oil on all 4 spark plugs? WTF

[Ender_Zero]

i went to change out my spark plugs the other day, and every single one of them was soked in oil on the threads of the plug. what the crap does that mean?

[Mameluke]

my guess would be a valve cover leak. thats what happend with me, but only on one cylinder, it caused a misfire cuz it was soaked with oil including the plug wire.

[Ender_Zero]

maybe thats why im having really bad dip in my power band when my car isnt warmed up.....ill check out the valve cover tommorow

[crzycav86]

Check your oil level too

[RShih]

It's your head gasket...U BLEW THE HEAD GASKET... check that as well to make sure...

[DAEDALUS]

Not likely.

[240underconstruction]

take your radiator cap off and start your car if antifreeze flies up to the hood your head gasket is blown... did the plugs look like their was water in oil???

[skatanic28]

why dont you try takin off your cap and starting your car 240under....all it means is that your water pump is working. the cooling system is under pressure, what else can it do but shoot out the cap when you remove it? shouldnt be head gasket either.my vote is for valve cover.

[240underconstruction]

well skatanic if you read what i wrote i did say take the cap off and start the car and 9 times outta 10 if anti freeze blows out when you start it you head gasket is blowed...as far as the valve cover goes you might be right but i would check to make sure that the head gasket is blown

[240underconstruction]

well skatanic if you read what i wrote i did say take the cap off and start the car and 9 times outta 10 if anti freeze blows out when you start it you head gasket is blowed...as far as the valve cover goes you might be right but i would check to make sure that the head gasket isn't blown

[marshun]

if the headgasket is indeed blown then he water temp will rise. and so, taking off the radiator cap and letting the car warm up will indeed make the radiator over flow.

but this just sounds like a valve cover gasket. hopefully.

[shaughn]

I'm surprised by some of the answers here.

blown head gasket? why would the plug wire / hole be filled with oil?

it's a bad valve cover gasket, they go bad, they leak into the plug holes, and cause mis-fires.

it seems to be a common thing with 2nd gen probes (KL-03) and the KA engines..

[Keith]

Quote »why dont you try takin off your cap and starting your car 240under....all it means is that your water pump is working. the cooling system is under pressure, what else can it do but shoot out the cap when you remove it? [/quote]WRONG....have you ever worked on a car before? If the headgasket is fine STARTING the car will casue NOTHING to come out of the radiator, why? casue the water pump isnt moving much water and the system isnt up to pressure. A blown headgasket will, in SOME CASES casue excess cooling system pressure (if the gasket is blown between the waterjacket and combustion chamber) and will force combustion gasses out the radiator....ive used this test to verify/disprove several blown headgaskets, go and try it now, start the car with the cap off...nothing will happen....

Quote »if the headgasket is indeed blown then he water temp will rise. and so, taking off the radiator cap and letting the car warm up will indeed make the radiator over flow.[/quote]like i said before...it wont overflow, it will gieser water out(actually combustion gasses, but it will force water out with it.)....its not from being warm, and sometimes the water temp DOESNT go up (if there is enough coolant).I'm surprised by some of the answers here.

Quote »blown head gasket? why would the plug wire / hole be filled with oil?

it's a bad valve cover gasket, they go bad, they leak into the plug holes, and cause mis-fires.

it seems to be a common thing with 2nd gen probes (KL-03) and the KA engines.. [/quote]

im not surprised, im dissappointed. I came here for advice but it seems me and you know more then the posters on this thread. ANYTIME you have plug-through valvecover design you WILL get leaking on the plugs, My saturn does the SAME thing.

so no...its 100% NOT your damn headgasket....100% valvecover gasket

[frapjap]

Would the valve colver gasket lower compression in a cylinder if its shot?

[240underconstruction]

hey i didn't say 100% for sure that the head gasket was blown i just told him to check that.... ive never had to work on mine just change the starter but never any leaks or anything i was just suggesting that sorry for the inconvience

[DAEDALUS]

Would the valve colver gasket lower compression in a cylinder if its shot?

No.

[Keith]

Would the valve colver gasket lower compression in a cylinder if its shot?

No...the valve cover gasket just keeps the oil under the valve cover....it has NOTHING to do with compression..low compression on 1 cylender is either bad valves, rings or *possable* bad head gasket (it would go into the cooling system thow so a leakdown test will tell you whats up.)

Quote »hey i didn't say 100% for sure that the head gasket was blown i just told him to check that.... ive never had to work on mine just change the starter but never any leaks or anything i was just suggesting that sorry for the inconvience[/quote]

no need to appologise, your post was legit, i aimed my responce to those that flamed you about how to check the headgasket....

[frapjap]

Doesn't matter much to me, I am in the process of a swap, but I'd like to tell a potential buyer an idea of whats wrong. The valve/ring/gasket combo seems to be the norm. It was to much for me to fix though, so I'm letting it go.

[Ender_Zero]

heh, sorry i havent checked up on this thread guys, i dont have internet at my apt right now so i have to check from parents/friends/anyones computer.

no, my head gasket is not blown. i dont even have to check to tell you that.

i think the reason i have an odd power band is because my cat is clogged to freaking crap. that said, back to the subject.

i think i would agree with the valve cover gasket leaking, since this seems most plausable cause for oil being in there.

thanks alot for the help.