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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.
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