P0301 (My Beretta Returns For Help)

[Dragonbssj]

Hello everyone! I've been away from this website for awhile.

But I've come to you guys for help on my Beretta.. I've been letting my brother drive the car now, as I have a "Toyota Corolla 2013" now to deal with..

But anyway I have a issue with the beretta 2.2L engine.. I've been keeping the car good as far as all things to keep her clean A/C wise all oil changes etc.. but recently my brother called and told me it was acting up..

As I got off work I find out that there is a engine code "P0301" I thought nothing of it because I thought maybe the "Spark Plugs" was just going bad or something like that.

http://www.obd-codes.com/p0301 - P0301 Code - Cylinder #1 Misfire
http://repairpal.com/OBD-II-Code-P0301

Common Problems That Trigger the P0301
Worn out spark plugs, ignition wires, coil(s), distributor cap and rotor (when applicable)
Incorrect ignition timing
Vacuum leak(s)
Low or weak fuel pressure
Improperly functioning EGR system
Defective Mass Air Flow Sensor
Defective Crankshaft and/or Camshaft Sensor
Defective Throttle Position Sensor
Mechanical engine problems (i.e.—low compression, leaking head gasket(s), or valve problems

I'd hate to say it but I'm really scared that it's related to "Leaking Head Gasket".

I'm posting a video of the car for it's current condition so you can see for yourself the exact issue that is going on. I hope you guys can help me out.

NOTE: TURN VOLUME DOWN PLEASE I NOTICED IT'S SOMEWHAT LOUD BECAUSE THE RADIO.

VIMEO Uploaded: http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=77276329 < Click Website for video.

[Dragonbssj]

No help at all?.. anyone?.. please and thank you.

[Koots]

First thing I would check, if the plug or wire isn't the culprit (there are 2 cylinders per coil, so it's less likely you have that issue) IS do a compression check on all the cylinders. If you find something or not, you should pull the valve cover off and check the rocker arms. They could easily be the issue, or a cracked/broken valve spring too.

The rocker arms can be changed with the head in place, the spring can too, with some creative work to keep the valve from dropping. If they are okay, the pushrods aren't loose and the valve stem looks good and yet it still is misfiring, It might be time to pull the heads.

[Rettax3]

Sorry, not sure how you slipped past for so long without a response... I can't see it necessarily being the head gasket unless you are seeing other indications, like coolant in the anti-freeze, bubbling in the coolant even though the car hasn't overheated or reached operating temperature yet, or white smoke from the tail-pipe.
First, let me suggest that you open your garage door before running the car, even short times like that it just isn't a good idea to leave it running in a confined space.
Second, nice looking Beretta. It should be worth fixing up. I may be biased though.
Third, I would look into replacing the plug wires and spark-plugs. A fresh tune often cures a problem, or at least helps to diagnose what the problem isn't while investing in the car's performance and efficiency for when you do have the problem fixed. When you have the plugs out, look at each one and look for heavy carbon build-up, oiliness, or a white dusty residue. All of these things tell about a specific engine problem, and 'reading' the spark-plugs often gives more insight into a problem than any other method. Smell each plug as you take them out -do they smell strongly of gasoline, or of coolant? If you go this far into it and don't see something wrong, go with Koots' suggestion and perform a compression-test -make certain to have the PCM disabled (pulling the fuse works) or the fuel-system inert before cranking the engine with open spark-plug holes! Keep a fire extinguisher handy, just in case... Test the spark from the coils -place one of the old spark-plugs in the end of each plug-wire after installing the new plugs, then crank the engine and look for spark, or buy an in-line spark tester -they only cost a few bucks. If you still don't find an answer, look into the fuel system -how is the fuel pressure to the injectors? You have a MPFI engine, meaning four individual injectors, check the output from each one if you can (remove the entire fuel-rail with injectors, place collection cups under each injector, and crank the engine to visually check the fuel-spray. Need I mention that there are about eighty safety precautions to go along with this step?
Fourth, after finding out what is making your engine run that badly and fixing the problem, replace all of the worn-out engine mounts -they look shot to me.
Fifth, shoot some more footage of that car running the way it should and share it with the fans! I hope some of this helps, good luck...

[Koots]

Ha! We've got the exact same code reader...it works but requires a pretty decent memory for what most of the codes mean...especially if you accidentally drop yours in a puddle while opening your door.

[Rettax3]

I had a pretty decent Actron (one of the many, many diagnostic tools stolen from me almost two years ago), older model and maybe a little limited on some things -it only showed the actual codes, not descriptions or solutions- but it worked great for me, and was fast to use to retrieve and clear codes. I have one of those super-cheap ELMs now, it requires a computer hook-up to function which can be a bit of a PITA, but I can also read real-time sensor data with it, so the trade-off is more than worth while to me.

[Koots]

I need to make the switch to a good code reader, but if I end up buying tuning software (first I start with HPTuners for my truck) and then TunerCats or something for OBDI (even though I have an OBDII like diagnostic port), I won't need anything.

I can actually know what's going on completely then

[ifixalot]

I remember I went to that original link. I thought is was a mistake because of the music coming off the video.
I don't like that kind of music so I didn't stick around very long.
Lots of things can cause a miss. But that seems like a "hard" miss like maybe a rocker arm broke and a valve is not opening to relieve pressure.
You are going to have to do some work go through one thing at a time to eliminate each cause.
Pull the plug, disconnect the fuel injector, start the engine. If it runs smoother, that confirms a valve not opening.
Look for reading spark plugs on the internet and compare your plug.
Also it might help if you told us under what circumstances the engine started doing this.

You are probably not going to find the magic answer from somebody who says, oh my car did that and it was this.

[Rettax3]

Lots of things can cause a miss. But that seems like a "hard" miss like maybe a rocker arm broke and a valve is not opening to relieve pressure.
You are going to have to do some work go through one thing at a time to eliminate each cause.
Pull the plug, disconnect the fuel injector, start the engine. If it runs smoother, that confirms a valve not opening.
Look for reading spark plugs on the internet and compare your plug.
Also it might help if you told us under what circumstances the engine started doing this.

You are probably not going to find the magic answer from somebody who says, oh my car did that and it was this.

...Pretty much what you said, yeah. The last time I looked into a four-cylinder that shook that badly (it was a newer LD9 2.4L Twin Cam), the poor thing had been run repeatedly out of oil until all four rod bearings were either worn through and toasted blue, or galled-up on the crank journals, and one rod thrown through the block (yet, it still started up and ran, I don't know how...). It made a whole lot of really bad noises though, it was blatantly obvious the engine was gone.

Worn engine mounts and one dead cylinder would cause a 2.2 to dance that way though, so here's hoping for a bad injector, or better yet, a broken spark-plug.

[Dragonbssj]

Well The car was taken to a shop to have it diag.

http://www.cardoctors1.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/car-doctors-of- ... loma-linda

The place I picked was from Yelp which was the best rated shop in the area.
Altho they told me $80 for the diag, the guy did not charge me for the diag.

It's something that I was scared of about the car which is why I bought the 2013 Toyota Corolla..
Altho the 1996 Chevy Beretta of mine seems to have met its end..

The shop has said that the heads is either bad or what have you.. Cost between $1200 - $2500 depending on what I do. The guy told me its better to get a new engine, which is true in my idea of it...

Altho I wish it wasnt so much to get fixed.. now I don't know what to do with her...

Anyone that could help me out around my area?

Thank You.

[Money pit Beretta]

The lower intake gaskets? That is a common thing. I have yet to hear of a "bad" head on a newer 60 degree V6.

[Rettax3]

The lower intake gaskets? That is a common thing. I have yet to hear of a "bad" head on a newer 60 degree V6.

...It is a 2.2 four-banger, Money Pit... Maybe it should become a V-6 though...