How to clean contact surfaces on ignition coil, 2013 Chevy Cruze

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May 5, 2022
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Elizabethtown, KY
I'm getting an occasional misfire on a 2013 Chevy Cruze with the 1.4L engine. Current mileage is 132,500. The coil pack was replaced at 82,600, and the plugs were replaced at 85,000. There are no codes, not even pending codes, but the "butt dyno" says I definitely have an occasional misfire that I notice under acceleration but only when the engine is cold. The engine also seems a bit sluggish when the AC is on. I bought the replacement boots with spring contacts from RockAuto, Standard Motor Products part number CPBK176 and am in the middle of replacing them. Looking down into the holes on the coil pack where the boots attach I see rough surfaces on on all four surfaces, but especially on the contacts for cylinders #2 and #3. I'll attach a picture. Is there any way to clean up these surfaces to help ensure clean electrical connections, or am I looking at replacing the coil pack?
CruzeCoilContact.jpg
 
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Spray it out with brake parts cleaner or electrical contact cleaner and use a pencil eraser to scrub the contact. Pencil erasers are abrasive and pencils fit up into the cavity easily. Ink pen erasers are even more abrasive and will scrub the oxidized surface even better.
Works for me. I use erasers on all sorts of contacts like in flashlights, etc.
 
You should really have a proper scan tool hooked up and view the misfire counts logged in history. As a tech, I must admit that the GM misfire monitor is hands down the best in the industry, to this day.

In fact, I just utilized that particular feature this afternoon: I had a 2016 Enclave come in with a "bucking under load" complaint. Sure enough, in 3rd gear it bucked and shook like crazy. I'd have sworn it was a misfire, however when I reviewed the misfire data there wasn't a single one to be found. Turns out, the bucking was the TCC slipping on application!
 
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Spray it out with brake parts cleaner or electrical contact cleaner and use a pencil eraser to scrub the contact. Pencil erasers are abrasive and pencils fit up into the cavity easily. Ink pen erasers are even more abrasive and will scrub the oxidized surface even better.
Works for me. I use erasers on all sorts of contacts like in flashlights, etc.
Thanks! I tried this and it helped. Everything it back together - see my reply to the next post though.
 
You should really have a proper scan tool hooked up and view the misfire counts logged in history. As a tech, I must admit that the GM misfire monitor is hands down the best in the industry, to this day.

In fact, I just utilized that particular feature this afternoon: I had a 2016 Enclave come in with a "bucking under load" complaint. Sure enough, in 3rd gear it bucked and shook like crazy. I'd have sworn it was a misfire, however when I reviewed the misfire data there wasn't a single one to be found. Turns out, the bucking was the TCC slipping on application!
As a matter of fact.... after putting everything back together and taking it for a drive, I didn't notice anything that seemed like a misfire, but I did notice it took longer to shift into 3rd than the other gears. I started driving this car about a year and a half ago after my daughter got her first job and bought something else, and this entire time I've noticed it stumbles or hesitates after shifting into 3rd, but it only does this one time per day, during the first time it's driven. Are these two events related, and is this a warning of a pending failure? I sent an ATF sample to Blackstone at 101,500 miles and it showed high in aluminum, copper and tin, but the report pointed out that if this was the first ATF fluid change since the factory fill, that might not be cause for alarm. Might be time to send another sample...
 
Compression test might be in order. Pour a bottle of Chevron/Techron injector cleaner in the tank.
Watch the coolant level. A seeping head gasket can wet the plugs with coolant and cause cold engine misfires.
 
Compression test might be in order. Pour a bottle of Chevron/Techron injector cleaner in the tank.
Watch the coolant level. A seeping head gasket can wet the plugs with coolant and cause cold engine misfires.
Of all things... I decided to pull the plugs to check for fouling and the #2 plug was so loose I could back it out almost by hand. The other three were a little tighter, but not by much. I was right there on Saturday when I was replacing the boots but was convinced the problem was with the connectors in the boot so I didn't pull the plugs. But you were right, thanks. It was a compression problem.
 
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