Plug wire for cylinder #3 double firing?

[AWDWINTERBEATER]

On my '91 TSI, plug wire for cylinder #3 is at 1600rpm but plug wires for cylinders #1, #2, #4 are all reading 800rpm. Plug wires are only a few months old. Noticed the problem after installing a GM MAF and MAF translator. I don't see how the MAF could be related to it though. Does anyone have a possible solution or what I should look at? I plan to swap out the coil pack and see if that is the problem.

 

[Colossus]

It can't be that way. Piston #3 is related to number 2, correct? If not, either way, it's still firing at the exact same time as another one is. It's impossible to have 1 firing twice as fast as the others, because they're all connected to the same crank, which has to rotate at the speed of all the pistons firing. So, if you have one firing at 800rpm, the rest have to be firing at 800 rpm, because the crank is turning at a rate equal to that of 800rpm. It can't instnatly jump from 800 to 1600 and back again everytime one cylinder fires, especially when two cylinders are firing at the same time.

 

[Tevenor]

Clarify.

You are talking about the spark? There is no physical way that cylinder 3 could be rotating at 1600 rpm when the other 3 are at 800.

I will give you a day then it get's bumped to the newbie forum.

 

[dthquazi1]

how could you even meter that? What is it doing for you to even notice that?

 

[AWDWINTERBEATER]

Clarify.

You are talking about the spark? There is no physical way that cylinder 3 could be rotating at 1600 rpm when the other 3 are at 800.

I will give you a day then it get's bumped to the newbie forum.

Ya sorry, I will clarify my question, I was half asleep when I wrote the question. The spark plug wire for cylinder #3 is reading out at double the RPM in comparison to the others when I attach a timing light lead to the plug wire. Possible solutions?

 

[AWDWINTERBEATER]

Original post edited to show correct question.

 

[Talon007]

It could be too close to another wire and picking up a signal from it.

Why are you cheking the timing with the #3 wire anyways?

 

[Defiant]

1&3 and 2&4 are both firing at the same time, just like a motorcycle. No distributor. Waste spark.

Yes, you're probably picking up a false signal.

 

[AWDWINTERBEATER]

It could be too close to another wire and picking up a signal from it.

Why are you cheking the timing with the #3 wire anyways?

The car sounds like it is missing when it is idling. So I checked the timing and it was fine. So I put the lead on each of the plug wires and the display for the timing light was reading around 1600rpm for the cylinder #3 plug wire but the other three read out at 800rpm. I moved the wires around when I was checking it but nothing changed.

 

[Korndogg]

i don't know shit about this... but is it at all concievable that #3 is shorted with #2 or #4? i'm thinking if this is the case, it must be sparking while there's just exhaust in the cylinder or else there would be a lot more than strange idle?

*shrug* just throwin sh¡t into the wind