i just pulled my 4th cylinder injector....and idk what a bad one looks like but it doesnt look bad to me

 

the plug wires are are fine. car is really aggravating me now. ive done and went over the spark plugs and wires and stuff earlier in the thread. the wires are fine. the plugs r brand new. the distributor is a few months old. im going to have the oil prob fixedby a mechaic. i just want to know why it running the way it is and want to try to fixthat problem so i can tke it to get my oil fixed.

 

From the picture, I see an oil stain around the spark plug closest to the driver's side. Where did that stain come from? I was wondering if oil filled the tube that holds the spark plug.

Remove the distributor cap and see if there is oil or rust inside. Inspect the contacts for the distributor cap and check out the rotor.

 

yea im pretty sure thts just spilled oil frm putting oil in... though i have cleaned that off before, but if its not just a spill idk where its coming from. there was nothing wrong with th cylinders, plugs or wires around it so idk. theres no crack in it...
and i will try to check out the distributor tomorrw if can find a screw driver small enough to get that screw in the back. what would the rust come from?

 

The bearing grease dries out and the bearing rust. That is the red dust that would coat the inside of the distributor. I think you can use an 8mm socket with extensions to get the cap removed. Check the contacts and rotor face to see if they are worn out.

Also, the firing order is cylinder 1, 3, 4, 2. Do you have the spark plug wires connected in that order on the distributor cap. Start at plug #1 on the cap, the next wire clockwise should be 3, then 4, then 2?

 

yes i know its firing order and yes its right. it hsnt ben doing this thingits doing for more than 2 or 3 weeks. i havent moved the plug wires.

 

We keep going around in circles to determine why the car is running poorly. Do you have a compression tester? Do you have a timing light?

A poor running engine can be from poor spark, timing, fuel, air, or compression.

The code 74 is an OBD2 code P0304. I find it strange that you did not get other code(s) for the O2 sensor or the catalytic converter you were mentioning before.

I wonder if you swapped the injector between cylinder 1 and 4, if you would get a code 71? That would point to an injector problem.

You can clean the EGR port that goes through the upper intake. You will have to remove the throttle body and the upper part of the intake (#10) to access the EGR port. I highlighted it in yellow. Use a pipe cleaner and brake cleaner to remove most of the carbon.

 

thats just one code that it read to me. when i hook it up to the code reader 6 or 7 different cods com up. i have previous ones saved in my fone i will post on here, but i have had it hooked up since then and other different codes came up, but i didnt save them so here r the older codes
p0301-p0304
p0300
p1399?? (i couldnt find what this code is for)
i know i have a vtec malfunction and i believe its caused by my oil issue since im not getting the correct oil pressure due to my leak. and i wish i had a timing light. id love to have one of those right now. until i find my issue or get some accurate codes i think ill leave this forum alone.

 

o yea and the vtec malfunction code p1259

 

What's more important is the codes that come back after clearing them. It may be that some of the old codes are 'left-over' from past problems that have been fixed.