Becoming said:
thanks scots also for the advice on resetting the computer... If that is the case, I will unhook the positive lead, hook up the new pack and then test it out....
you can also reset the computer by finding the fuse for it and pulling that. makes it a lot easier than disconnecting the battery. my civic's fuse for the computer is in the underhood fuse box. i prefer to reset the computer this way because i don't have to mess with the battery. always that chance of accidentily touching something with the wrench you are using and creating an arc to the frame. done it before....OUCH!
Becoming said:
I am hoping this has a high chance of being it considering the other dude had the same thing.... I also assume it will be the coil pack because 1) I just replaced wires and plugs..... 2) both the coil and plugs are saying they are malfunctioning.... 3) only some of the plugs are misfiring and that points to a portion of the coilpack...if it was upstream from the coilpack I think all would show problems....
don't assume...can lead to replacement of unnecessary parts. gotta test everything.
plugs are easy to diagnose based on the color of them.
Wires can be tested. you need to know what resistance they should have, then just check them with a multimeter. most new cars are coming with 100K mile wires, and even then, a wire might not shit out for well after that (or could go before that). there's also the possibility that a wire you just replaced is bad as well (bad manufacturing). never rule that out. it happens.
the computers in cars will tell you a HELL of a lot about what's going on. that's the nice thing about them, i just hate dealing with them. always reset the computer when you've fixed something, then run the car and get the codes again, otherwise you can keep seeing the same codes over and over again. same goes for when you have found and fixed the last problem. if the wrong code is in the computer, the car might not run right because it's basing it's actions off of that code. this can be as simple as the ECM thinking that the car is running a bit lean or a bit rich.
Becoming said:
Autozone advertises that they can test the coil if I bring it in....
they can test a hell of a lot of stuff. personally, i'd test it on my own at home if possible for that part, or narrow down your problems to a particular part, then have it tested. it's much better than pulling/replacing part after part until you somehow fix the problem.
Becoming said:
I will pick up the hayes manual just in case... if this does not work I assume I have to use the method described by crak600 to test the voltage drop at each point back from there in the wiring harnesses etc to find where the problem is into the wiring etc upstream from the coil pack....
a haynes manual should describe how to test the voltage drop across the coil. a technician i used to know said that the only good thing that Haynes makes is underwear. you can try to find an origonal shop manual for your car, the same manual that dealerships and other repair shops use. it will cost you more, but everything in there is directly from the manufacturer, and since they build the car, they better know what the hell they're diong wiht their own manuals.
keep this in mind - ANY idiot can turn a wrench. it takes no brain cells whatsoever to replace parts. this is what separates a mechanic from a technician. one of my friends has been working in garages for almost 10 years now, and even though a car will come in and he'll think "ok, it's doing this, so this is the problem" he will still diagnose everything. he's found himself to be wrong on a number of occasions from his initial idea of what the problem was.
good luck with the car. i'm trying to figure out what to do here, but it's hard for me when i'm not actually there. hope you get it diagnosed right and it doesn't cost a bundle.
one last thing - if you have to replace any parts, make sure what you replace with is an OEM replacement part, if not OEM, unless you've made mods to the car and know what it needs to compensate for that.
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