YACT: Safe to run on disconnected sparkys?

[EyeMWing]

Meh, one of the sparkplugs in my van has been misfiring for a few days, and it's starting to piss me off. Is it safe to drive it around with that plug and the opposing one disconnected (Effectively leaving me with a V6 to pull around two tons of van)?

I know I should replace it, but apparently my auto parts store [Edit] was closed today, so I have to go down there after school tommorrow, and if I don't do it in the parking lot at the store, I just know I'll end up putting it off until this weekend, so it'd be in my best interests to take the van.

Am I going to do even more irreperable harm to this engine, or just make myself a road hazard with immensely slow accelleration?

 

[d33pt]

This is definitely not good because the unburned gas is going to wash down those two cylinders and will end up in the oil. basically those two cylinders will be getting alot of extra wear and tear

 

[amdskip]

I don't think you'll hurt it really just puttin around town. Just go the store first thing with it. You should really edit that religious based comment out, it could offend someone.

 

[TerryMathews]

Damage? No, not really. Hazard? Not unless you're stupid. And since cylinders don't fire in pairs, I'd not pull the opposing spark plug.

It's going to run 'odd'. Basically, it's going to stutter when it hits that cylinder in the firing order.

 

[Quixfire]

If you only running the vehicle for a few days, less than two fill-ups, there shouldn't be any damage. After repairing your misfire condition check your oil for gas by smelling the oil on your dipstick. If you smell gas, change the oil.

Good Luck and update if you can't fix the misfire.

 

[notfred]

How exactly is a cylinder that's not firing at all suppsoed to be an improvement over one that occasionally misfires?

 

[glugglug]

Originally posted by: TerryMathews
Damage? No, not really. Hazard? Not unless you're stupid. And since cylinders don't fire in pairs, I'd not pull the opposing spark plug.

It's going to run 'odd'. Basically, it's going to stutter when it hits that cylinder in the firing order.

If you run with only 1 plug disconnected, the van will shake violently due to having one piston moving while the one opposite it is not moving in the opposite direction at any given time, so the engine has a rapidly changing non-zero momentum. This is why you would disconnect them in pairs.

 

[CraigRT]

Originally posted by: d33pt
This is definitely not good because the unburned gas is going to wash down those two cylinders and will end up in the oil. basically those two cylinders will be getting alot of extra wear and tear

unplug the injectors as well

 

[Linflas]

I once had a VW Beetle (real one, not the current kind) that blew out a plug while I was driving it at 65 MPH. I thought the engine had blown until I got off the road and noticed it was still idling. I drove it the rest of the way home like that and it made the most horrid racket you can imagine and the gas smell wasn't very pleasant. I took it to the local VW shop and had them put a new helicoil in the head and that was that. I think I would just deal with the misfire rather than screw around with disabling 2 plugs especially if we are talking about a modern van with all the electronics etc.