v6 rear bank plug lead tool

citrov6 · Post by **citrov6** » 09 Apr 2010, 20:59

The car has been misfiring a bit since the clip on the heater matrix came off and sprayed coolant all over the engine bay. I thought the plugs might need changing, which they do, but also there was water all over the rear bank in the spark plug holes and I think also where the HT leads connect to the coil packs.

Now the rear coil packs aren't the same as the front with their connections, I've never had occasion to remove the leads from the coil packs before when changing there plugs but they are resessed into the plugs and no obvious way of getting to them without a special tool. At the moment I am trying not to break the leads so not doing much other than resting it upside down in a warm room. Tomorrow I will get some water disperser for electrical systems and spray that in there if I can't get them out.

Just thought I would ask here if anyone else has done it without breaking the leads

Post by **CitroJim** » 09 Apr 2010, 21:08

The rears are not actually coilpacks even though they look as if they are. They are just plug caps moulded into leads. The front bank contains the coilpacks for all six cylinders. There's three double-ended coils and these supply all on the "wasted spark" principle.

You should therefore be absolutely fine drying off the rear plug caps in a warm place.

Deanxm · Post by **Deanxm** » 09 Apr 2010, 21:13

Hi V6

Something to watch for with any spark plug that is burried like this is if the appature fills with water so does the plug and they beggin to short out, even drying them out wont help once the plug has been wetted, not easy on a V6 but if the plug has a rusty mark arround the base of the ceramic insulator, its no good, lost 2 sets of brand new plugs to this now............

D

citrov6 · Post by **citrov6** » 10 Apr 2010, 00:11

Thanks CitroJim, that does make sense now with the double ended leads

Deanxm thanks for the tip, the last one has signs of rust. It was wet in there , I have dried it thoroughly so heres hoping it runs ok from tomorrow on

addo · Post by **addo** » 10 Apr 2010, 05:50

You may have to (after removal of the plugs) eat the rust away with an acid - phosphoric or hydrochloric - as iron oxide possibly conducts enough to compromise the spark.

citrov6 · Post by **citrov6** » 10 Apr 2010, 07:51

hmm, the heads are still on so I'll have to think about what to do, maybe use sand paper. The plugs I'm putting in are new since those have done 30kmiles or so. Base of the connection looks mostly ok except for spots of rust that makes me think this has only happened when coolant got in there recently

lexi · Post by **lexi** » 10 Apr 2010, 08:21

Jim:
Are we saying that if one section of coil pack fails we cannot limp home on 4or 5 cylinders ? This is usually a symptom of wasted spark system.

Post by **CitroJim** » 10 Apr 2010, 08:44

You can lexi, sort of. I had a coil fail, resulting in the engine running on four, but you wouldn't want to.

No power and engine management light on....

A six running on four is shocking...

Deanxm · Post by **Deanxm** » 10 Apr 2010, 08:52

there is danger of destroying the cat with a misfire too........

D

lexi · Post by **lexi** » 16 Apr 2010, 17:43

Wonder if it was "lost spark" ignition I was thinking of. My Honda Twin outboard had it. Loose one cyliner spark and the other one failed as well. You could not limp home on one cylinder.

jgra1 · Post by **jgra1** » 16 Apr 2010, 18:49

yep my freinds honda cb400 had it, and it had us, in the middle of nowhere pyranees

my suzuki outboard has two coils though