What's Goin on With My Cruiser!

[SuGamer]

quote:Originally posted by legion

i have a touring, non turbo. Since i have gotten the cruiser back - no more shaking. BUT, i still get a periodic "miss." as the engine idles, it almost sounds and feels like it missed a beat for only a half second. brought it back to the bright bulbs, and they are telling me its normal. a second dealer (almost 20 miles out of the way) told me the same crap! i know my car, and i know that that miss was not there.

BTW: on double platnums - i asked them before hand if they could use double platnums - both said no. only could use the oem plugs. both dealers told me that they can "upgrade" but the want around 200.00 dollars for labor and i need to go get the plugs myself!!!! theives, the whole lot of them!!!!!!!

$200 for labor?! They already had to get the old plugs out! I understand if they want to charge you the difference in price between the copper and double platnium, but $200 for labor AND you have to buy the plugs too?! Freakin' thieves!

[PTurbed]

quote:Originally posted by SuGamer
Freakin' thieves!

That's why they are called Stealers !!!

[slartyblarfast]

OK I'm going to weigh in on this now.... The occasional miss feeling is s normal thing for these engines. Trust me... I've had 2 Pt's and they both did it. I am also a CHrysler/Dodge tech. Part of the problem is these engines are large displacement 4 cyl's. That much mass moving around causes vibrations. These engines are counter balanced but still vibrate.
As for $200 for a tune up and you supply the plugs? Find another dealership! At my dealer ship a standard tune up runs $79 and some change... now you will have to pay the difference between copper and patinum but shouldn't be more than around $30-40.

[SuGamer]

Startyblarfast, I know you are a DC tech, but I got to disagree with you on the miss being a normal thing. I had a 2001 and no miss. 30,000 miles came and I installed the double Platinums, and I loved them. I now own a '04 GT and no miss. I even took out the plugs and regapped them to 0.040. I think Legion should just use the double Platinums and gap them down to 0.045, and he will not have a problem. I'd would do it myself if I were him. Heck, if he lived closer, I'd do it for him. The GT's plugs are easier to change, but the n/a's aren't anything out of this world either.

[legion]

last trip to the dealer - they replaced the computer (only after i threw a fit and told them, the next trip was to a toyota dealer to trade the car). finally my poor pt is back to its old happy (and zippier!!) self!
come the warm weather i will be installing double platnums and crane wires (screw this dealer crap). already found a tutorial on this site with pictures. any tips on getting near the tube in the back of the intake without loosing both bolts?

[quicksilverdon]

quote:Originally posted by legion

last trip to the dealer - they replaced the computer (only after i threw a fit and told them, the next trip was to a toyota dealer to trade the car). finally my poor pt is back to its old happy (and zippier!!) self!
come the warm weather i will be installing double platnums and crane wires (screw this dealer crap). already found a tutorial on this site with pictures. any tips on getting near the tube in the back of the intake without loosing both bolts?

Good plan. The wires suck as bad as the plugs. I have nearly 85,000 on mine, had the miss only twice - the first time at about 30,000 miles, put it Champion pltinums & still had miss - put in Crane wires & miss went away. Second time - recently - new plugs cured it.
Agree with Sue Gamer - a miss is not standard.[?]

[SuGamer]

quote:Originally posted by legion

last trip to the dealer - they replaced the computer (only after i threw a fit and told them, the next trip was to a toyota dealer to trade the car). finally my poor pt is back to its old happy (and zippier!!) self!
come the warm weather i will be installing double platnums and crane wires (screw this dealer crap). already found a tutorial on this site with pictures. any tips on getting near the tube in the back of the intake without loosing both bolts?

Don and I both have the Cranes and love em! As for the 2 bolts holding the EGR tube to the manifold, I just used a socket wrench to loosen them and took them out by hand. I took only about 1/2 an hour to change the plugs on my 2001 touring.

[GR8FLPT]

It's not hard to swap the plugs. Once you do it yourself, you will feel better about it anyway. Just make sure everything is tightened back up properly before you start er' up.

[airevac19]

I just did mine yesterday. Remember, from 2003 on, the engine doesn't have an EGR Tube in the back.

JW

[Hooligan]

Remember to use diaelectric grease on the boots and anti seize on the plugs. The intake manifold needs to be torqued. Use a inch pound torque wrench. A foot plund and a inch pound torque wrench are invaluable tools to work on a PT and they are quite inexpensive in the long run.