Hello everybody, I own a 99 Eclipse GS and I recently took my car in for 30,000 mile service. During this service, they did a tune-up including new spark plugs (they replaced the original Champion plugs with new Champion plugs). After about a week, I noticed the car started to give a sudden jerk where the rpm's would suddenly drop and go back up. At first this started happening once every minute or so. After another week of driving, it increased to around 10-20 times a minute. So, I took the car back and they determined I had fouled plugs.

They told me that I probably got a bad set of plugs and they changed them. Again, for about 2 weeks or so, the car seemed fine but the problem started again. This time I went to a different dealership and they told me that the Champion plugs the first dealership used were not the recommended Mitsubishi replacement plug (even though they are the exact same ones that come with when it was brand new). So, they tried to deny me my warranty, stating that these are "non-Mitsubishi" parts and also stating "It's your car, not mine, it's your problem". I was furious. I talked to the dealership owner and he basically told me to get lost. Anyway, eventually I did get them to change them under warranty by telling them that I will take this issue up with the area representative if my claim is denied.

So, they replaced the plugs with new NGK plugs and it has been about one month. Since then, the car has shown some signs of the same problem but not nearly to the same extent as before. About a week and a half ago, I noticed the misfires about once every 5 minutes and perhaps a little less often today. With the previous two sets of plugs, I would notice the problem and a week or two later it would worsen. This hasn't happened yet.

I should mention that at around 25,000 miles, I put in an AEM Cold Air intake. I had no misfire problems with the car until I took it in for my tune-up at 30,000 miles. When dealership #1 did the original tune-up, the AEM was in the car. When dealership #1 changed the plugs again two weeks later, the AEM was in the car. When the plugs started going bad again, however, I removed the AEM and re-installed the stock air intake. I drove the car for another week with extremely bad misfires before dealership #2 put in the NGK plugs. Today I still have the stock air intake in the car.

I am still quite frustrated that my car is still experiencing the same problem (although to a lesser extent). I am not sure if the problem will get worse as it has been almost two weeks at the first sign of misfiring and the previous two sets of plugs would have gone bad by now.

Can anyone please give some ideas as to what might be the problem? I am thinking that I might put in performance platinum plugs that are less susceptible to fouling.

I changed the plugs and they fouled out again so I changed the plugs and wires and have had no problems since.




KYB AGX Struts
Neuspeed Sport Springs
5 Strut Bars (2 F/U, F/L, R/U, R/L)
Sprint Front Camber Kit
$15 Rear Camber Kit
Ported Intake Manifold
Ported Throttle Body
Custom 2 1/4 inch exhaust
Empty Catalytic Convertor
225/50/16inch Wheels and Tires

Obviosly the plugs aren't the issue. Like he said wires (not factory should be replaced). If you weren't under warranty they probably would have. Do yourself a favor and get a $15 spark plug tool kit and change em yourself. Easiest maintenence you can do.

Since I cant use photopoint IMAGINE THIS:
Star turbo with E-trim and HKS BOV
Starion FMIC/2.5" piping
Joe P MBC
Apexi SuperAFC
Ross Pistons/total seal rings
Ported and matched intake manifold
AFX 55mm TB, FMM and UDP
2.5" downpipe back exh/Hayame muffler
Crane wires/Denso Iridium plugs
Centerforce DF clutch
KYB AGX struts/ST springs, UPR FSB, F&R camber kits
17" ADR lightnings/toyo FZ4 215/45/17
97' eclipse front end/projectors
Autometer gauges
Panasonic head unit/ Sony X-over
MB Quarts all around/JL stealth sub
Hifonics/MTX Thunder amps
XX brand alarm/Varad hyper green led

Stan2gnt
Stan2va@aol.com
95 Talon 420A-Turbo
Former and future nitrous user

sounds like the wires
if you want to know for sure wait til it is dark and start your car, hop the hood and when it backfires, you'll see sparks where the short is

justin
97 RS
17 " Mille Miglia/ Potenza S-03
ngk bkr6evk-11 plugs
8 mm accel wires
koni shocks
eibach sportline springs
extreme tech camber kit

Thanks for the advice guys! Can I ask if anybody thinks my AEM Cold Air Intake could be a factor? For this latest set of plugs, I took out the cold air intake. Could it be that the intake drops the temperature so the plugs cannot reach the self-cleaning temperature? Or could it be that the cold air intake is taking in dirty air causing the dirt and carbon to collect on the plug head? (I ask this as I had recently cleaned and re-oiled the cone filter around the time of the tune-up). Thanks again for the help.

KYB AGX Struts
Neuspeed Sport Springs
5 Strut Bars (2 F/U, F/L, R/U, R/L)
Sprint Front Camber Kit
$15 Rear Camber Kit
Ported Intake Manifold
Ported Throttle Body
Custom 2 1/4 inch exhaust
Empty Catalytic Convertor
225/50/16inch Wheels and Tires

i just bought some new NGK's te other day and i set it to factory gap settings(around .50) and they were missing bad. i pulled em out and gapped them smaller than factory(about.43) and now my car runs fine(well not really it's sitting at home waiting to go in the shop). but i got accell 8mm plug wires. anybody know why this is?

Chris Dishmon

"Fillet Mignon?!?!?! How about a big slab of tube steak for the pretty lady."

chrisdishmon@hotmail.com
http://klipzracer.homestead.com/index.html

I had the same problems... you have carbon tracking on the wires (most likely)... replace both the plugs AND the wires and that should fix the problem... if not... ?????

V

95 Talon Esi AT

Mods
AEM CAI w/ bypass
V-Racing FU & RU STBs

Sounds
Clarion Deck
Xtant 500W Amp
2 12" MTX subs

Yes I did have carbon tracking on one or two wires. They told me that the carbon was getting up onto the bottom of the boot. The thing is that the problem happened directly after changing the plugs. Why would this happen all of a sudden? Does this mean that everytime I change the plugs that the existing wires won't be able to handle them and will need to be changed as well? Also, what type of plug wires are best to use? (Don't use stock anymore?) Would reapplying silicon inside the wire contacts help instead of changing the wires ? Anybody like the NGK Platinum plugs? Thanks again for the advice!