Unit 3 IFIXit "Fast Fix" Project Portfolio Alejandro Torralba

How to fix a misfire or rough idle on your vehicle

By: Alejandro Torralba

Difficulty: Moderate Steps: 7 Time : 45min-1hr

Introduction

This guide will show you how to fix a misfire or rough idle on your vehicle to ensure and prolong the life of your vehicle's engine. This guide will include:

• Removing the plastic engine cover
• Removing and installing new ignition/coil pack
• Removing old spark plugs
• Gapping and installing new spark plugs

Materials

parts are specific to vehicle, ensure the parts you buy are for your exact car

Table Caption: This table lists the tools and parts needed for a task, likely related to automotive maintenance. The tools include a 10mm socket, a ⅜ ratchet, and an extendable magnet, while the parts are spark plugs and ignition/coil packs.

17mm socket

⅜ ratchet extension

Gloves of any sort

Flat head screwdriver

Spark plug gapping tool

Magnetic tray optional but recommended

Torque wrench

Needle nose pliers optional but recommended

Paper or cloth towels

STEP 1: Opening the vehicles hood

You will find the hood release under the dash board above or next to the left foot rest on your vehicle

Now travel to the front of the car where you will now see the hood and the front end of the car where you will have some space between the front bumper and your hood. You cannot open the hood yet as you must find the hood latch and with your hand you will push or pull (depending on the car make) to release the hood so you can open it completely. (most cars will have a indent on the plastic as an indication of where the hood latch is)

Now travel to the front of the car where you will now see the hood and the front end of the car where you will have some space between the front bumper and your hood. You cannot open the hood yet as you must find the hood latch and with your hand you will push or pull (depending on the car make) to release the hood so you can open it completely. (most cars will have a indent on the plastic as an indication of where the hood latch is)

Now that you can open the hood fully you will look around the sides of the engine bay to find the hood prop and secure the hood prop into the hole in the hood that is designed to insert the hood prop and maintain the hood open.

STEP 2: Removing the plastic and exposing the top of the engine

Most cars above 2010 will have plastic covers that just sit on top of the engine that manufactures use just for looks. This may not be applicable to all cars You will have to examine the cover and look for any tabs that are used to keep it in place. If any are used, you will use your flat head and carefully pry the tab off. Once all the tabs are off you will be able to finally lift and remove the engine cover.

STEP 3: Locating and removing ignition/coil pack

You will now locate the ignition/coil pack so you can remove them, they will look similar to small blocks that sit on top of the engine. When you locate the ignition/coil pack you will see that on one end it has a wire with a clip going into it. You will open the clip by either pushing down on it or pulling up on it. When opening the clip you will pull the wire out of the ignition/ coil pack removing them from each other. Now you will locate the bolt that secures the ignition/coil pack in place.

Now that you have found the bolt that secures the ignition/coil pack in place, you will now use the 10mm socket and connect it to the ⅜ ratchet extension and connect that to the ⅜ ratchet. Now you will loosen and remove the bolt securing the ignition/coil pack. Now that the bolt is out you will set it aside in a safe place to prevent losing or place it inside the magnetic tray. Now you will be able to pull out the ignition/coil pack from inside of the engine.

on older vehicles if when removing the coil pack and the bottom rubber part that goes inside of the engine separates from the coil pack you can use needle nose pliers to pull out the rubber part from inside the engine

STEP 4: Locating and removing the spark plugs

Once removing the ignition/coil pack you will have the spark plugs exposed, now you can look into the hole from which you pulled the ignition/coil pack from. You will be able to see the top of the spark plugs that you will remove.

Now you will insert the 17mm socket onto the ⅜ ratchet extension that's connected to the ⅜ ratchet. Make sure to put the 10mm socket from earlier in a secure place for you to use again later. Once the 17mm socket is on the extension you will insert it into the whole and make sure it goes onto the spark plug. Once ints on the spark plug you will begin to turn left to loosen the spark plug. spark plug may have currision on it, applying force is recommended

When the spark plug begins to feel very loose that means it's free to pull out. Now you will pull out the ratchet and socket from inside the whole. sometimes the spark plug will come out with the socket If the spark plug is still inside you will now grab your extendable magnet and input it into the hole and retrieve the spark plug from the hole. You will repeat this for as many spark plugs your vehicle has.

STEP 5: Installing and gapping the new spark plugs

Now that you have all the spark plugs out you will grab your new spark plug and gap it to the correct amount, on average most cars are from 0.020 to 0.040. look up exact spark plug gapping for your vehicle. When gapping