principemc

Last Monday I was driving on fumes....literally. The gas light was on and the neddle was way past E. I stopped finally at my usually gas station and filled up. 6 miles later, pulling into my driveway, the car sputtered. I shut it off and didn't start it up again until the next morning.

It shook like crazy. Engine light blinks and VSA light came on. Codes show misfire in cylinders, 1,4,3,6. And a multiple misfire code 0399.

I thought it was bad gas so I drove it until 1/4 tank and filled up again today (different station). No change. I have an appt with the dealer next Tuesday morning. What can/should I try until then? Coils?? Plugs are 1 year old. Perhaps the gas fill up and the problem were just a coincedence??? HELP please!!

97k miles on it.

Thanks

djescobar973

Maybe a fuel/injector cleaner..?

acutee

Check to if any VAC hose is cracked or being disconnected. Start the engine and listen to the engine bay under the hood if there is any hissing sound.

01tl4tl

ck the gas cap rubber seal condition, and is the cap on the required 3 clicks
fuel injected cars hate being run low and especially out of fuel

running it down that low may have gotten crud past the filter sock
I would run redline SI-1 fuel injector cleaner, or Seafoam, thru 1/2 tank of gas to full bottle of either of those
see if an injector or something got bad things in it and this cleans it out
You can reset the ECU by removing the CLOCK fuse on passenger end of dash-
after a minute put it back in

01tl4tl

Tier 1 brand gas is preferred by acura for the TL
it contains more cleaners in it than tier 2 cheap off brand gas does- that has the govt minimum
`They` know e10 gas is bad for combustion and make the oil companies add cleaners to all gas!

principemc

Looks like it was a bad coil in cylinder 4. This shows that even a multiple misfire can prove to be one cylinder. The plug was darker and wetter than the others which meant that gas was being sparked/burned. I changed that plug first--still sputtered. Then put a new coil in and I got lucky-- that was the bad one. No sputtering. I change the remaining two front plugs and doing the back three tomorrow AM. Thanks for your replies!!!

totaledTL

I buy gas from Kroger, Speedway, wherever. Never had any issues.

Alperovich

THIS! lolol... i was just about to tell u this exact thing, but i guess i was too late. its actually pretty common around 100k, i just had a 99 tl in at the shop doing the same thing, replaced the #1 coil pack and it everythings back to normal.

01tl4tl

those multi misfire codes are most often 1 coil failure, and the system only knows there is a problem

Or its a designed in code feature... so the dealer can sell you 6 coils!~

P-- you did the exact right thing for diagnosis- start pulling plugs till you get to the wet one--the plugs tell you many things about how the car is running

Its not going to be just a plug when its wet like that- but hey - everyone gets to dream!!!

totaled: no known issues to you,,and- the car runs its best- are different things

principemc

It was just natural (to me at least) to think it was bad gas since the engine started to act up right after I filled up from being really low. BTW--from now on 1/4 tank is my new empty!! LOL

Can't wait to cancel my appt at the dealer...haha

totaledTL

It has run absolutely fine for me for nearly 20K miles (since I've owned it) using various fuels. Co worker's car also runs fine for well over 100K mi. (since new) on same fuels. Only issue that happened in my area was excess sulphur was in Speedway's fuel a few years ago. Ruined fuel gauge sending units. They paid for repairs. Isolated incident.

01tl4tl

I wonder if sulpher content is an issue in other gas brands?- we have someone else with a fuel sendor problem ..

totaled- try a few tanks of chevron and see if your mileage changes
thats a common report on the better gas

Of course you know my love of redline SI-1 in the gas and seafoam elsewhere

if you have a plug in ocbd2 scanner you can drive with and monitor to compare gas ---
that would be interesting

03aspec

sorry to hijack the thread, but i went to the extent of replacing all 6 of my coil packs after the car threw up 8 codes related to the misfire. first 6 were misfire in cylinder 1 through 6, second was multiple misfire and third was ignition module. the thing is still throwing up a CEL with the VSA light, im lost as to what i should do at this point. plugs were changed about 35,000kms ago.

Alperovich

same codes came back? i would have started with the ignition control module (not replacing it, diagnosing it, ur a quick swap if u got a buddy near by). since it has control over all 6 cylinders.

01tl4tl

I tell people all the time:
codes are clues and not a disgnosis- they put your mind to work deciding what caused those codes to combine??

need fresh code report

If you had a bad coil the plug could be fouled and you wont know it
remove spark plugs and inspect wear- wetness means bad coil
bad coil could mess up plug electrode tip--compare each

You are running NGK Iridium or NGK Platinum plugs right?
If not ngk or denso pull them out- thats your remaining problem
Bosch die way early and make the car run bad-- as an example

2 brands allowed- denso (more expensive/last less) or NGK- which came stock on the car
in platinum, and we can upgrade to Iridium if desired

01tl4tl

got any good fuel cleaner pushed thru yet?