Jerking Like a Bitch

Post Mon Apr 04, 2005 9:50 am

I jet washed my engine on the weekend, which I regret doing now. This is due to the fact that it is jerking when i'm driving and it also seems to be miss firing?? I just changed the plugs on it last week, I replaced the old shot to peices ones with 4 spark Bosch jobbies. Could there be a simple reason for the jerking??

Any help would be greatly appreciated......

Post Mon Apr 04, 2005 10:03 am

Cleaned the dizzy cap out?

Sounds like my old (dare i say it...) nova when it used to rain and spray from the road would get in through the grill.

Spray your leads and dizzy with WD-40 to mate.

Post Mon Apr 04, 2005 10:20 am

No dizzy's on the iS!

Chances are you have filled the bore the spark plugs fit into with water. Pull out the leads and stuff some rag down there to absorb the water.

I always jet wash / hose my engine bay, apart from the first time, i've never had any probs.

I found out the insulation was spilt on the leads, and when the bore partially filled with water it shorted it out

Post Mon Apr 04, 2005 10:22 am

Post Mon Apr 04, 2005 12:31 pm

Hi all

I've never steam-cleaned/jet-washed my engine bay as I was always under the impression you'd get rid of the valuable grease that serves a purpose on some of the engine parts. Od wive's tale???

I guess over time, barriers do form from layers of oil etc. on some of the components.

Am I wrong? Should I be steam-cleaning the engine bay?

Post Mon Apr 04, 2005 12:50 pm

With a bit of respect i don't see the problem.

Obviously don't go blasting the wiring / alternator / oil seals etc

Re grease / oil anything afterwards that needs it, job done. Sit back and look at your shiney engine bay, then shut the bonnet and wonder why you bother, as no one is going to see it, unless if you had old neighbours like mine she winges about the environmental effect of washing the engine. The fact that her old Escort threw more oil out of the exhaust in 1 minute, than my car will ever use in a life time didn't seem to strike home.

Any way my car does not leak oil, i only ever rinse off the dust etc.

Post Mon Apr 04, 2005 12:57 pm

Cheers guys, i'm gonna go home and sort it out today. At work at the mo......

Post Mon Apr 04, 2005 12:58 pm

Hi Pal

as mark said..... its almost definitely ure plug holes are full of water..... probably cylinder 1.... so remove leads and clean and dry.....

ive had this on my iS and it was horrible.....

Post Tue Apr 05, 2005 9:32 am

Hi Karan,

Cheers for the advice, most apreciated.

After cleaning out the bore and making it nice and sweet, I started up the car only for the bitch to still jerk?! So on closer insepection, the one thing I didn't check was my Leads......As there not that old and their the Silicone jobbies that cost me Ãƒ”šÃ‚£125!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So I checked the leads to find that two of them were buggered!! One of the pins had snapped in two, so there was a crap connection and the other just looked bad!!!!!

So I go to my parents house hoping to find my old original leads?! Hoping that I can use them, or if not but a new set.....?!

I get there to find that they've living outside next to the shed for nearly a year???!!!! So I thought, clean them up get them nice and spanking and hope for the best. Otherwise buy a new set. After cleaning the damn things spraying a little WD40 into them I pop them in and bob's your uncle the car feels completely different. Wot a result, at least this confirms, that BMW parts might be expensive, but they certainly last...........!