406 Running problems (Petrol)

[PugLover]

On and off I've had the EML pop up. It comes on and flashes at me. A couple of trips later it's a solid EML light. A couple of trips later it's off again having taken no action..
Last year when this happened (and on diagnostics since) it's ''misfiring on one or more cylinders'' when explored PP2000 advised me it was the third cylinder it was misfiring on.

When it starts and the EML comes on by flashing it runs really rough.
This morning it started and revved a lot higher than usual, around 1200 rpm. It felt rough like it was going to conk out, and pulling off my drive I gave it too little throttle and it did cut out...
In traffic lights I felt like I had to keep the revs up to keep it running to warm up etc - when I let off the throttle they then died to around 700 rpm!
Anyway, this morning it felt like I lost ALL power and had a real struggle shifting it...

Got to school, lifted the bonnet to see or hear anything unusual - all looked fine apart from the still rough but improved running.. Smelt burning oil and thought god no, went to the ass to see if I could see blue smoke or smell it again but I smelt pure petrol!
Decided to repeat this when I got home as a few cars were running etc..

Anyway, on the way home it appeared to have power back and again, slightly improved running!
Bonnet up, went to the ass, white smoke / steam was coming out, again a pure petrol smell and even in the engine bay no burning oil smell!
As I was walking back to the bonnet I saw steam coming out of the rad (not top, nor bottom, but the middle!) and thought the worst and ran to turn her off - she had reached temperature. (Since she had reached temperature I think the steam was just the fact the rad was filling with water......)

She's a 2.0 16v petrol, in a 2001 406 estate. EW10J4 RFN engine code.
Is that normal, to get up to temperature within about a mile of driving? I briefly had a HDi and I can't remember coming back to my petrol whether this is her normal or whether because diesels obviously take a lot longer to get up to temperature - whether I am just over reacting etc!

Anyway, car cooled down obvious things were checked:

Coolant levels - FULL
Oil level - betwen 1/4 and 1/2 full
Oil filler cap - No muck, even inside etc - all clear and as should be, though a strong smell of petrol but I think that's normal?
Dipstick - No muck etc

Light is now solid so will go out in the next few journeys..

Had a local recovery chap to lend me his ears because to me she sounds sweet again and not misfiring on a cylinder - he also agrees!

Diagnostics charging.

Is it possible to have an occasionally misfiring cylinder, or is it a case of - when they misfire they do so on a permanent basis?

Anyone have any advice? I'm pretty convinced since the water level hasn't dropped - it's not the head (phew!)

Thanks in advance, sorry it's a long post...

[Gibbo_Wirral]

If you've got Planet then you need to be doing the actuators tests and reading the live parameters data.

[PugLover]

If you've got Planet then you need to be doing the actuators tests and reading the live parameters data.

Hiya, Ran diagnostics earlier and expected to see something about the cylinder and maybe even an injector etc .

Under the Engine ECU I found

- Intermittent fault cylinder 4, misfiring
- Intermittent fault misfires on one or more cylinders OR on an undetermined cylinder

How can a cylinder misfiring only be an occasional thing?

What kind of actuators and readings should I be looking for etc?

[Gibbo_Wirral]

When you're in the ENGINE ECU section, don't click on Fault Reading, but click on Actuators Test or Parameters Measurement.

You can now start the car and read all kinds of engine, air, fuel, electrical voltage and current data, like this example:

[PugLover]

When you're in the ENGINE ECU section, don't click on Fault Reading, but click on Actuators Test or Parameters Measurement.

You can now start the car and read all kinds of engine, air, fuel, electrical voltage and current data, like this example:

Fantastic - Thank you.
I had got into that menu before but couldn't remember exactly where I found it!
I'll do the test tomorrow and let you know what I find... Hopefully it will give me readings on each cylinder so I can see which one (if any) is different and needs attention?