00' LS V8 "missing"

[Bozz]

Alright -- so I am back for advice on my LS V8... it just started recently that when under heavy acceleration it hesitates, surges, and hesitates some more.

Normal running is fine, no additional lights on the dash besides the normal trac control, abs ones that stay on.

I've read the coils are a typical problem, but figured that would throw a CHECK ENGINE light?

Probably will start with fuel filter and spark plugs -- but was hoping you knowledgeable folks on here could steer me in the right direction.

Thanks.

 

[BlackLS06]

Coils and plugs forgot about the cel.

Especially being a 2000 LS they are long overdue.

 

[marcredd]

Not so quick....

Black is more than likely correct but have the coils and plugs been changed recently? Fuel filter as well as the tranny solenoid pack "could" be in play as well.

 

[joegr]

...I've read the coils are a typical problem, but figured that would throw a CHECK ENGINE light?...

The majority of coil problems do not trigger a check engine light. None of my four did.

 

[G-RELL]

Normal running is fine, no additional lights on the dash besides the normal trac control, abs ones that stay on.

These are not suppose to stay on!!! which means theres a chance both your TC and ABS are not working... can be dangerous this time of year!!!

 

[G-RELL]

well maybe not in flordia... but still needs to be fixed

 

[joegr]

These are not suppose to stay on!!! which means theres a chance both your TC and ABS are not working... can be dangerous this time of year!!!

No, it doesn't mean there is a chance. It absolutely means that the ABS and traction control aren't working. (Not just a little not working, but they are completely shut down when the light is on.)

 

[Bozz]

Thanks for all the posts... I have a new wheel sensor to correct the ABS/TC light being non-functional -- just haven't made time to put it on and get it reset. A friend of mine scanned it and it told him DS Rear wheel sensor was the problem.

As for the 'hesitation' at higher RPM's -- can anyone enlighten me on the coils? Aside from hearing they are a common problem I know nothing. Is there one per cyl or what? How much do they cost? Where to get them?

 

[G-RELL]

Thanks for all the posts... I have a new wheel sensor to correct the ABS/TC light being non-functional -- just haven't made time to put it on and get it reset. A friend of mine scanned it and it told him DS Rear wheel sensor was the problem.

As for the 'hesitation' at higher RPM's -- can anyone enlighten me on the coils? Aside from hearing they are a common problem I know nothing. Is there one per cyl or what? How much do they cost? Where to get them?

A ton of threads on this, start in the "read before posting" thread at the top... But yes... one per cylinder, very common to go out, causes lots of problems (specially the longer you go without changing), anywhere from 200 to 350 for a set of 8, most get from ebay. can last from a year to more....

 

[Bozz]

Thanks for pointing out the great thread on this stuff, very helpful. Been a while since I was on here regularly so I was a little rusty.

Funny thing about my car and how its acting... it runs smooth as silk unless I 'get on it'. No mis-steps during idle, no other symptoms.

I'll inspect things this weekend before I start buying parts... I am pretty sure the dealer replaced the coils and stuff back when it was under warranty so I don't think they are original, but maybe have 50k-60k on them or so.

Is there a way to troubleshoot and find one that is malfunctioning? (besides oil in the hole) from a leak.

 

[Jwall]

These are not suppose to stay on!!! which means theres a chance both your TC and ABS are not working... can be dangerous this time of year!!!

That stuff is all over-rated.

 

[joegr]

...Is there a way to troubleshoot and find one that is malfunctioning? (besides oil in the hole) from a leak.

First off, oil is not the only reason for coils to fail. In fact, it's the epoxy inside the coils that fails, and oil exposure is rarely a factor. None of my failed coils had oil or water exposure.
Second, stress testing marginal coils is very involved and requires some specialized oscilloscopes and experience with what the waveforms are supposed to look like. When there is no warranty, it is often less expense to just go ahead and replace all the coils instead of testing for the bad one(s). Note that the associated spark plugs must also be replaced.

 

[Bozz]

First off, oil is not the only reason for coils to fail. In fact, it's the epoxy inside the coils that fails, and oil exposure is rarely a factor. None of my failed coils had oil or water exposure.
Second, stress testing marginal coils is very involved and requires some specialized oscilloscopes and experience with what the waveforms are supposed to look like. When there is no warranty, it is often less expense to just go ahead and replace all the coils instead of testing for the bad one(s). Note that the associated spark plugs must also be replaced.

Thanks... gotcha. Was just hoping to find something wrong with one of them and replace it (tight budget).

 

[1LoudLS]

cheap fixes are less common than unicorns with the LS.