Know anything about Cadillacs??

[06limited1st]

Ok, my girlfriend's mother has a 1997 Cadillac Eldorado with 175,000 miles on it and the 'SERVICE ENGINE' light is on. I drove in it and concluded it's a problem with a cylinder down. Took it to AutoZone and they confirmed 'Cylinder 6 Misfire'


MY question to you.. I say it just needs a tune-up (Plugs, wires, filter, etc.) so I say Ill do it and save her some money BUT could it be anything else?? I dont want to fix all of this and the problem be elsewhere because for 1. Ill look stupid and 2. it will cost even more money....

Chime in with any help possible. Thanks.

 

[Mr Bogus]

first things first... you need to confirm that the motor is solid yet (compression test first)

a down hole could be any number of issues and your tune up is just a shot in the dark..

Wire
plug
Injector
Low compression
vacuum leak (minor to major)
Electronics issue in the DFI

need lots more looking and checking.. (pull the plug out of the cylinder, what does it look like?)

 

[06limited1st]

Yea I assumed vaccuum leak in the beginning.. I need to find me a compression tester so I can do some of that. Really hope it's not an electronics issue cause then it's gotta go to the shop and cost some money..

I wont get a chance to look at it til this weekend tho so really just trying to get some ideas as to what else it could be before I screw myself..

 

[WuzzaCBXRider]

My 91 had three injectors fail so I found a place online for a full set of of them and installed them and everything works fine now. A good mechanic (not autozone) should be able to tell what the precise problem is. Good luck!

 

[Mr Bogus]

you can get by without a compression tester but you need a good ear for motors (well at least a fair one)

disable the ignition system and crank the motor over.. it should hit "even" all the way around.. if you have a low hole, you will hear the motor spin faster/easier as that cylinder comes around.. da da da we da da/da da da we da da (great sound effect huh?)

Ohm meter is also your friend.. check each injector cold, and with them hot.. many times a sour injector will read fine cold and shorted when hot.. (was the cause of many "it just dies and wont restart till it cools off" complaints on GM V6 motors)