I need help. This started as a random miss at idle to now a hard miss that keeps the car from idling in gear. It has had a constant 302 error (cylinder 2 missfire). I changed the plugs in cylinder 2 and 4 then all new plugs, wires, dist. cap and rotor button. None changed the error code. I have checked the compression it's fine and the same as cylinder 4. I replaced the fuel rails with a set of used ones that omhed out fine. I have pulled the valve cover and the cam lobes look good across each cylinder. I bump the engine and can see each valve spring compressing as the cam lobe turns down on it. I was thinking maybe a valve not opening since compression is good. Is that still possible with a lifter/follower being bad? Any ideas on where to go from here? Its driving me crazy. I got this car for my 16 year old. I put the engine in it out of a wrecked car with 88000 miles on it about a year ago and it has ran fine since then. Just trying to get it going without spending alot more on a old car. Thanks.

 

I sounds like you know something about the electro/mechanics of it, so this may sound like an obvious question>
Have you actually verified it is cyl #2 that's causing the problem?
Have you pulled the plug wire and injector harness (seperately of course) to that cyl to see if it makes any difference?

 

Thanks for the reply. Don't worry about the obvious, I keep feeling like that's what I'm over looking. I have pulled #2 spark plug wire and it does not make a difference. The fuel injectors have one plug that with four connectors that fire each of the injectors and I have put a NOID test Light across the two wires for #2 cyl and it pulses as I turn the engine over. Today I push air into the spark plug hole and opened each valve one at a time with a small pry bar. It sealed and released fine. I also bumped the engine until the cam was opening the intake then the exhaust valves. Air flowed when open and did not when closed. Thanks for any thoughts on what to try from here.

 

OK. So you have verified that the plug is getting spark and you installed new plugs, that the intake and exhaust valves operate normally... and that the injector is getting a signal. But have you verified that the injector is actually doing something with that signal?
Could be that it's eletctro-magnet that opens the injector to allow fuel to flow is no longer working? I might switch it out with another injector to see if the problem "moves?"

Just grabbing at straws... just like you.

 

I came across a used set of fuel rails that had been ohmed and pressure checked. I install those. No change. Thanks.