EDIT - Stpaulguy is rarely wrong, and this is not one of those rare occasions. Rockauto.com is rarely wrong, either, but they are this time. They show only a single coil for the 2000 Malibu, one distributor gasket, and no coil packs. Everybody else has the coil packs Stpaulguy describes. NAPA has only coil packs, no single coils, and three distributor parts... go figure. Anyway, probably no distributor in any version (what part of the cam would drive it?) and that makes the coil pack the top suspect. Simple enough; check for spark at the coil pack output and at the end of the wire.
But another concern nags at me. Your 2000 GM V6 is in the prime zone for lower intake manifold gasket failure. The IMGs used in all the GM V6 and V8 engines between 1996 and 2005 were incompatible with the Dexcool coolant GM mandated, and model years around 2000 are failing especially often now. I would recommend checking the coolant level and removing the #1 spark plug to see if it is wet and smells like coolant. There was a settlement on a class action suit regarding these engines but the window for claims is closed.
This engine does NOT have a distributor. It has a distributor-less ignition system (also called a waste spark system). It uses coil packs that are fired by the ign control module.
Robert is correct that these vehicles had a high failure rate on intake gaskets. But that's not the most likely cause. Always start with the simplest and cheapest parts. Start by checking condition of the spark plugs and wires. If they have more than 80,000 miles on them, replace them. If that doesn't correct the problem, do a compression and cylinder leakdown test to rule out valve/ring or head gasket issues.
I was driving home from work and the check engine light started flashing at me and the car all of a sudden started running extremely rough. It idles rough but gets worse as you drive. The whole car was shaking so bad I didn't think I would be able to get it home. I had it scanned and it read there is a cylinder 1 misfire. My boyfriend also said he thought it smelled like rotten eggs but wasn't positive. I don't know much about cars but was hoping someone could give me some places to start looking at first. I have only had this car for two months and the family member that gave it to me said he changed the spark plugs and oil recently and that I should check the distributor but I'm not sure how much he actually knows about cars. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
It is evident to me that you or anyone you may know doesn't know about cars or engines or you would have checked the distributor and mentioned the results in the question. So what good would it do to tell you what we think? Maybe it would be wise to take the vehicle to a repair shop and not spend money for things that will only be guesses.
the light is flashing because a situation is such that will destroy a part of the system. i have to assume the cat will fail. a miss will do that. the cat loads up with raw fuel and that will coke up the catalysts rendering it useless. pull codes and see what the issue is. po300-po306 is what i am presuming for a random misfire (po300) 301 to 306 are cylinder specific.
FlagMichael the non-mechanic is WRONG as usual. Your engine has NO distributor.
Honest to goodness a Chevrolet Dealership will test the FLASHING CODE (the worse type) and tell you *exactly what is causing it. More than likely it will be a spark plug or ignition wires.
Sounds like you may have a head gasket leak.if you have any friends that you know work on cars i would ask them to check it out for you .Its hard to say without actually seeing the car but those cars are notorious for head gasket going bad But .here's a list of inexpensive things you can look for.. 1. Check to make sure all the spark plug wires aren't touching oR arching on the hot exhaust manifold.. 2 .then check your wires for any splits or damage if so its time to change them.3.check spark plugs PULL THEM OUT ,if there black change them be sure to gap them at the correct specifications if you don't know what gaping means ask auto parts clerk.4. if its still driving rough check your air filter if it looks filthy change it change it .i had alot more stuff for you but yahoo only let me put this much.. if none of this works take to a shop..
Look for a mechanic first! If you just try guessing when you know absolutely nothing about diagnosing and repairing a motor you're just going to waste money! Why do people always think they can play mechanic?!
Where should you look first?
You should first look at the reason why anyone would just give you a car.
If the car were any good, they would have sold it to you , instead of giving it to you.
Hello?
