To begin, my car is actually a Saturn LW2 3.0 V6, but this website does not offer that selection. A couple days ago, I was driving home from PA to FL. I drove through some pretty heavy snow. After a little over an hour of driving, I came to a stop sign. When I began to accelerate, the car had little power and the check engine light came on. It was also very shaky, especially when either idling or accelerating. I drove it to the nearest auto parts store to get a computer scan. While they would not give me a print out, but the error codes said something about Cylinder 2 Misfire detected and also another code which said EGR valve defective (Or something like this). They advised me to visit their competitor, who would give me a computer scan print out. The second scan only revealed one code, which is P0302. The Definition is - "Cyclinder number 2 misfire". Explanations was "The powertrain control module monitors the crankshaft speed and has detected a misfire condition." Probable causes were "1. Ignitions system fault - spark plugs, ignition wires, coil or 2. Vacuum leak or 3. Injector fault or 4. High or low fuel pressure." The second store did not find any code about the EGR valve. Because the snow was heavy and it was getting dark, and I had several hours to drive to get to a hotel, they recommended trying some Fuel Injector Cleaner. I used the Lucas Complete Fuel Treatment. After driving another 20 Miles or so, I pulled over again, and after restarting the car, the problem disappeared. (NOTE THE PROBLEM ONLY DISAPPEARED AFTER RESTARTING CAR). The check engine light remained on. Eventually, the check engine light went away, and I was able to finish my drive home to FL.
So, I say all that to say this- I will begin traveling again in about 4 days, and I would like to see what your thoughts were on this car problem. The spark plugs are new and were installed about 3000 Miles ago. Same for the fuel filter. While I am thankful the problem disappeared long enough for me to drive home, I am not convinced that the problem was the fuel injectors and I'm not assured the problem will not reappear. I use fuel injector cleaners occasionally, so I don't think the fuel injectors would be the problem. And also, the problem disappeared after turning the car off and on a few times. Another thought is, could it be possible that the problem is related to the very heavy snow I was driving through? There was icicles and ice buildup all over my car. Please let me know what you think!
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Tuesday, February 19th, 2013 AT 8:30 PM