Engine running on 3 cilinders once every few weeks

[Rob]

Ok, I’ve had a hard time comming up with a title for this one.

Lets start with some infos, the car is a 97 Mitsubishi Colt (goes as Lancer 3d or Mirage in various parts of the world also) with a 1.3 (multipoint) injection 4 cil. Manual transmission and 170 000 miles on the counter.

She starts fine, always at the first instant you turn the key. But once in a while, say ever 2 weeks orso, it’s idling a tiny bit rough, (I notice a vibration at this point, a passenger probably wouldn’t notice a thing) but when you touch the gas, it runs on 3 cilinders ‘completely’. The acceleration is reduced and you can feel a pulsating hessitation. This lasts for about 45 seconds, and then everything is fine again for another two weeks. Applying more power seems to make it retrun to normal quicker.

This has been the case for I’d say 4 months now… and I can hardly call it problematic.. but it ain’t right either. Even if i’m goiong to live with it, I want to know what causes it.

One thing i’m suspicious of is and oil leak from the valve cover down in to the sparkplug well (tiny leak).. but I’ve kept that clean and still it occured. So perhaps I should be looking elsewhere too?

Thanks,

Topic

[Rob]

Seems I did wipe the plug and stuck it down in some rags. If anything they were a little greasy. I think I’m just gonna have to wait for a while and see when it begins to act up again.

Next time it happens.. if I get the plug out when it is acting up, any way other then setting it on fire to determine if its petrol or oil? 👿

[Author]

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