Intermittent P0300

[rzr6-4]

Chronological order of events….

Temp is around -6F, which when really cold it will sometimes take an extra crank or two but this time it sounded like a diesel for 6-8 sec. Pulled the key back to stop it, gave it 5 sec and tried again. After about 5sec of cranking it finally started. Cool…

Going about a mile down the road where it goes from 35 to 55 I push the gas, barely accelerates. Push harder, still barely accels. Floor it, same. I pull it down to 2nd on the shift lever and it finally drops a couple gears and I’m able to get up to 60. Odd but whatever…

I get to a stop sign where I turn and merge onto another highway, so I’m not flooring it but I’m giving it some gas, huge sputter/hesitation. It has always done this off and on when its cold and its annoying but its never seemed to cause an issue. This time though, the truck started dinging. Once the sputter stops after a few seconds (as it always does) I was able to get to speed like normal.

I stop at a gas station to plug in my code reader and I am welcomed by P0300 random multiple misfire. Also a low voltage code but I think that may be due to the difficult cold start as it reads 14.7-14.9 volts for the next 20 miles. Little bit of highway, little bit of city, no more issues and I hope it is a one-off thing.

It’s off and on a few times as I make a few stops around town but when I finally head home and get on the highway again I get the usual stutter but with the new dinging once again.

I’ve read a few threads here on the P0300 but it seems like most people end up in limp mode or get shut down all together, whereas mine corrects itself and continues on like normal so I’m not sure what to think. And being random multiple, as well as being seemingly intermittent, I’m not too worried about the cam…yet.

After I pay off my CC card tonight I will order some new plugs as they need done anyway. I do have P0456 and P0457 evap codes as well if I remember correctly but not sure if those would contribute in any way. Started the day with ¾ tank gas.

Other than plugs and the stuff that goes with that, anything else stand out as something I should check?

 

[Black-Wolf]

First: Your spark plugs. Get NGK Iridiums. You'll need 16 of them. Next: While you're doing your sparks, replace the ignition coil packs - you'll need 8x of those and you'll need to pull the old ones anyway to get to the plugs - recommend you go with RIPP performance coils, but MSD is also good - They produce a lot more voltage for your sparks than the stock. Otherwise, go with NGK or another well known brand if you're going to stay more in line with stock performance. Last, you could have a broken wire harness/lead going to the coil packs. Check them carefully. Based on the symptoms you describe, it's either a faulty coil pack or a bad wire. If you have alpha OBD and an and OBD MX+, you can read the codes and see which cylinder is misfiring. That's important because it'll cut your troubleshooting time by about 4x-8x what you'll do without it. Take it to an Autozone/Advance/O'Reilly Autoparts and have them tell you which cylinder it is if you don't have Alpha and an MX+.

The left front (as you're looking from the front of the truck, at the engine, towards the back of the truck) is cylinder 1, 2 is the right front, and so on, with odds on the left, and evens on the right - 8 being the one closest to the driver. Cylinder # 7 back spark plug is a PITA to get to. You have to pull the computer cannon plugs to have a chance - be careful and use a GOOD sparkplug socket to pull and emplace the plugs there (there are 2x plugs/cylinder). A socket elbow joint will HELP, and use a 3" extension. Note: If for ANY reason you drop the socket/extention into the spark hole, you're going to have a bit of a time getting it out - use some duct tape or extra stick tape to assist. It can be done - speaking FROM EXPERIENCE HERE! Damn near thought I was going to have to have the truck towed in when that happened to me!

Hope that helps!

V/R

Marc

 

[Wild one]

First: Your spark plugs. Get NGK Iridiums. You'll need 16 of them. Next: While you're doing your sparks, replace the ignition coil packs - you'll need 8x of those and you'll need to pull the old ones anyway to get to the plugs - recommend you go with RIPP performance coils, but MSD is also good - They produce a lot more voltage for your sparks than the stock. Otherwise, go with NGK or another well known brand if you're going to stay more in line with stock performance. Last, you could have a broken wire harness/lead going to the coil packs. Check them carefully. Based on the symptoms you describe, it's either a faulty coil pack or a bad wire. If you have alpha OBD and an and OBD MX+, you can read the codes and see which cylinder is misfiring. That's important because it'll cut your troubleshooting time by about 4x-8x what you'll do without it. Take it to an Autozone/Advance/O'Reilly Autoparts and have them tell you which cylinder it is if you don't have Alpha and an MX+.

The left front (as you're looking from the front of the truck, at the engine, towards the back of the truck) is cylinder 1, 2 is the right front, and so on, with odds on the left, and evens on the right - 8 being the one closest to the driver. Cylinder # 7 back spark plug is a PITA to get to. You have to pull the computer cannon plugs to have a chance - be careful and use a GOOD sparkplug socket to pull and emplace the plugs there (there are 2x plugs/cylinder). A socket elbow joint will HELP, and use a 3" extension. Note: If for ANY reason you drop the socket/extention into the spark hole, you're going to have a bit of a time getting it out - use some duct tape or extra stick tape to assist. It can be done - speaking FROM EXPERIENCE HERE! Damn near thought I was going to have to have the truck towed in when that happened to me!

Hope that helps!

V/R

Marc

MSD coils are worse then the factory coils,the Ripp coils are a bit better,but i don't know of anybody who's put a 100,000+ miles on a set of the Ripp coils yet to see how they stand up.The Op can clean his old coils up and replace the rubber boots and springs pretty cheaply if they're still working.
His truck being an 09 calls for copper plugs,which are actually superior to irridium plugs as far as conducting current,and generating a good spark front.They just need replacing a little more often.

OP whatever you do,"DO NOT" buy your plugs from Amazon or Ebay,very good chance you'll get cheap /fake knock off plugs,that can do more damage to an engine,if they decide to self destruct

Little tidbit for you,you always describe the right and left side of a vehicle from the perspective of sitting in the drivers seat,not looking at it from the front.That's an industry standard,that applies to left and right hand drive vehicles world wide.If you're going to describe a north american vehicle like you have,it's easier to use drivers and passengers side,but that goes out the window if you're describing a right hand drive vehicle.
Rock Auto sells the coil boot repair kits that come with a new spring,the NGK versions they sell are probably the best quality,but even the cheaper boot repair kits are probably adequate for an older higher milege vehicle that you don't want to spend to much money on.
Buy yourself a set of these,and you don't have to worry about dropping extensions in the plug wells.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C2C4W6ML/ref=pe_27542550_801330310_em_2p_1_lm.

I use these in a Dremel to clean up the screws in the coil towers,along with a new set of coil rubbers,and you can usually bring old coils back up to virtually new coil output,for a few minutes of cleaning time,saving a bunch of money.

https://www.amazon.com/Dremel-443-02-Carbon-Steel-Brushes/dp/B015PK3BR8/ref=rvi_d_sccl_5/130-1568928-4290806?pd_rd_w=8vU0t&content-id=amzn1.sym.8b4d8c20-8e51-4634-a76f-c00a1995a502&pf_rd_p=8b4d8c20-8e51-4634-a76f-c00a1995a502&pf_rd_r=9ACXAVSR90QY8Z1ECFK2&pd_rd_wg=4vHu3&pd_rd_r=59d41fd4-3bb9-49ed-bd4a-134fa5459b0d&pd_rd_i=B015PK3BR8&th=1

 

[Sillygoose]

condensation in the gas tank ?

 

[DAK2]

If you want Iridiums get the NGK LZFR5CI-11. They don't need coil replaced. I've had them in my 2011 for over 20K miles.
NGK 92145