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Unexplained Cylinder 4 Misfire

dtreid

By dtreid
in Engines & Drivetrain

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dtreid Enthusiast

dtreid

Posted
Posted

2014 GMC Sierra 1500 5.3

226000kms

 

When accelerating from an intersection today, I got a flashing CEL and 'Cylinder 4 Misfire' code.  Only lasted for 10sec or so and went away.  Truck runs as per normal.

 

Do I have a pending problem here or just a fluke?

CamGTP Senior Enthusiast

CamGTP

Posted
Posted

To me there is still a possible problem.

 

I would at least check the plug wire and pull the spark plug to check the condition. A scan tool is what I'd use to look into it more, logging the live data of misfires to watch and see what it's doing.

SARNCAN Enthusiast

SARNCAN

Posted
Posted

I agree with CamGTP. Try as well to use injectors cleaner, you might have bad oxygen/fuel mixture at the combustion chamber

truckguy82 Senior Enthusiast

truckguy82

Posted
Posted (edited)
4 minutes ago, SARNCAN said:

I agree with CamGTP. Try as well to use injectors cleaner, you might have bad oxygen/fuel mixture at the combustion chamber

Just injector cleaner do anything with DI?

 

I mean if something clogged it with 2900psi, it probably doesnt desolve easily at all

Edited by truckguy82
SARNCAN Enthusiast

SARNCAN

Posted
Posted
Just injector cleaner do anything with DI?
 
I mean if something clogged it with 2900psi, it probably doesnt desolve easily at all

Our vehicles are direct injection, they are exposed to contamination from gases and oil oxidation. They need to be regularly cleaned to ensure they are not clogged. Non DI is at least better since they are not inside the combustion chamber.
Using CRC or Seafoam valves cleaner helps as well. Bad or non clean fuel can cause problems as well. But I would totally agree with the need to check wires, spark plugs, and coils as mentioned or less cost fix firstly.
Z45 Senior Enthusiast

Z45

Posted
Posted

Unfortunately these new engines use technology that is hard on engines and especially oil.  Active Fuel Management, Dynamic Fuel Management, start stop, variable vavle timings, turbo charging, ecoboost etc. All these new technologies put a lot of stress on the oil.   Not all oils are up to the task and that's why GM and other oem's have been pushing for better oil specifications to be developed.  Yet there are a lot of oil companies who continue to market "good enough" products and customers who refuse to spend the money continue to buy these "good enough" products for their expensive vehicles/engines. They think frequent oil changes are cheap insurance but in reality, cheap oil is the problem.

Why do you think some oils are cheaper? Where do you think they cut the corners? Did they use cheaper oil base stocks and additive packages? Less highly trained engineers? Did they cut back on quality control? How can they afford to spends millions of $$ on advertising and still make money if they claim their oil is best? 

newdude Senior Enthusiast

newdude

Posted
Posted
11 hours ago, dtreid said:

2014 GMC Sierra 1500 5.3

226000kms

 

When accelerating from an intersection today, I got a flashing CEL and 'Cylinder 4 Misfire' code.  Only lasted for 10sec or so and went away.  Truck runs as per normal.

 

Do I have a pending problem here or just a fluke?

 

Was there any other codes besides the misfire?  

 

Couple possibilities. 

 

Fuel injectors have been a thing lately on 2014-2018 trucks.  This would ideally require a fuel injector balance test.  The fuel trims on bank 2 might be a starting indicator of there being a bum injector however.    

 

AFM.  A lifter failure could be possible, but if you don't have a hard/permanent misfire, its not likely that.  

truckguy82 Senior Enthusiast

truckguy82

Posted
Posted
59 minutes ago, SARNCAN said:


Our vehicles are direct injection, they are exposed to contamination from gases and oil oxidation. They need to be regularly cleaned to ensure they are not clogged. Non DI is at least better since they are not inside the combustion chamber.
Using CRC or Seafoam valves cleaner helps as well. Bad or non clean fuel can cause problems as well. But I would totally agree with the need to check wires, spark plugs, and coils as mentioned or less cost fix firstly.

Source?

 

i’m aware of the carbon buildup on the valves, but I’ve never heard of injector cleaner being necessary.

 

it’s 2900 psi of fuel.

 

carbon deposits are tough, but they are no match for a gasoline pressure washer.

 

I’m pretty sure the only thing clogging the injectors comes from within the fuel tank. But I’m just speculating with no real research.

mookdoc6 Senior Enthusiast

mookdoc6

Posted
Posted (edited)
36 minutes ago, truckguy82 said:

Source?

 

i’m aware of the carbon buildup on the valves, but I’ve never heard of injector cleaner being necessary.

 

it’s 2900 psi of fuel.

 

carbon deposits are tough, but they are no match for a gasoline pressure washer.

 

I’m pretty sure the only thing clogging the injectors comes from within the fuel tank. But I’m just speculating with no real research.

It's the tip of injector that is problem....These tips must be maintained meticulous in GDI's  so that the the holes never change shape,size with resulting spray patterns.  So what you do 3K oil changes, this, that or the other thing....This also needs to be done with GDI's

 

Keep em clean boys and they keep you out of trouble!

Edited by mookdoc6
SARNCAN Enthusiast

SARNCAN

Posted
Posted
Source?   i’m aware of the carbon buildup on the valves, but I’ve never heard of injector cleaner being necessary.  

it’s 2900 psi of fuel.

 

carbon deposits are tough, but they are no match for a gasoline pressure washer.

 

I’m pretty sure the only thing clogging the injectors comes from within the fuel tank. But I’m just speculating with no real research.

 

 

Although that the pressure is very high inside, carbon can still build up since you are not using the vehicle at full power all the time, and when you turn it off and lit it sit it can start build up. Cleaning regularly and perhaps using a catch can an help a little.If the high pressure cannot help by it self with the additive, probably injectors can be taken out and be cleaned at the ultrasonic cleaning machine. 

 

Check the video at 14:50

 

 

 

Check as well this image from the owner’s manual, it talks about Fuel Additives.

 

4697b97dce7eda739e50e798b4717ff2.jpg

dtreid Enthusiast

dtreid

Posted
  • Author
Posted

 Here’s the plug out of cyl 4.  How’s it look?  Could it be my problem?

C8B25990-69A6-4DD9-8480-C3BB5C5329A9.jpeg

Doublebase Enthusiast

Doublebase

Posted
Posted (edited)
38 minutes ago, dtreid said:

 Here’s the plug out of cyl 4.  How’s it look?  Could it be my problem?

C8B25990-69A6-4DD9-8480-C3BB5C5329A9.jpeg

Well, it has what? 140,000 miles on it? Doesn’t look all that bad, but the gap maybe looks a little big (which will happen with mileage). Definitely worth changing - I’d say 70% of misfires are going to be something simple like plugs.

 

Got to say, I too had a misfire with the flashing check engine light. Lasted about 10 seconds, never came back but I do feel a misfire once in a while when going up big hills on the highway at lower speeds. Cylinder 5 misfire. Only 45,000 miles when it happened. Plugs looked great. 

Edited by Doublebase
DBowmanEOD Enthusiast

DBowmanEOD

Posted
Posted

I was starting to get a misfire, also it was like my truck hit its rev limiter at 4k. I've been looking around on here at different issues. I think mine is fuel system related. It backfires once followed by being sluggish. With that being said today was the worst. I dropped it off at a local shop. Ill know more tomorrow. Good luck to you all.

DBowmanEOD Enthusiast

DBowmanEOD

Posted
Posted

Well that sucks. It was back firing through the intake. It had a tick this morning it had never had before. Its definitely a lifter. Mechanic will start tearing the engine apart tomorrow. Its not good boys. Looking at 2-3k.?? The mechanic is also going to do compression test before tear down. 

Ozer Enthusiast

Ozer

Posted
Posted

Replace all plugs and wires if they are stock, at that milage you should have changed them already.

Then run SeaFoam FUEL INJECTOR cleaner, not the seafoam cleaning procedure but that will also help you im sure.

SeaFoam fuel cleaner in those small bottles is what fixed my clogged injector misfire issue, no other cleaner helped. Run 2 per tank at least 2 tanks.

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