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Intermittent misfire error after two attempts to fix

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by andrewe2, Mar 24, 2018.

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  1. andrewe2

    andrewe2 Junior Member

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    I have a 2004 Prius with 195,000 mostly trouble-free miles. The check engine light came on a couple of weeks ago with a misfire on cylinder one. The independent shop replaced the spark plugs and coils. That lasted two days. Next time they noticed some wetness in the well by the coil and cleaned out some muck from the cowling that they said had blocked the drain and caused water to interfere with the coil. That lasted two days and the light came on again. I will bring it back to them on Monday but I'm looking for advice or similar experiences.
     
  2. Dxta

    Dxta Senior Member

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    Touvcan invest in a simple hybrid compatible scan tool to scan it for codes.
    If you still got oil getting into the hole, you may have a weak valve cover gasket on that particular spot. Have it replaced. But if after akk these, no improvement, I'd suspect the oil rings on that engine is weak already, specifically, on the hole you mentioned.
     
  3. andrewe2

    andrewe2 Junior Member

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    They said it was moisture in the hole not oil. A couple of questions.

    1. Is there any reason I shouldn't just drive it with the CEL on? Car seems to run fine.

    2. Is there a way to turn off the CEL without a device?

    3. Should I run some gas treatments through it?
     
    #3 andrewe2, Mar 24, 2018
    Last edited: Mar 24, 2018
  4. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    Do you ever open the hood and Clean the leaves out of the cowling?

    It’s a maintenance thing. Had to do that many many times this year. Clogged cowling then rain water overflows the cowling dam and dumps right on top of the engine and right on top of the cops. Coil On Plug.
    Hilarity and $$$$ ensues.
     
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  5. andrewe2

    andrewe2 Junior Member

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    Yes, that's what the garage did on their second attempt. I should have been more attentive but nonetheless that didn't
    appear to fix the cause of the misfire.
     
  6. 05PreeUs

    05PreeUs Senior Member

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    Since the repair attempts did not resolve the problem, we can conclude the parts replaced were not the cause, at least directly.

    When plugs, wires or "coil-on-plug" modules are replaced two things are critical, both of which directly affect your moisture symptoms. 1) NEW boots must be used and 2) a LIBERAL amount of "di-electric grease" must be applied to the inside and outside of the boots. If boots are re-used, especially if the di-electric grease is not applied correctly, you can get misfires all over again.

    Just because "new" coils were installed does not mean that new boots were, much less the boots were properly coated.
     
  7. andrewe2

    andrewe2 Junior Member

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    Good point. I'll have to look into that now that the problem appears to be linked to wet weather. The CEL was off for two weeks in dry weather but after a heavy rain the light is back on. Not sure where to go from here.
     
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