2000 2L Grand Vitara - Engine misses/stutters

[ashhash]

Hey all

My girlfriends car currently has a problem where the engine stutters and seems to miss now and then.
Its a 2000 model 2L Grand Vitara.

It is most noticeable when trying to take off from a stop, you can notice it slightly when cruising at 100km/h too though.

Shes getting f&%$ed about by useless mechanics at the moment who cant seem to solve it.
They have drained fuel tank, flushed lines and cleaned injectors to no avail.


Any thoughts on what it could be?

Cheers
Ash

[joeblow]

$10 its the igniter packs breaking down under heat, had it happen on a 2 litre v6.

[ashhash]

OK is that something that should show up on a diagnostic test or is it a matter of throwing new parts at it and see if the fault disappears?

[Impulsive]

Igniter pack is the first thing I thought of too. Can't believe the mechanics didn't suggest it.

If you can grab a coil pack from a wreckers to at least try with a view to buying, that would be helpful...and if you can't and get stuck with them, its probably gonna be handy to have them around as spares anyway if its not whats at fault.

I presume you've tested the leads too?

[joeblow]

chuck a heap of electrical tape on the snout that goes in the rocker cover and see if it takes longer before it misses. if thats the case you will find the plastic has started to break down and the spark will be arking on the rocker cover, hence the missing.

[ashhash]

Cheers everyone, ill let you know what I find

[atari4x4]

I had this issue recently, replace the coil pack & it was all good.

[ashhash]

How much did you pay for the pack?
How did you narrow down which one it was?

I had a look at the packs and their snouts and all looks in very good nick, no hardening or cracking I could see.

Any other potential causes of this problem?

[Impulsive]

You won't see the problem from the outside. It will be the coils themselves breaking down and shorting out under load and when they're hot that will be the issue (if its the coils at all - which I reckon it sounds like it is). It'll just be a matter of trying a replacement pack.

[ashhash]

Ahh OK.
Do you reckon its worth getting used ones from a wrecker or just go new?

[ashhash]

If it helps the mechanic says he scanned it and the computer lists no codes.

[atari4x4]

mine was bringing up TPS codes when scanned & I was certain it was one of the coil packs, I waited until it was missing then unplugged each coil pack to eliminate which one it was.

[suzimad]

if the problem is under load then it wont be the actual coil pack , the coil pack will not produce spark if its dead whether under load or not , the problem will lie within cracked insulators/carbon tracking on the probe , you will usually see a white powder look on the insulator where there is carbon tracking in severe cases .

As it happens , i sell the probes alone at $30 each (you cant buy them from suzuki , only a whole coil pack and probe at $200 + ) so even if you buy the whole 6 at $180 you are still way ahead of 1 coil pack and probe from suzuki.