I Love When You Get The Car Home....

[Legumis]

So I get my R33 gtst home from the dealer and start to find a few things wrong that weren't noticeable before. This is most likely because I'm very noob when it comes to cars. That being said, I got the Skyline under the pretence that I'll be using it to 'learn' about engines and junk (this was really the only "legal" way I could get my wife to agree to the purchase).

Anyway, I was wondering if I could get some input from Skyline community about A: what is causing the following problems and B: what I'll need to do to fix it.

Issue 1: Engine misfiring at idle.

The first issue is the missing. When the car is started cold and is left idling, I can hear a miss or two if I stand by the exhaust. This miss seems to get worse the longer the car is driven, to a point. I've looked about the forums already for some info and I guess that the spark-plugs and/or coils may need to be replaced.

What tools will I need to remove the spark plugs (someone indicated in another post that may be different sizes of plug tools) and from where can I purchase them? (fyi - I've got the gear to get TO the coils/plugs, just nothing to remove the actual plugs with).

If new coils are needed, where can I get a new set who's cost won't make the wife roll her eyes?

Issue 2: park lamps are a no-go

Completely do not work. Neither of them. I suspect the fuse, but I can't for the life of me find the park-lamp fuse at all. The translations of the internal fuse-box don't explicitly give me the info I need. The fuses in the engine bay seem to affect the individual left/right headlamp units anyway, not the park-lamps themselves. I'll need to know where this fuse or power/grounding lead is so I can check it.

There are a few others but they're small jobs and I'll try fixing them myself before hassling the forums.

Soz for the long post. Feel free to hand-ball me to an existing tread that I may have missed, though I've checked a lot of them already

Hope someone can help.

[gt-ahhh!]

If new coils are needed, where can I get a new set who's cost won't make the wife roll her eyes?

ive got my old coils, were working fine.

$100 + postage?

welcome to skyline ownership! last night my passenger window fell down into the gap of the door! haha i guess this could happen to any old car, but f**k me!

[NA_Goodness]

Hey mate, welcome to SAU. The best way to learn is to get your hands dirty, and with cars it happens alot...

With your plugs, just buy a Spark Plug Socket. Should be about $5-$10 for a decent one. I'm guessing you already have a socket set? A decent 1/2in or 3/8in socket should get the job done. Have a look at what size the plug is before buying it, because if you get one that is too big or small, you are just wasting your money. Most automotive shops should sell them, but make sure you get a decent one, especially if you are going to be using it a lot. There is nothing worse than replacing broken tools all the time. Anything with a life time warranty would be decent. Therefore Repco, Sidchrome, Kinchrome, KC Tools, Snap-On and Wurth, among others are all decent tools. Actually, stay away from Snap-On and Wurth unless you are very, very rich!! Your wife would have a heart attack . Good luck, and happy fixing!

[infamous_t]

Issue 1: Engine misfiring at idle.

Probably coil packs, but maybe spark plug gap.

Issue 2: park lamps are a no-go

Bad globes , bad fuse, or dodgy stereo install using a loom wire as a earth.

[Legumis]

oh, I forgot to mention this in regards to the misfire (and in hindsight it would probably be very relevant).

I didn't know which fuel to chuck in the tank so I basically filled it up with that Vortex stuff from Caltex. Is it possible I need to do something to the car (like reset the ECU) so it gets used to the new petrol? If an ECU reset is needed, what should I do to prevent buggering up the alarm/immobiliser?

Like I said, the car was running smooth as anything when I checked it out. Its only been since I've been driving it that this misfire seems to have started.

Edited March 23, 2008 by Legumis

[75coupe]

ECU won't need a reset, be sure to always use 98ron (premium) or higher

[Proximity Motorsport]

I dont know about your alarm, maybe it has backup power and when you reset ecu it will not erase power. To reset the ECU on r32 you disconnct battery, pump brake pedal a few times and then hold the brake on... then a few more pumps, then reconnect your battery. Check the forums though, there will be a how to thread.

For the spark plugs dont buy irridium ones. If you goto autobahn and tell them you have a non turbo rb25det and you want normal $2 plugs (NGK) you will get them, but if you tell them its a turbo they will sell you the $25 plugs which arent any better, they just last longer, but truth be said the cheap ones do a better job. Make sure you buy them already gapped to 0.8mm or get some feeler gauges and carefully gap them yourself.

Coilpack can be had for $485 brand new for 6 splitfire ones, they are a very well known brand. Or you could go with justjaps new range of JJR coils for $400... but persoanlly i just bought new coilpacks and went splitfires.. pay the $85 and get a product you know is tested and proven (no offence to JJR but its a new product, id rather let others test first)

For the parkers, check that they are actually there for a start too. And did the car come with a road worthy from the dealer... if it did then go back to them and tell them to fix the damm problem cause thats a dodgy roadworthy.

cheers mate, welcome to SAU

[NA_Goodness]

Non-tubo RB25DET? Would that be an RB25DE?

With spark plugs, there are very few different ones. They are just all put into different boxes and sold at different prices. Like choku dori said, a $2 plug can be better than a $25 plug, although chances are they are exactly the same!

With your park lights, do the rear lights turn on? And your dash lights should as well. Have a look at that, and take it back to the dealer. They should be covered by warrenty because it is a safety issue.

[r33cruiser]

buy a spark plug socket is one way..

but if u are a mechanically minded and have a socket set, get into it.

from memory it is a 22mm socket. so get a deep socket and go for it.

+1 for getting copper plugs, and regapping them to 0.8mm.

[black33gtst]

also on r33s there is another fuse box in the boot next to your battery thats where the blinker fuse is so probably where your parker fuse is to

[Legumis]

yeah, I checked there too but all I found was that the venting tube running off the battery had been snapped off (recently by the looks of it). *looks in immobiliser installer's direction*. A bit of glue should fix that though. I think I'll work backwards from the lamps. It possible that both bulbs just happen to be blown.

[Legumis]

ok, so it turns out both parklight bulbs were blown. Thats fine.

Just had a 3" exhaust put on (up to and including a 3" hi-flow cat). Car seems to feel 'nicer', smoother. hard to describe but i'm sure you've all been there, etc.

Only problem now is its backfiring. It only happens if I'm revving hard (something around the 5k - 6krpm range) and only as I clutch-in. Also, there is a faintest puff of blue/grey smoke coming out every now and then on idle (and presumably while driving).

How do I fix this? Or is it the new steel just breaking itself in (but wtf! smoke?!)?

I have new sparks to put in but I'll need to clean out the coilpack area (full of dust and crap) but can't get onto that until the weekend at least. Would an ECU reset help things out now or is that still unneccessary?

[R33S2]

Only problem now is its backfiring.

Its quite common to backfire after heavy acceleration, it is unburnt fuel igniting in the exhaust, it means that your running rich on boost which is what you want

Or is it the new steel just breaking itself in

Most probably, was it doing it before?

Would an ECU reset help things out now

Doesnt hurt anything.