bad plugs?? or other ignition?

[white 2g awd]

well, last couple weeks, my car has had a little bit of a miss problem at idle, now, i go out to start it, and i have to crank it tons of times, and i don't know why, but if i press on the gas it starts a little sooner, then it misses at idle, and some backfires at about 1k rpm on low throttle, just cruising, or if i rev it to 2k it will fall back down and backfire at about 1k....basically, does this sound like bad plugs??? hopefully, i've searched a bit, and it seems like plugs, i don't have a car right now to go get any, thats why i'm just going to go ahead and ask here, thanks for the help.

Dustin

 

[white 2g awd]

oh yea, another thing, i don't want to drive it, its having alot of hesitation and sputtering i guess i could call it (getting tired of getting stranded out in BFE), and i noticed i'm having like a black fluid shooting out of my exhaust tip, i have a black spot where ever i go...i don't really know whats up with that though, maybe cause i don't have a cat?

 

[96TSi_Chris]

Pull the plugs and check them out. Post your results on the color and condition.

 

[Twizzle]

if you have no other means of transportation and if your lucky enough to have a shop within a mile or so from your house, you can file the spark plugs (if that is the problem) just to get you there, then change em in the parking lot (make sure you bring your gapper) and drive home. im only sayin this cause when i first got my car, the plugs were blacker than black, i sprayed em with brake cleaner, filed the tips and got rid of most carbon, drove 2 miles, picked up plugs, changed em in the parkin lot, and now my car runs as smooth as butta.