Help, firing on 3 cylinders

[aarondown91]

My s3 has decided to go sick on me. It has been perfect then suddenly when started it up it now runs on 3 cylinders. By keep starting and stopping it and drivin carefully can get it running on all 4 again to get me home.

It could be a coilpack bteaking down or sparkplugs.
But my issue is the sparkplugs won't come out of the head you can turn them but they stay really tight managed to get one out and there was metal all in the threads like they have become fused to the head

What advice have you it as I can't afford to replace the head and need the car for work.

 

[phil miller]

sorry to heare your problems dude, first off you need to find what cylinder is giving you issue, to do this start the engine and when its missing disconnect a coilpack at a time, the one thats causing the misfire wont change the note of the engine when its disconnected, now when you know which cylinder swap that coil pack with another and see if the misfire moves to that cylinder, if it does replace the coil pack

Now as for your plug issue, it sounds like it has taken the thread out the head, so want you need to do is find a garage that will fit a spark plug insert, this involves drilling the thread out and screwing and insert in to the head, so basiclly giving a new thread for the plug to go into, heli coils work but imho arent as good as the insert

good luck mate

 

[aarondown91]

Thanks for the info

with the spark plug inserts does the head have to come off or can it be done in the car? As I had best get it done for the future but will be a big cost if head has to come off

Cheers

 

[phil miller]

A good garage will be able to do it with the head on, but for piece of mind I'd do mine with the head off as swafe and turbos don't mix well

 

[aarondown91]

Yh that's my worry I don't want swarf going through the engine/ turbo.
Taking the head off is a major job though and haven't you got to have a special tool for the timing chain?