Andrew427

Well my check engine light turned on today after racing a srt8 Challenger. We we're neck and neck but then my car lost power. I'll give it gas to accelerate and it would not accelerate. It sounded really weird. So pulled over and car was shaking bad so turned it off and back on and it stopped shaking. It drove normal. But now I'm afraid to accelerate fast so I slowly sped up to 65 . It sounds normal. No white smoke coming out. No oil or coolant leak. What can be the problem? The light is still on. I don't want to blow the motor or damage it more. Plus im low on funds at this moment. Can't afford a rebuild right now. Plus forgot to mention I'm always getting the coolant level low. And when I top of off it goes away but later that day it comes back on. And in a few days it's back to half empty. But I have no coolant on ground when I check. Only a little on chassis and water pump /auxiliary .

LexBrett2

Isn't p0301 just a misfire coming from cylinder 1?? It's probably just a bad spark plug. Don't you think your overreacting?

Andrew427

Guy at autozone and oriellys and fellow merc owners saying it's my cylinder head and that I need to rebuild my motor that's why I posted this. I didn't intended to over react. That's why they said my coolant level is always going low due to cracked head or blown gasket. Due to my car not leaving puddles of coolant on ground.

LexBrett2

I see what you mean about the coolant now. Have you pulled the plugs and looked that them? Checked the ignition coils and electrical connectors? I have gotten this code a lot of times and it is always spark plug related. Did you win the race?

Andrew427

No not til tomorrow since this happened when it was already dark outside. But will in the morning. Just hope it's the spark plug honestly. I was neck and neck with him and that's when my car started losing power and started shaking. But I haven't changed the spark plugs . Only oil change and new oil filter. Since I've bought it and I've had it for about 5 months. I did the oil change towards the end of October

LexBrett2

If you have the m271, 1.8l 4 cylinder motor, changing plugs is super easy. There is a tutorial on this forum to walk you through it. You'll be glad you did.

As for the possible head gasket damage, are there other symptoms? White smoke out of exhaust? Gas in coolant? Milky oil?

No offense but I wouldn't trust an autozone or oreiley employee said, especially if they don't know your motor (m271). Plus I saw what the other guy on this forum said- he was guessing.

Your just getting a misfire code, happens all the time in our car. Try searching p0301 and w203 and you'll see what I mean!

LexBrett2

Here is the tutorial, it's the v6 model but basically the same in all cars!

Andrew427

No sir no white smoke, no milky oil. Yeah I felt the same way when they told me I have to replace the head lol. They even told me that's what happens when you wanna go rich in your cars lol. Im so stressing over this to the point I wanna sell my bronco just to swap in a 2jz I to her lol or going with a 335I, but I don't want to give up on her even though she's been giving me problems since I got her.

LexBrett2

Very stressful! Don't give up on the car for just one code though. You can do it!

Andrew427

I won't and I don't want too. Just hope it's nothing major

insame1

Sure you were.

2008 Dodge Challenger SRT8 Compare Car 0-60 mph 4.7 | Quarter mile 13.0

2011 Dodge Challenger SRT8 Compare Car 0-60 mph 4.4 | Quarter mile 12.7

LexBrett2

I wondered about that too. Our car stock makes an embarrassing 8.9 0-60 mph. Even fully modded, and with a 50 shot of nitrous, I doubt my car would make it into the 7 second range...

Andrew427

I connected my friends code reader and it was reading vacuum leak but checked and there's no leak

LexBrett2

How do you know the code reader was reading a vacuum leak? Do you still have a p0301?

A vacuum leak on our car will read as a p0171. If so, you do have a vacuum leak you just can't see it. I get this code all the time when I work on my car, and it's ussually just somewhere a hose popped off or has a small leak.

Unless your diligent you will never find it. But the good news is that we are here to help. If you do have a p0171, we can guide you through the process of locating the leak..

Or or you can just go to a lying mechanic and spend $500 for plugging in a hose.

miike

Yeah I thought he had a C63 from the way he was talking about it

ODB

Had same issue last week. Ended up replacing ignition coils. I have replaced them all, just in case. Issue has gone.

GermanCarsFan

Same code here, p0301 and if i wait more i will get system too lean code. But the first code will show is the cylinder 1 misfire.
switched coils then switched spark plugs and still getting the same code.
To be more specific, it starts great drives smooth not until it idles, engine shakes, check engine light comes on . Shut engine off, back on no issues!
No coolant or oil problems... Any ideas? Fuel injector?

solarwindp

For M271 engine, better take a look at the timing chain.....