I recently took off one of my plugs and it did notchange the idle quality? I then did the same to 4 more others... no change. Can anyone tell me how to tell to see if my engine is firing properly?

TYTY!

 

Start the car, and take them off, if you get shocked, then you're getting spark..


Just take a screwdriver stick it in the end of the wire, then lay it off to the side somewhere, near metal, and crank the engine, you should see a spark arcing.

 

you have an inductive timing light?

 

with a spark checker, if it jumps the gap you have spark and you have a spark with enough strength to fire the cylinder

 

I have done the mention methods including getting shocked!:lala: I do have an induction timming light. I removed one wire at a time, put an old plug wire on to an old plug and got spark in all cylinders. But what i can not figure out is my idle quality is fine when i disconncet a plug wire? does not matter which one???

What can i do with an inductive timming light to check for spark?

 

the ecm makes adjustments for the dead hole. long time ago when i took a class for scanners and computer controls the instructor removed 3 plug wires from a 3.8 grand prix and it never changed the idle

 

easiest way I know to check for spark is to clip my timing light onto each wire while the motor is running- you will instantly know whether you have spark going to each cylinder.

 

Like has been said the ecm will help keep the idle good with one plug wire not firing, but put a load on it and you should notice.