This weekend I developed a really bad miss while driving, and @ idle. I popped the hood to discover that the #8 cylinder plug wire had melted pretty much all the way through because it was up against the exhaust manifold. Well i fixed that by replacing the plug wire. I checked all the other wires, and plugs and all seems good.

Now what happens is that it runs really rough and misses while driving and at idle. If im idling at a red light the rpm's are at about 5K and the engine fluctuates a little bit and my headlights flicker bad.

Im guessing the timing is not set properly. Is there anything else??... if i were to set the timing is this the proper order??
1. set timing 2. clean/reset IAC 3. adjust idle speed 4. adjust TPS.
Do I have it right - missing anything??. Thanks.

 

So, the sequence of events is, a plug wire burns up, and you replace it; and you still have a dead hole.

Now, explain where "timing" has anything to do with this. Like, how does it affect just one cyl but all the others are OK; and, how is it that it was fine before the plug wire burned up, but it needs twiddled now.

Leave the timing alone. If it was OK before, it's OK now.

Oh, and by the way, before somebody drags the other newbie universal scapegoats in and throws them at you, it's not the "EGR" or "smog crap" either.

Same goes for the IAC, TPS, etc. All of those things affect all cylinders equally. They CANNOT POSSIBLY cause a dead hole.

The problem is most likely that one spark plug. Replace your plugs. "Checking" spark plugs is a waste of perfectly good life.

Leave all that other stuff alone until you get the problem (dead hole) fixed. Adjusting on a bunch of stuff that's not part of the problem, won't fix the problem.

Which is not to say, that all of those things are perfect; only, that they CANNOT cause your symptom.

See my signature for troubleshooting guidance.

 

Who idles at 5k rpm?

 

sorry that should be 500.

I checked that plug yesterday, and it looked fine, but as you suggested Ill replace it, and see if it makes a difference. Its only $2 plug. Anything else that could cause it???....why are the headlights flickering really bad??./

Also if I were to set the timing is that proper sequence of what I would do? (i dont intend on doing this juist yet- just for knowledge sake)

 

Because the engine RPM is fluctuating.

You disconnect the timing lead; start the motor and set it; turn the motor off and reconnect it.

 

You were right sofakingdom - the timing did not need to be set again

i found the problem....I heard rattling coming from cats. Removing the tail end of the cat revealed that all the honeycomb had collected itself right at the exit hole, and was clogging all the exhaust trying to come out. I broke it all up, and removed it, and the car is back to normal. It no longer fluctuates at idle, and runs very smoothly.

ive got a cat on order- thanks to those who offered their ideas - i guess i got lucky with it just being the cat.