243500 miles. Automatic. Codes are P0300, P0301, P303, P0305, P1130, P1349, P0300, P0301, P0303, P0305, P1130.
It rattles a lot in idle and reverse, but is mostly alright when I give it gas except sometimes there's pinging. The check engine light flashes if I'm idling at a stop light too long but becomes steady again when I get going again. The shady guy I bought it from a couple of days ago said it had been sitting around a while. Everything else he said was a lie, so I don't really know. I really should have walked away, but now I'm trying to make the best of it without going broke.
We changed the spark plugs but I'm still getting the same codes. The old spark plugs were quite cruddy and had discoloration past where it screws in (on the coil side). The new ones are Autolite platinum from Autozone. My mechanic friend said it might then be the injectors and to put two bottles of Techron fuel system cleaner in my tank. (But then I read online that you shouldn't actually put more than one bottle in so now I'm extra worried.) Nothing new has come from putting the bottles in, except I suspect it might be actually running worse now. But, that could just be me being hyper aware.
What else would it most likely be?
Also, what new troubles will using too much Techron cause?
UPDATE on the too much Techron situation:
I emailed the Techron people and the response I got was: "The recommendation is to add 1 oz of Techron High Mileage to 1.75 gal of fuel. Techron High Mileage contains high quality cleaning agent and will not cause any harm to the engine at the amount that the customer described."
Whew! :whew:
You're getting misfires on all 3 cylinders on bank 1 (P0301, P0303, P0305)
accompanied by a P1349 code (Variable Valve Timing System Malfunction - Bank 1)
You might want to address that code 1st. It's probably causing the misfire codes.
If you have clean oil that's at the proper level, and considering the vehicle had been "sitting around for a while",
you may suspect that the bank 1 Engine Variable Valve Timing (VVT) Oil Control Valve needs replacing.
(Easy replacement)
It does seem pretty straight forward, thanks.
The oil looks high. It's above both dots on the dip stick. If the oil change I was meaning to get anyway doesn't solve it, I'll see if cleaning the old VVT will do the trick before going the replacement route.
I think both the the VVT oil control valves on each cylinder bank are the same part number.
If you don't want to waste money, swap them, see if the misfires move to bank 2
Turns out the OCV's aren't the same part. The screw mounts are on opposite sides. I took out the offending OCV and cleaned it. That code hadn't come back the last time I checked it.
You would be surprised to find out how many people replace the spark plugs but don't make sure they are properly connected. Always start troubleshooting with what was changed last and go from there.
I was told that the compression washers on spark plugs are one time use. I can check the connections on the coils super easy, but if I unscrew the plugs to reseat them just to be sure, is it true I'd have to buy new spark plugs again?
Absolutely not. I have been taking plugs out of engines, cleaning and gapping them, and reinstalling them for 50 years with not one single problem.
After doing the spark plugs and cleaning the offending OCV, the only code I've seen in a couple of days is P1130. When I was in a repair shop today for the steering, he said that the code was being triggered because there was a vacuum line coming off the oxygen sensor that was routed near the rack and pinion bushings and since the bushings were bad, the rack and pinion was knocking into that vacuum line. He thinks the sensor itself is probably alright. Also, the only way to fix it is to replace the entire rack and pinion. So, I might have to live with the engine light on for now. He also said the rattle when idling is caused by what's happening to that vacuum line, so I'm gonna have to live with that, too. 🙄