Any Help/suggestions Please?

[Trudge]

I bought a 1999 V Reg IS200 auto 2 weeks ago. For the first week all fine and driving well then last Wednesday I set off from traffic lights, the car lost power briefly then sounded chuggy and on came the check engine and flashing TRC OFF lights.

I took it to my usual garage on Thursday and they told me the only code was a misfire on Cylinder 2 which they had cleared and checked all 6 plugs which seemed fine.

I drive it yesterday and it was fine and no problems but today when I went out in it it sounded a bit "chuggy" which I put down to the cold and set off out in it. After about a mile and a half the car lost power again and on came the check engine and flashing TRC lights. I drove straight home (at low speed as the car wouldn't let me drive faster - limp mode?).

When I got home I had a look at the engine which smelt hot and where the lamda sensor connects was glowing bright red.

I had bought a code reader off eBay and the errors showing are Multiple misfires and misfire on cylinder 2 and cylinder 3.

I am very worried I have made a bad buy. Can anyone suggest what the problem with the car may be?

[steve2006]

Coil packs are a common fail on the IS200 and some people would recommend replacing all 6 with OEM units, the glowing cat would confirm a misfire problem so unburnt fuel is entering the cat,left too long it will cause damage to it.

[Trudge]

Thanks for the response Steve.

A friend who is more familiar with cars than me has suggested that as the random misfires are just on Bank 1, that it could

be a blocked pre-cat on that bank. Is that also a possibility?

I have read a number of posts about coil failure but can 2, 3, 4 or more really all fail simultaneously?

[Hadrian]

I have a problem which manifested itself yesterday. Going out for the first time in a while, and when I put my foot down,

it went into "chug" mode. Got home and when checked it showed a misfire on Cylinder 3. Hopefully a duff plug, but probably

a coil.  The car has only done 28,500 miles, but I suppose they can fail at any time ?  I've only had it happen before on a Diesel

VW Caddy van.

 

Are the cylinders numbered from the front or back ?  (To save me looking through the manual)