[s-cars] POS Question

[Rich Assarabowski]

Riff:

Wow, looks like big-time carbon tracking from your picture!  Your
current from the coil packs found a new path of least resistance to
ground and unfortunately it's not though the spark plug...   I'd
definitely check your plugs and install some new boot ends and clean up
all that carbon, which will only serve as a conductor to ground no
matter what you do.  Wouldn't hurt to remove all the coil packs and
clean everything thoroughly, start with a known quantity before you
chase other stuff.  The low voltage insulation to the coil packs likes
to crack, some of mine is cracked too but doesn't seem to hurt as it's
low voltage so it won't jump to ground as easily as the high voltage
from the coil pack.  Just be careful how you route it, keep it exactly
the same way as it was before you removed it so you don't stress it
further.  I've done this procedure on both my cars, put new conductive
paste on the POS's, put Deoxit on all connections and (knock on wood)
have never had a miss on either car.

Now the Audi gods will definitely punish me for saying that -- I predict
Monday I'll be posting to the list with a misfire :(

-- Rich A.
   '92 & '93 S4
   '99 Miata Sport (autocross season coming to a close...)

PS Unburnt hydrocarbons are not good for the cats, but we all seem to
pump out a lot of them without killing them.  Too much raw gasoline in
the cylinder is not a very good cylinder wall lubricant either.  I'd fix
it soon, I don't think a couple of days will hurt.

--------------------------------

My car developed a miss yesterday.  Followed the instructions on SJM
Autotechnik on trouble shooting the POS and found it was cylinder #3.
Well after changing the POS side to side I still have the problem.
Looks like I am due for a new POS.  

Questions I have is that I also pulled the plug boots to see them.  On
#3 there was a white mark that looked like residue from it arcing to the
head at the coil.  Picture available here:

http://forums.rennlist.com/upload/plug_boot_sm.jpg

Could the boot be bad and cause the POS failure?  I would hate to buy a
new POS and have this happen again if it is the boot's fault.  

Also is it very bad to drive the car with the miss?  I will order the
parts today, but probably won't get them until mid-week for install.
Would I be doing damage to the car to continue driving it?