Loud spark noise, idle RPMs drop.

[vansolrick]

As simple as the subject says. When I have the engine at idle after it warms up, i hear random spark noises that come in single or multiple spark nosies that seem to disrupt the natural flow or timing of the engine idle that cause the RPMS to drop but not noticeable on the TAC. I know the RPMs are dropping with each spark sound a little bit because I can hear it in my exhaust as if it's screwing with the timing or a backfire that isn't really a backfire.

I have a feeling it's doing it when I'm driving, when at lower RPMs, I feel the engine jerking a little as if it's hesitating for a little bit before it starts going. It has not done this before.

If it helps, the last things I remember doing to the car before it started doing this is that I replaced the Spark plugs with e3 diamond fires, put in 9mm iridium plug wires, cap and rotor, oil catch can between the PCV valve and IM, and short shifter (doubt that this is it lol), and fixed a vac line that was missing that went from the EGR solenoid vacuum to the PRC solenoid by using an extra piece of small hose and a 3-way vac splitter.

I searched but can't find a similar problem. What can this be?

[fowljesse]

Try putting your normal spark plugs back in
Where do you hear the spark noises? If you can hear the spark, you can definitely see it. Run the car at night, where there is no light, and look for sparks (arcs) along the entire ignition system.
If it idles normally until it warms up, that makes me think it's not the spark, because the cold idle mixture is richer, and harder to ignite.

[Ryan]

Once, one of my plugwires fell off of the disty against the coil wire, and the coil wire was arcing into that wire for EVERY spark. Parallel circuit, all the other cyls were only getting half the spark. It ran like crap and I could hear the arc. Wasn't a hard fix.

[dieselryan]

Get the wires wet and run it at night . if you have a secondary ignition short you will see it. somtimes the wires will glow with electricity. Also i have seen and used a set of aftermarket plug wires that cuased many problems in my system.

[vansolrick]

Ok thanks everyone I'll try testing the wires and checking their connections tonight.

[vansolrick]

I'm not hearing the sparking anymore on idle for some reason but I can still sometimes feel it when driving. I'm just going to replace the wires since I don't have the rubber boots on the end that lock into the plugs, nor do I have the squares on the ends that cover the plug holes. Maybe that's the problem?

[vansolrick]

I'm not hearing the sparking anymore on idle for some reason but I can still sometimes feel it when driving. I'm just going to replace the wires since I don't have the rubber boots on the end that lock into the plugs, nor do I have the squares on the ends that cover the plug holes. Maybe that's the problem?

[dieselryan]

to be honest this really sounds like a disty problem. quite often distrubutors that are going out can be felt on accelaration as a hesitation or a cut out. often this will be the result of the coil wire or pick ups under the cap. they will burn and actually have seen coil wires catch on fire.

[ninjajim4]

I'm not hearing the sparking anymore on idle for some reason but I can still sometimes feel it when driving. I'm just going to replace the wires since I don't have the rubber boots on the end that lock into the plugs, nor do I have the squares on the ends that cover the plug holes. Maybe that's the problem?

i am very curious to see what the heck these wires look like...

change em out dude

[RX8SE3P]

I'm not hearing the sparking anymore on idle for some reason but I can still sometimes feel it when driving. I'm just going to replace the wires since I don't have the rubber boots on the end that lock into the plugs, nor do I have the squares on the ends that cover the plug holes. Maybe that's the problem?

Please tell me you don't have any bare wire exposed....

[vansolrick]

Nope no bare wire. The wires are in good condition minus the 2 missing things on each plug.

I'm starting to lean toward the failing disty.

Ok I'm just going to order some new plug wires next monday and see if that fixes the problem.