So every now and then 1-2 months or a little longer go by, and my car starts shaking, and won't gain much speed for a couple minutes, check engine light comes on for cylinder 3 misfire. New spark plugs, coil pack, wires, ect. I bought a compression test kit today, was going to use it until I pulled the wires out of all cylinders. All have rust on the spark plug walls except the 1st cylinder. I found a way to clean the rust off.

Should I do a compression test still?

 

is your car losing coolant? an internal head gasket leak letting coolant into the cylinders could be the cause

scott

 

No, coolant is good. Oil is also good. This is the first car I've owned that doesn't seem to burn much oil. When I do my oil change I get very close to 5 quarts back out of it.

 

What year car do you have? 2003 is first gen

 

5 quarts is a tad too much I believe. Maybe not. My mind pushes info out quickly and the last time I changed my oil was about 3k ago and I don't log many miles. (06 with 48k)

Where do you live? Possibly a humid climate causing this?

 

I always use a 5 quart jug, and check my oil which is at the full mark on the dipstick after adding 5 quarts. 2003 base, I live in Pennsylvania, and its currently like 30 degrees farenheight so could enough to snow.

 

Well everything I could think of is ruled out. Hopefully someone can chime in with some insight.

 

ok, thanks.

 

You can thank me for nothing except the bump

 

You should post in the 1st-gen section; you might get people who know your car better over there.