Loosing coolant and Misfiring.

[visual1]

I aa loosing coolant and I got the code P0304 which is a misfire in cylinder 4. I am thinking the gasket between the intake manifold and the cynlinder head is blown close to cylinder 4. Any ideas?

[CREWZIN]

Welcome to the forum.

You took a good guess at the cause of your problem but more information about your cruiser would help. What year is it? How many miles have you put on it? Did you just get it but there was another owner who might have neglected routine maintenance? Can you see the loss of fluid on the ground or is it just disappearing? Can you feel a loss of power or stumble because of the misfire?

[visual1]

Thanks crewzin...its a 2003 gt 2.4 turbo. It stumbles at idle and it feels like its stuck in mud while driving. There is no fluid in my parking space, however i assumed if it was leaking out the gasket it would burn off of the block. Plus after driving when i pop the hood it smells like coolant.

I replaced the plugs and gapped them to .40. Then the wires. Still no results.

[CREWZIN]

Blown head gasket could leak out or in. Out and burn up on the block as you said. In, burn up in the cylinder. Might need a pressure check to find out for sure.

[quicksilverdon]

Welcome, Visual1.
If I were you, I'd take it to a good mechanic - ask around for who people use.
Don't wait - it won't fix itself. It it is the head gasket - which clues point to - it could overheat and warp the head, making it worse.

[visual1]

Thanks guys, lucky I am still under warrenty. Anyways, I am goign to do a compression test tonight. However, I can tell you that there is no sign on coolant in the oil, or white smoke out the tali pipes.

I am hoping my initial guess was right, but the compression test might tell me otherwise.

[soonercruiser]

....UNDER WARRATY??
If you know a "good dealer", the answer is take it back to the dealer! Don't want to do anything that will void the warranty.

[visual1]

Update: did a compression test and all cyliners were at 135, i guess thats good news, and i changed the oil to check for coolant and there was none. So i hope the head gasket is fine. Going to check my original gues of the gasket between the intake and the head.

[quicksilverdon]

Don't be so sure. Gasket could have failed from water jacket to outside.
Your test is good news in that it didn't fail into combustion chamber, but doesn't mean it isn't bad to outside.
Sorry...

[visual1]

Final update......it was the gasket between the intake manifold and the cylinder head. I took it to my dealer and they fixed it under warrenty.

On a side note the car was not loosing coolant. My fiance to the car to a jiffy lube last week for an oil change and the recipt said they checked the coolant and it was good. As such, when I found it empty panic set in. The tech at the dealer thinks Jiffy lube was lazy and didn't even check. It held a full reservoir for 3 days before the repair and one day after.

So if any one else has and very very rough idle and a misfire this may be your solution after you have checked the plugs, wires etc. Also my car is an 03 so TSB18-024-04 didn't apply like it may in other cases.