Engine shaking

[Capncol]

What happened to the video?
I wouldn't drive it anywhere with a bottom end knock!!

[GrandadMonkey]

As Capncol says, it WILL show catalytic converter fault and anti-pollution fault because as the engine isn't firing properly there will be unburnt fuel going into the exhaust system and hitting the lambda sensors. If you continue driving it like this it will irreversibly damage your catalytic convertor which will be expensive.

Don't worry about the oil level if it is just on full.

I advised you in my post dated 5 March (above) what to do. By cleaning the oil up as I told you it may get the engine to fire properly without further expense. Once running properly a good run of 20 miles or so at motorway speeds ought to burn off the unburnt fuel from the sensors and the warning lights should then go out of their own accord.

[Capncol]

Ron, my worry is she ran it dry and knocked the bottom end out. I'm trying to get her to confirm or not before she goes driving off anywhere and throws a rod out of the side. Hopefully it is just a miss. I even linked to a video and asked her if it sounded the same but she hasn't said.

[GrandadMonkey]

I share your concern Col but if she doesn't respond there isn't much we can do. I think the engine shaking is likely to be due to the misfire. Sounds as if she's beginning to panic, which is understandable if she knows nothing about engines. There would have to be a LOT of oil lost to starve the bottom end but she hasn't told us how much it took to top it back up.

A litre of oil spewed out of the filler hole would make a dickens of a mess and would look frightening but I don't think just that amount would starve the bearings. She'd have to have lost loads of oil for that.

I don't think she has the basic tools to be able to check and clean the coil-pack and plugs herself which is why I think she should get a garage to recover the car without starting it. She's just frightening herself with the warning lights that are bound to be set off if it is misfiring.

[Capncol]

Agreed, just didn't want her making things worse then blaming us!
I'm of the same opinion as you regarding amount of oil lost, but wanted to make sure. She has probably drowned the coil pack and leads and hasn't got it out of the plug bores. I also wondered if she had washed engine hence the Q about how she cleaned it. Hope she will let us know how she gets on with it.

[Sassyladee]

Well I drove my wee car down to a mechanic, very nice man but didnt have diagnostics to look at my car! So I spoke to a friend and they are sending their friend who works for RAC to come see me at the weekend but as I was driving home engine management light goes off and the anti pollution or catalytic warnings haven't came back on either!!! What is going on with this car!!??

[GrandadMonkey]

It sounds as if the engine has got hot as you've been using it and is drying out the oil contamination on the coil pack and the spark plugs. This will enable the spark plugs to spark properly and combust the petrol thoroughly. As completely burned exhaust gases pass over the lambda sensors in the exhaust system any unburnt fuel deposits should be burnt off and the warning lights will switch off.

If the car is now running ok it sounds as if you've been lucky. It probably doesn't need looking out now if it is running right again, but I would be tempted to check the coil pack and spark plugs and ensure that they are clean. Any oil remaining in the spark plug recesses will drip into the cylinder head when the plugs are removed for inspection but this will do no harm. It will simply burn off when the car is next driven.

[Sassyladee]

Thank you so much for advice you guys are giving me! The engine has stopped shaking as the gear stick and drivers seat. No warning lights have came back on but I haven't exactly been far in it so they may very well come back on! I'm going to get the coil pack and spark plugs checked anyway and maybey u should just get them replaced anyway, what do you think? I will take a video tomoz and attempt to put it on youtube. I don't hear any knocking noise like in the video you put up and like I said no shaking now! All advice is much appreciated! Thks

[GrandadMonkey]

If it is running ok now then leave it be. If it ain't broke don't fix it ! It might smell a bit if the spilt oil gets hot but that won't matter. Any fumes will diminish and go eventually.

Don't replace the coil pack if the car is running ok now, and don't replace the spark plugs as no harm will have come to them. You'd just be wasting your money.

As the car is now running fine just make a mental note to tell the mechanic what happened next time it is due for a service. He can then keep his eye out for any oil deposits that should be cleaned off.

If there is no knocking and no shaking now then I shouldn't bother taking a video. It won't tell us anything unless anything out of the ordinary is happening.

If you touch the oil filler cap in future, make sure it is securely in place before closing the bonnet. It is unusual for them to come undone by themselves. At my age I get paranoid about checking that I've left nothing undone before I close the bonnet after working on a car these days.

[Paulavokes]

Hi I have a Peugeot 206 glx petrol 1.6 x reg that misfires when u go to move it is fine when idle am fed up with spending money on it and not fixing problem no codes stored changed plugs,fuel filter,injectors,throttle sensor,coil pack,temp sensor ecu and bsi can anyone help me

[Capncol]

"no codes stored"
With a mis fire it should have at least a P04XXX code. What code reader was used?