subsun62

Hi folks:

A couple of weeks back while trying change the spark plugs - esp the most difficult one, that is present on the passenger side, rear bank of 3 spark plugs - I had to loosen the two nuts that hold the power steering fluid pipe that goes from the power steering reservoir.
After loosening the nuts, which included opening the power steering fluid intake area - I was able to replace that difficult rear spark plug.

However, after this step, I made one error, namely - starting the car to check if it would idle OK - and the moment i did that - the power steering fluid in the pipel spilled over the surrounding area, esp on the timing belt etc. - I did immediately shutdown the car (within a sec probably) and cleaned up the spilled over fluid, topped up the ps fluid in the ps reservoir, replaced those nuts and then the restarted the engine to check that the replaced spark plug was fine etc. -

Then I replaced the other 5 spark plugs (all with new NGK Iridiums) - and I notice now that at idle and low speeds the car is pretty silent and smooth, however at around 3rd or 4th gear - i.e. between 60 kmph - 100 kmph you hear this staccato whooshy sound (from inside the car - when everything else quiet - i.e. radio, blower etc) coming from the engine, which sounds like either a misfiring of a spark plug or may be un-smooth flow of a fluid somewhere or maybe some valve opening/closing - in a not so smooth manner.

i am wondering if this maybe because of the ps fluid getting sprinkled over the timing belt which might have changed the texture of the timing belt material (or is it just slipping over a slight bit at high speeds etc. ).

I don't see any codes or CEL on etc. So I am wondering if it the alignment of the spark plugs could be an issue - btw: this is the first time I am changing spark plugs myself.

Any thoughts ideas would be helpful
-S

01tl4tl

as long as the spark plugs are in the correct tighteness/torque, they dont have to be pointed a certain direction

If you were running a high powered drag race car,,they do a certain direction

ckd all the electrical connections for the coils?
did you drop the plugs in the hole or lower on vac tube and start threads by hand?
Any chance an end was damaged so the distance to core was changed?

note to other plug change noobs, the easy way to get that rear plug is:
first practice on a front- so you know whats going on.
for that rear use a 3 and 6 inch extension, lowering the socket with the 6,
then add the 3 and finally the ratchet
you will find a dent in the firewall where the back of your hand fits perfect
No need to undo PS anything~

Did you burp the ps by turning wheels full one way then the other- several times.
that will force any air out and to the res

subsun62

>>>>ckd all the electrical connections for the coils?
Yes i think the electrical connections all we done properly.

>>>did you drop the plugs in the hole or lower on vac tube and start threads by hand?
I lower them on the vac tube and then tighten the threads by hand - carefully.

>>>Any chance an end was damaged so the distance to core was changed?
i don't think so, since I was extremely careful with them and did them one by one. Didn't drop them or hit them even by mistake against any obstacle.


-S

note to other plug change noobs, the easy way to get that rear plug is:
first practice on a front- so you know whats going on.
for that rear use a 3 and 6 inch extension, lowering the socket with the 6,
then add the 3 and finally the ratchet
you will find a dent in the firewall where the back of your hand fits perfect
No need to undo PS anything~

Did you burp the ps by turning wheels full one way then the other- several times.
that will force any air out and to the res

01tl4tl

dont THINK the coils are hooked up right--verify each and every connector is in fully and locked
plus the coil retainer screws are tight

what torque did you set the plugs at? thats critical- if just a little loose compression gets out,,loss of power,,ecu would try to compensate...

good job with the vac tube!!!! the safe way to lower and start spark plugs!

If fluid on the tbelt was causing it to actually stretch or slip- you would have much bigger problems by now!
Might be the pickup sensor needs a spray of crc eclectrical contact cleaner - just to be sure

for referance: have you seafoamed the gas or gas and master vac port
many small running issues trace down to carbon on the intake valves and piston tops
Many techs will do an `induction service` (same thing we do with seafoam) to get a baseline of running with known clean injectors, pistons and intake valves,,might even fix the problem!
that will be 125 dollars diagnosis and 100 for the cleaning service, thank you Sir

How many miles on engine- adjusted valves yet?
listed in book `as needed` at 105, meaning ck each one, and adjust if out of spec,
the book does not make this clear

subsun62

Hi 01tl4tl:

Thanks for your thoughtful comments.

Let me add some additional info.

>>>dont THINK the coils are hooked up right--verify each and every connector is in fully and locked plus the coil retainer screws are tight
Now that you mention, i also think that might be it. The only doubt I have is for that one difficult spark plug. I plan to examine each connector with the ig-coils tomorrow.

>>>what torque did you set the plugs at? thats critical- if just a little loose compression gets out,,loss of power,,ecu would try to compensate...

I have to say, I did it purely based on my own feeling of tightness and definitely not too tight nor even slightly loose. Just enough after the initial tightness. Also, I don't remember having added the anti-static grease at the rungs of the spark plugs. Do you think that has a role to play in this?
>>>If fluid on the tbelt was causing it to actually stretch or slip- you would have much bigger problems by now!
Oh ok thanks for that. That is a good data point to have.

>>>Might be the pickup sensor needs a spray of crc eclectrical contact cleaner - just to be sure
hmm.. ok btw. where is the pickup sensor? I will, find that one out and do the same.
I did buy an electrical contact cleaner and and cleaned the electrical contacts that go from the connectors on the ignition coils too when I did this spark plug change.

>>>for referance: have you seafoamed the gas or gas and master vac port many small running issues trace down to carbon on the intake valves and piston tops
In fact the reason I did the spark plug change itself was because, just before that I had 'sea foamed' via the vac port. (a good half bottle sea-foam) and let the other half in the gas tank.
That was my 2nd time sea-foaming activity.

>>>How many miles on engine- adjusted valves yet?
listed in book `as needed` at 105, meaning ck each one, and adjust if out of spec, the book does not make this clear

Odometer/KM on the engine - 257K km.
Have being doing regular oil change upto a year back with the dealer ($54.00 CAD every 4-6 mths) - + as per the manual maintenance work - I have had the car since it was around 160K and had done the maintenance work with the local 'stealer'ship on various normal maintenance work.

only in the past 1 - 1.5 year have I changed to fully synth oil (first time the expensive Royal Purple then settled on Mobil One now - all 5W20).

I remember that around a 1 yr back when I did my first sea-foam - and went for change of oil, I asked the st'ship to change the spark plugs too - and with me buying the NGK Iridiums - the spark plug change alone came to around 115 $ CAD. It is then then I decided to do the next spark plug change after any sea-foaming, myself.

Thanks to folks on this site, such as yourself, that I get a lot of satisfaction in doing these myself. I haven't been to my Acura dealer for almost a year now.

I still have a long way to go in terms of the stuff I want to slowly change one by one in my Acura (e.g. the 3rd and 4th gear valve on the Tranny side which is still the original, then the O2 sensors + )


Cheers,
-S

subsun62

Ok Folks:

Thanks to a mechanic from CarX in the U.S figured out that the problem was actually a bad ball joint on the driver's side front wheel & a need-to-be-replaced wheel bearing on the passenger side front wheel.
Initially he suspected that the whooshing sound that was coming out (between 80 - 100 kmph) was due to a worn out wheel bearing on the drivers side front wheel - but when they opened it up for replacing the new (Timken) wheel bearing that I had got they found the badly worn out ball joint on the drivers side front wheel too.

Both these were replaced, and the car now runs like new. The total labor was around USD 160.00. The parts - Timken wheel bearing ~30$ US + Ball Joint (OEM) not sure how much this was (since this was put in by the mechanic shop itself.)

So it appears that the spark plugs or the ignition plugs were ok - thankfully i had not removed them and put in new ones even though I had purchase a few new iridium ones.

-S