1998 Aurora feeling ill this winter

[jonathan98]

I have a 1998 Olds Aurora.

Recently the engine light has come on.  Initially it would come on for a day then go off for a while.
Now it stays on constantly.

Engine Scan revealed two codes
#1-  P1350 "ignition system or misfire"
#2-  P0301 "cylinder 1 misfire detected"

So far I'm leaning towards an issue with the ignition control module, crank positioning sensors or wiring in-between.

Spark plugs are new, wires are in good condition.

Sometimes it runs completely normal and then it will start "surging" or feel like its misfiring.  Also sometimes when it's idling the rpms flutter, it'll go from 650 up to 1000 then back down again for about a minute then idle normally.

I had the engine/transmission and subframe out 4 months ago to install head studs to cure the overheating problem and it is possible that I damaged some wiring when i reinstalled. 

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, I'd rather not just throw parts at it willy nilly and prefer to do repairs myself.

Thanks!
Jonathan

[Randy T.]

Plug wires can look good and still be bad, at least you have a cylinder code to help you narrow it down. I would swap the #1 wire with the #3 wire and see if your code changes, or you could ohm a couple and compare readings. If that does not change anything, swap the position of a couple coil packs and see if the code changes. Do not rule out spark plugs, one could have gotten cracked at some point and use AC Delco spark plugs. Check the areas where your coil packs plug into the ignition module, under the rubber plugs, look for cracks on the module.

[jonathan98]

www.youtube.com/watch?v=0AwR6mfOyrI

Here's a link to a video of it idling.  Thanks for the response Randy T.  I will definitely try those ideas!

[Toronado3800]

You can also take a multi-meter to both your wires and your coils. might not even need to get your hands dirty to test them.

Way easier than that subframe job you did. Might not be one of the above but they are easy to test.

[emarkay]

Best bet is to follow OEM pinpoints on the codes - troubleshoot as is shown in the shop manual - could be any number of causes...