Base Engine Misfire with Abnormal Internal Lower Engine Noises

WARNING: This page is about a different car, the 2009 Saturn Vue. However, it is still accessible from the selected car via links, so may be relevant.

Cause	Correction
Abnormalities-severe cracking, bumps or missing areas in the accessory drive belt Abnormalities in the accessory drive system and/or components may cause engine RPM variations, noises similar to a faulty lower engine and also lead to a misfire condition. A misfire code may be present without an actual misfire condition.	Replace the drive belt. Refer to Drive Belt Tensioner Replacement .
Worn, damaged, or mis-aligned accessory drive components or excessive pulley runout-A misfire code may be present without an actual misfire condition.	Inspect the components, repair or replace as required.
Loose or improperly installed engine flywheel or crankshaft balancer-A misfire code may be present without an actual misfire condition.	Repair or replace the flywheel and/or balancer as required. Refer to Engine Flywheel Replacement or Crankshaft Balancer Replacement .
Worn piston rings-Oil consumption may or may not cause the engine to misfire.	Inspect the spark plugs for oil deposits. Refer to Spark Plug Inspection . Inspect the cylinders for a loss of compression. Refer to Engine Compression Test . Perform cylinder leak down and compression testing to determine the cause. Repair or replace as required.
Worn crankshaft thrust bearings- Severely worn thrust surfaces on the crankshaft and/or thrust bearing may permit fore and aft movement of the crankshaft and create a DTC without an actual misfire condition.	Replace the crankshaft and bearings as required.