NAstyed

Hi, this morning i was checking / cleaning my car, and as these days i feel that it has lost some of it power, i was wondering that it seemed an electrical problem, i am about to send it to the mechanic, for a sparkplug cable change. Yesterday i was reading Mike Kojima's Engine Modifications Article, i had this idea, that i wanted to take a look at my sparkplugs before they were changed, so i took off one by one all the cables and star to look inside them, the first 3 were clean, but then the 4th, was terrible, filled with black dust that i think is electrical product, of a bad contact between both.
Well. i got surprised and then i cleaned a little bit with the tip of a little screw driver i had, then i though... I think i was feeling my car a little under powered because of this cable, i think i was even driving with just 3 of my cylinders!, and i did a test, without pluging the bad one, i started the engine, and let it run for 20 seconds, and then i notices that if i let the engine run without touching the gas, well the engine, will kind of increase sound, and the return to normal, every 5 seconds, like demanding more power... i was hearing this behavior a couple months ago, because i start my car 5 minutes before leaving to work, and i tough.. this is strange, my engine never stays the same in "minimum".. and then after i removed the bad cable, i could see this but more increased, so i though.... Well i wasn't using just 3 cylinders, but maybe just 3.5.... and then after i cleaned a little bit the bad cable and re-pluging it, i did the same test, and Wow!, now my engine was the same revs when i didn't touched the gas, and well my questions are the following now..

Here are pics of one good cable and the bad one
Good Cable
Bad Cable

If i had a bad contact on one of the cables....
Should that explain my under powered car since a couple months?
Should that be the answer on why i felt i was spending a couple more bucks on gas week after week?
Is this the solution on why when i was using compression to slow down my car, i felt less stoping power from my engine?

Thanks a lot for your time, i am learning a lot for your comments, and i never though that i would like cars and their maintenance.

Boostedvenge

That right there is your answer. Change ALL The wires (just so you knwo they're all brand new), replace all the plugs (might as well) and you'll notice it'll be back to normal.

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Jeremy
1996 Dodge Avenger ES Turbo
1990 Nissan Sentra

Slacky

u had the cables changed and found that the next day, if i read that correctly u should go beat the guy with the cables and demand money back. otherwise good job hunting down your problem not many people even try before they come on here nor are they thorough enough to take pics

NAstyed

Slacky, i am going to send my car for a little check next week, i was going to tell the guy my ideas, but it seems like i found it before taking it, the guy is a honest one, so i'll save the beat, for somebody else.

-ed

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My Page in Cardomain.com

Slacky

lol ok cool