Coil Pack or Cam Sensor

Hello to all on this forum, I have been a lurker for the last 8 months, since I got my little Jimny, and I must admit, it is the best owners forum I have ever seen, bags of technical now know, and no eejits!
I have always played with bigger 4x4's, mainly Defenders, and Pajeros, but after a considerable break I managed to allow the wife to let me get a '98 Jimny with 105k miles at a knock down price 8 months ago...mainly due to the fact we have two dogs, and live in the middle of rural Suffolk. It doesn't really do any motorway miles, we both have work cars, but I absolutely love it, and don't touch my "sensible" car on my days off. Has a 4x4 capability that is out of this world...but clearly, I am preaching to the converted!

Anyhooo!

Just recently it has developed a misfire. It doesn't seem to be heat related, which I know can be a symptom of the cam sensor, it is there from the off. When I pull the coil pack plug at one end (so only two cylinders are sparking, it just about struggles on, and when I pull the other coil pack, (after plugging the other end back in)it stalls. I haven't got access to a reader, but I have been able to compression test the pots, and all are up in the green of the guage. I have replaced all the plugs, which hasn't changed anything. So, it being a G13BB, I think it only has the cam sensor, and not the additional crank one, does anyone know of a good way of pinpointing the problem?

As far as I understand it, it must either be cam sensor, or coil packs? I am loath to order both, as spending on this project is closely scutinised by SHMBO....

Any thoughts greatly appreciated, and happy jimnying!

Your best bet would be to borrow from someone nearby who has the G13BB engine. You would probably only need to do this for under 1/2 hour. I have helped a fellow Jimny user from a few k's away by doing this and we quickly sorted the problem (Cam angle sensor) and he replaced it with a new one from dealership and I got some Fosters out of it so winners all round.

You may be able to read codes without a scanner...

www.rhinopower.org/diag/cel.html

Sadly, I am the only person I know with a Jimny...although lots of pals keep threatening to get one, especially my shooting mate, whose Def.90 has been pulled out not once, or twice, but THREE times by my mighty Jimny...

Like the fault reader idea though, as I read it is a case of carefully poking a wire into the correct slots on the diagnostic socket, and reading off the code. I will try that tomorrow when I get time, and keep the board updated.

Cheers!

Well...an update.

I replaced the cam shaft position sensor....and the coil pack...and it is neither of them, that nasty misfire is still lurking away in there, and it seems to get worse as it warms up, although it is noticeable from the outset. I did replace the thermostat a while back when it jammed and burst a hose...I am now wondering if this was the start of all of this, and the head gasket is blown.

Any one changed the gasket on a G13? I have a smattering of mechanical now how, what would anyones thoughts be on doing it at home? I have got the manual on CD, but it is certainly no Haynes manual!

test the ohms resistance in the injectors and if they are all bout the same then thay are ok but if one is completly different then that one is shot resistance of the injector should be 10-15 ohms

you say you have replaced the coils have you replaced the to plug leads that come off the coil and the coil resistance should be 7500-14000 ohms between the spark plug ends and test the wiring to the coils unpluged and test the multiplug end between pin 1 and earth should be 11-14 volts with the ignition on

have you checked the valve clearance

are the spark plugs gaped right

also you could have an air leek on the inlet manifold try running the engine and use some carb cleaner and spray it around the inlet manifold where it meets the cylinder head if the missfire goes replace the inlet manifold gasket