Hesitation after new plugs?

[Jersyboyy]

So I just helped a member on this board install new plugs on his 99 trans am ls1 car. He wrapped the wires too protect them from heat, used tr55 plugs.
After we finished the job the car hesitates at low rpms and makes a small popping sound similar to backfire.

Any ideas...maybe a loose plug wire or something?

[chrisfrom nj]

check the gap on the plugs

[Jersyboyy]

We just took them out the box and installed them. Didnt have time for the gapping non sense, lol im kidding do you really think the gap could be THAT off to cause hesitation tho?

[chrisfrom nj]

it can be the gap or a bad wire

[Jersyboyy]

guess well go back through all the plugs and gap them correctly, then make sure all the wires are on correctly.
Im thinking that the very last sparkplug wire on the passenger side isnt fully seated.

[chrisfrom nj]

guess well go back through all the plugs and gap them correctly, then make sure all the wires are on correctly.
Im thinking that the very last sparkplug wire on the passenger side isnt fully seated.
it might be that then

[Jersyboyy]

could it be dielectric grease on the wire connecting to the coil pack too? btw thanks chris hopefully when my buddy comes back over we can fix this.

[Tru2Chevy]

dielectric grease is good to have on them, wouldn't hurt a thing.

- Justin

[ShadowHawk]

dielectric grease is good to have on them, wouldn't hurt a thing.

- Justin

If you use too much it can, not severely but it can have negative effects.

Like someone said, check all the wires. It's easy to rip a wire internally too if you yank it too hard. A lot of times it'll rip where it attaches on the plug end and you may not even notice. I've done it on an Avalanche, had new wires but still...I didn't mean to.

If the wires are good then maybe the plug gap, but if you bought the plugs specifically for the car the gap should be within spec for the most part. And even if it's off a little it shouldn't be enough to do what you're saying. Unless some asshat at the store gave you the wrong ones. :banghead:

[Tru2Chevy]

If the plug wires fit correctly, all the dielectric grease in the world shouldn't inhibit spark traveling from the wire to the plug.

- Justin

[ShadowHawk]

If the plug wires fit correctly, all the dielectric grease in the world shouldn't inhibit spark traveling from the wire to the plug.

- Justin

Not trying to start trouble but I have heard of it. There was a car at work that had a miss because of the grease, someone put too much on. Changed the 1 wire and POOF, no more miss. We checked for rips too, nothin. Sounds stupid but it's the truth, even my boss who's been in the business 35 years and done more than 90% of the mechanics I've met in my life said he's seen it too.

[Jersyboyy]

Yea I read all over that you should stay clear of grease on the metal contacts on the electrical stuff.
Dielectric grease ISNT conductive. It can cause disruptions of spark travel from the coil pack to the sparkplug. I smeared a decent amount in the hole of the plug wire, which went straight onto the plug/coil so im thinking thats not good.

I had a hard time with the last spark plug wire on the passenger side to coil pack. I put it on 2 times just to be sure but its really hard to get back their im not sure if its on 100%.

tr55's for a 99 firebird trans am v8 is what he got from advance,but if you bought the plugs specifically for the car the gap should be within spec for the most part. And even if it's off a little it shouldn't be enough to do what you're saying. Thats what I thought but hey it could be anything. Hopefully well figure this thing out tonight.

[ShadowHawk]

Yea I read all over that you should stay clear of grease on the metal contacts on the electrical stuff.
Dielectric grease ISNT conductive. It can cause disruptions of spark travel from the coil pack to the sparkplug. I smeared a decent amount in the hole of the plug wire, which went straight onto the plug/coil so im thinking thats not good.

I had a hard time with the last spark plug wire on the passenger side to coil pack. I put it on 2 times just to be sure but its really hard to get back their im not sure if its on 100%.

tr55's for a 99 firebird trans am v8 is what he got from advance, Thats what I thought but hey it could be anything. Hopefully well figure this thing out tonight.

I hear you on that last plug man, actually & ironically I just did my plugs a few hours ago in prep for a dyno tune monday, TR55's too no less. I called TTP and they said gap it to .50, they came .60. Either way it'll run fine tho. Unless the gap is ape **** huge that should be fine. Just yank one and check it out.

[Jersyboyy]

Will do my buddies on his way back over here as we speak, hopefully on the way back home for him his car wont be on "Limp Dic* Mode" as I call it.

[camaro2you]

Must be a wire problem, i also the have the tr55 plugs in my 98 but threw some msd wires on there and it runs great.

[Jersyboyy]

Checked all the wires,clean off most of the grease. He's using msd wires, their not in bad condition and worked FINE before we changed the plugs. We still cant seem to get this thing running right wtf!

[enRo]

I had the same problem too with the same plugs.. I just downgraded from TR55's to Bosch's Platinum or w/e (autozone off the shelf plugs) and it runs perfect.

[crainholio]

Also possible one of the plug wires got damaged during removal, or that one of the new plugs is defective.

[91DropTop]

same thing happened to me when i cracked 2 spark plugs in my header install, just check all the plugs for hairline cracks in the ceramic or whatever its made of, it only takes a tiny crack to kill the plug

[sweetbmxrider]

maybe look for carbon tracking on the wires and coil packs? its like a little pencil line of carbon on the wire boot or along the coil pack. just a thought

[Jersyboyy]

I gotta talk to my buddy and see what he's doing with the car. He has to go off for college either today or tom so he might leave it with his dad to take to the shop. The other night I went through everyspark plug and made sure all the wires were on properly, but like said before the wires could have gotten damaged with removal. Ill let you guys know as soon as I do.

[sweetbmxrider]

if it effs up idling, pull each wire off one at a time and see if its any particular one, then switch it with a good wire. if its part throttle same thing just rev it.

[WildBillyT]

do you really think the gap could be THAT off to cause hesitation tho?

Yes, it can. Always double check the gaps.

Another thing-

Did you anti-sieze the plug threads? That can be a royal PITA to diagnose.

[edpontiac91]

Maybe it's just too simple, but could you have CROSSED one wire and threw off the firing order?:shock:

[sweetbmxrider]

is it possible to cross one of these wires? i don't think they would reach??
http://www.friendlypartscenter.com/image.php?productid=16460

[edpontiac91]

is it possible to cross one of these wires? i don't think they would reach??
http://www.friendlypartscenter.com/image.php?productid=16460

Sorry, I have one of those old stone age engines that still uses a distributor. At least I only have to replace one MSD box and not EIGHT of them if I want to upgrade the ignition! :lol:

[sweetbmxrider]

oh i hear ya! silly ls1 with individual coil packs. you should see the hemi's with 16 spark plugs and 16 wires! dayum!

[Jersyboyy]

wires arnt crossed im sure of that. My buddy left the car with his dad to get diagnosed while hes at school so hopefully we'll know what the deal is in a few days.

[xrelapse13]

hey guys whats up, im the one wiht the spark problem, the car right now is at a shp getting the broken 3rd cat cut off, when i get back were gonna try to figure this out again.

[KirkEvil]

I had the same problem with the popping/ticking symptoms after I installed tr55s along with headers. The ticking could only be heard at low rpms because the car drowned out the noise any other time.

It turned out that a plug worked itself out of the threads after a few days and was pretty loose. Just reach down and touch each plug to make sure they are tight, its a quick check.

[Jersyboyy]

Rob said his father got the third cat that mufflex left on the car removed and that cleared EVERYTHING up car runs great from what his dad says!

[xrelapse13]

this is all hearsay though since im the only person who drives my car and this is what the guy who cut my cat off told me. I'm gonna be grabbin it thursday though so we'll see. Then columbus day weekend i wanna go to ttp get it tuned.