It's really good they told you this. Plugs are only one of many possible causes of a misfire. TBH, if the plugs were changed around 100k when they should've been, they'd be pretty low on my list of suspects. Just hate to see you spend all that money on plugs and install only to be stuck with the same problem.

TBH, I'd rather have a competent shop do a diagnostic to figure out the actual problem rather than shot gunning parts based off of Autozone, especially since you cant do the labor yourself.

Does make me wonder a bit - if that one shop is so certain its drinking coolant via the head gasket if maybe they're kinda onto something, but maybe the common LIM gasket is failing and dribbling coolant into just one cylinder causing the misfire but not enough to cause the billowing white smoke? Kinda all speculation until someone actually runs through the diagnostic tree to isolate the real issue.

 

I've only had the car a couple of months, bought it with 148,000 some miles, so I've no clue if plugs or transaxle oil were changed...ever. I just got through to the place teh kid recommendd, the can do it this morning for 65 bucks, the also said there might be more to it. Is head gasket on your list of suspects? If so, I'm sunk. Dyck's, when I told them LIM is famous on these motors and I was concerned about cost siad "We like to start at teh top and work our way down, so we'd do the head gasket first." I can't do a head gasket. That is game over for me.

 

At this point, I feel I should never set foot in Dyck's again. You've told me not to, Driver #3 has told me not to, even Jeff02RWD has told me not to. I trust you guys. I wouldn't hold you responsible for anything other than the major help you've given. You said "They told you to think positive and find them a leak. What the hell is that? That's their job!" If it was a bad radiator and they were gonna make it right...they tricked me out of that...I wanted them to make it right as they'd promised. It leaks when you shut if off, it's a steady drip from the spout part at the bottom of the radiator driver's side, where flipping the drain plug causes the radiator to empty. I brought them puddles on cardboard I think at the time you tld me you understood what I was trying to do, but I should still stay away from there.

 

Seriously, I don't want to be one of those post ******. I need to somehow delete all my crap...yet in this case, I'm really worried, as a blown head gasket won't be fixed by changing the plugs, so if a misfire is a sign of a blown head gasket (no white exhaust, no milky oil) then I need to return the plugs and go hide in a corner. If they do the plugs and it does make it right, am I still looking at seriously damaging my car by driving it50 miles with not clean transaxle fluid?

 

I'm told this place is very honest. They may have a scope. They may be able to get more than a code for a misfire and resolve the issue for me....but I get what you're aying, it might not be the issue. I had the hiccup as soon as the radiator was replaced. It never went away, it's why I thought I had trpped air. I don't know if I should even apologize to Dyck's, I think I should pretend they don't exist. They've got my truck, but it's really not a thing I can afford to fix and I needed the 200 trade in. It's got radiator leaking, needs no heater core, master cylinder is going out...water pump was installed incorrectly and filled with water...needs a timing cover gasket and has 229,000 miles it's a dodge dakotah. I couldnt' afford to license it right now. I'm justnot gonna be mean to Dyck's until I've decided I don't want it back...actually not even then, what good does being angry do? I can't prove Alan dumped windshield wiper fluid all over the front of my engine bay insluding the batter. Then teh check engine light comes on within a 15 minutes?

 

That's going to be the tough part. If they're original, they're highly suspect (as are the wires as they'll likely break on removal). If they were changed at 100k ish, you could be throwing money down a black hole. No way to tell without a mechanic getting in there and pulling one.

I'm just glad the shops are giving you a heads up that it may do nothing for your issue so you're aware going in.

IMO its pretty unlikely. Not impossible, just not real common on these engines besides a manufacturers defect or someone going nuts on overheating it. Of course being a used car, you've got no idea on the history so theres always a small chance. There is a diagnostic test they can do to prove it, but I understand your hesitation hesitation throwing a bunch more money at this car.

That's where a diagnostic service from a good shop would help. I understand where they're coming from a bit in that they're 50% of the labor in at that point doing a LIM, but I'm not a fan of just replacing stuff (especially if you're paying labor) that isnt confirmed bad. I'm very suspicious of the LIM gaskets especially if they're original. Also would give a chance to check out the UIM condition also around the EGR while it's out (another super common issue point).

 

Personally, I wouldn't worry about it. If its lasted 150k on that fluid, what's another 50? As long as it's not obviously slipping and acting up, I wouldn't be afraid of driving it.

No doubt it should be changed, but again being a used car, maybe it was just done 10k miles ago and the trans is just cooking the fluid and is on its last legs?

I'd just get it done as soon as practical (not a flush, just a pan drop or fluid exchange).

 

IMO, it's extremely unlikely that pouring WW fluid all over the front of the engine would cause a misfire, especially one that would still be happening even after it all flashed off.

1- everything under the hood is made to get wet. All connectors are weather pacs and sealed tight. There are literally people that wash the engine off with a hose with no issues.

2- WW fluid evaporates very fast, especially in a hot engine bay outside of the bottle. The effects would've lasted a couple minutes, not still be happening this far after.

 

I haven't had to drive an automatic since I was 16 and we had caps and rotors, lol. I"m not sure what slipping feels like...I noticed burning oil smell when I test drove it, I just don't dare drive up the pass with my defrost on and I get over in the slow lane for trucks so I don't push it, The next time there is a double lane is some thiry miles South, this hwy is dangerous af and running enough traffic for a freeway..it'sa lifeline to Canada. There's really no other way unless you go clear over to WA or MT and up.

What I feel is like a little hiccup. It doesn't like to be in drive with the brake on while I'm waiting to turn, it'll do it then, so I drop it back to neutral. Once i get out on the hwy it seems to blow it out and it stops for a time. It got MUCH worse the day of the not replacing the radiator as promised, when they let it idle for an hour with the heat on full blast. I don't feel that hiccup when I'm driving full speed, but I am very careful going jup that pass, it doesn't like to be pushed and I let it shift down and slow to 50-55 just as a catioun. I can stomp it like I did on the test drive, it has all the power in teh world, but once I owned it it drove at full speed just once up that pass, and black sludge stuff came out and stuck on the side of the reservoir. I never did it agan. I showed them, they said it was nothing. Came off the road.

Maybe I bought a car with both a blown head gasket and a bad transmission, I'm that stupid. I sure don't have evidence of blown head gasket AT ALL, I think that claiam by Dyck's is just to avoid the fact their radiator is leaking. I just don't know, I'm used to stick shifts and driving beaters, I can diganose like a champ and push start with teh best of them, but this is a whole different kind of car and they were kind letting me have it for $1500. I guess I'll go get those plugs changed and ask if he's got a scope to double check it, aske what he sees when he pulls the first plug.

When I drove two blocks and brought it straight back after the R&R I asked Willis to get in so he could feel it. He kept teh pedal slightly accelerated to cover it, said it was a cold start with a 3800. Should have been warm if they had just filled the radiator and run it untl the thermostat opened, but whatever. I've thoguht it was trapped air all this time. I'm embarrased. I even thought so when Willis told me the only time you have to bleed it is if you add to an empty radiator...but then they used the suction thing so it wasn't a necessity. It wasn't doing it beore that replacement, not at all. I've lost my low coolant sensor, too, that was in teh video Driver #3 shared with me...i doubt they replaced that or wired it up righ or maybe the coolant has to get lower than that, lower thatn a teaspoon left in the reservoir when it's cold.

I really do notice it more whenit's warming up, so maybe it really is a misfire.

 

Unless they changed things on the later montes, the coolant level sensor used to be in the end tank of the radiator, not in the overflow tank.

Only reason I mention that is because if that is the case on yours and the light is coming on (assuming the sensor is working right), its dangerously low on coolant. The other bad thing is if the coolant gets that low or even lower, the temp sensor may come uncovered as it's pretty high on the engine in which case it could be giving false readings.