Was the code P0307? That would be a misfire on cylinder seven. It does not mean a bad plug (although it could be).
What it means is that cylinder seven is not firing as it should. It could be a bad plug, bad plug wire or bad coil on the ignition side, or a bad injector on the fuel side. Without actually testing the system it is impossible to say the exact cause of the code.
As for driving it that way, I would not. The reason is because of what a misfire does.
When a cylinder misfires it can be dumping a fuel charge into the exhaust every time that cylinder comes up to fire. That extra fuel hits the exhaust and then the catalytic converter. The converter is designed to run hot to burn off the bad gasses in the exhaust and change them to ones that are not as bad. The gas causes them to run even hotter, enough that the surface can melt and damage or destroy the converter depending on how long it is run that way. If the misfire is bad enough the damage can be done in a very short time, less than one hundred miles in fact. Then you end up replacing the converter as well as repairing the misfire. Looking, that is about $450.00 average plus labor.
Full set of wires (if they are original they are long in the tooth) runs about $45.00
Full set of plugs (same as above) would be about $26.00
Single coil is between $40.00 and $60.00, depends if you have the round coils or the square ones.
These are all prices from Rock Auto. A local parts store will likely be a bit higher.
Not your engine but the same process of removal and replacement.
https://www.2carpros.com/articles/how-to-change-spark-plugs
your engine
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OLT6TQp0W28
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXjjjwsjTHk
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Sunday, July 23rd, 2017 AT 5:55 PM
