to compensate? Like, is that a band-aid over another problem?

 

[DrumrBoy]

Thanks to all for the input.

I'll check the connections on the coil side today (duh - there are two sides to every plug wire aren't there....) and switch injectors just to be sure they're all OK before I consume any of Joseph's time on the VEC 2. JD - thanks BTW for the offering to help.

In general are the Mopar wires OK or should they be replaced with aftermarket wires at first opportunity. I have headers and no shields, they do get hot but are still clean, pliable and not cracked.

 

[dave6666]

I've heard from vendors that Mopar wires are OK, but just don't last long. My '01 GTS has Mopar wires and I'll assume they are the same ones from the factory.

I'm a big believer that you can improve on some OEM parts.

I'm also a big believer that most OEM parts are not junk.

So I look for value in replacing OEM parts. If you are looking to spend the minimum, I see no value in aftermarket wires.

0.02

 

[JonB]

You did not say the miles or year of your Viper, and your Profile is blank. Miles are the major factor in coil, and wire, and plug life.

"Mopar" accessory wires are blue, and are hi-temp vs OE Viper wires. There are 2 types of MoPar avail for Gen 2: GTS-R sheathed, insulated Blue wires; or plain blue.

These are quite different from OE Viper wires (you might be calling Mopar?) grey-black and tend to expire prematurely; The manufacturer has changed over the years, so THE YEAR MATTERS.

[ If you want the GTS-R sheathed wires for Gen 2, PartsRack has em at $95/set! ]

 

[dave6666]

You did not say the miles or year of your Viper, and your Profile is blank. Miles are the major factor in coil, and wire, and plug life.

"Mopar" accessory wires are blue, and are hi-temp vs OE Viper wires. There are 2 types of MoPar avail for Gen 2: GTS-R sheathed, insulated Blue wires; or plain blue.

These are quite different from OE Viper wires (you might be calling Mopar?) grey-black and tend to expire prematurely; The manufacturer has changed over the years, so THE YEAR MATTERS.

[ If you want the GTS-R sheathed wires for Gen 2, PartsRack has em at $95/set! ]

Yes... Mine are OE gray. And are now almost 7 years old with 24.5K miles.

Car runs like a top. OEM stuff ain't always bad like I said...

But I did get a box with some new Magnecors yesterday. We'll do them when we put the headers on.

 

[JonB]

Yes... Mine are OE gray. And are now almost 7 years old with 24.5K miles. Car runs like a top. OEM stuff ain't always bad like I said...
But I did get a box with some new Magnecors yesterday. We'll do them when we put the headers on.

Believe me: Your car will run fine, but at 24k miles i GUARANTEE you are losing HP and smootheness to degraded wires. The V10 disguises a lot of ignition faults, du to its uneven pattern, and huge torque. You could almost 'run fine' with 1 plug disconnected!

PS there should have been a bit more in that box than MagnaCor !!!

 

[DrumrBoy]

Jon - thanks for the Q's. The Mopars on there now are gray and were purchased in the summer of 2006. The car has 20K on it but the wires have seen about 1K miles so I'm guessing they're not brittle yet. I have never changed the coil pack so, unless someone else did for me( ) it has 20K miles on it. What's the life expectancy of the coil?

 

[dave6666]

Jon - thanks for the Q's. The Mopars on there now are gray and were purchased in the summer of 2006. The car has 20K on it but the wires have seen about 1K miles so I'm guessing they're not brittle yet. I have never changed the coil pack so, unless someone else did for me( ) it has 20K miles on it. What's the life expectancy of the coil?

Coils can be ohm'd out but first you need specs. A mystery in my '01 service manual. Black box item. Plus, a simple resistance meter does not check impedance. Only resistance. Can be misleading.

I'd do the other stuff first, and get new coil packs last.

Switch your plug wires around too if you can.

Just put injectors 5 & 8 in a different spot than where you send the plug wires.

Takes notes, twist open a beverage, chart the results.

If the problems stays, then its something you didn't move.