coolent in spark plugs
03-30-2008, 04:46 PM
#1
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Location: markham
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coolent in spark plugs
if there is coolent in one of the spark plugs does that mean the headgasket is no good?
today my car started sputtering alot out of no were. i would accelerate and it would start sputtering.
today my car started sputtering alot out of no were. i would accelerate and it would start sputtering.
03-30-2008, 06:56 PM
#3
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k well this is wat i did after
i checked the plugs while the car was idling
pulled out 1 wire at a time and engine would drop rpm and wen i plug back in itll idle higher agian, on cylinder 2 when i pulled the wire out no change in engine. so i removed the plug and switched it with 1 of the other plugs, and pulled that same wire and engine stayed te same so figured that the plug is bad so im gona change that tomorrow
non of the plugs are wet at the electrode so that canceld out the head gasket, but i did wash down my engine on friday so im assuming that that was the water that seeped down were the plugs are,
i also removed each plug 1 at a time and cranked the motor over only the water that was sitting in there shot out the top no other water came out so that ruled out the headgasket aswel.
also i noticed smoke coming from behind the intake when i left the car to idle while checking it and noticed the cat glowing red so i jus shut it off and let it cool down a bit.
im wondering if the cat is blocked up the exhaust gas is going back into the engine would that make the engine sputter aswell? like when i have it in gear and accelerate i cant get rpm's higher than 2 - 3000 but wen i rev it in neutral it revs normally,
car is 5spd by teh way.
i checked the plugs while the car was idling
pulled out 1 wire at a time and engine would drop rpm and wen i plug back in itll idle higher agian, on cylinder 2 when i pulled the wire out no change in engine. so i removed the plug and switched it with 1 of the other plugs, and pulled that same wire and engine stayed te same so figured that the plug is bad so im gona change that tomorrow
non of the plugs are wet at the electrode so that canceld out the head gasket, but i did wash down my engine on friday so im assuming that that was the water that seeped down were the plugs are,
i also removed each plug 1 at a time and cranked the motor over only the water that was sitting in there shot out the top no other water came out so that ruled out the headgasket aswel.
also i noticed smoke coming from behind the intake when i left the car to idle while checking it and noticed the cat glowing red so i jus shut it off and let it cool down a bit.
im wondering if the cat is blocked up the exhaust gas is going back into the engine would that make the engine sputter aswell? like when i have it in gear and accelerate i cant get rpm's higher than 2 - 3000 but wen i rev it in neutral it revs normally,
car is 5spd by teh way.
Last edited by thusee; 03-30-2008 at 07:02 PM.
03-30-2008, 07:11 PM
#4
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a blown head gasket could lead to many problems. what is the recommended mileage for the head gasket change ? or is it that you change it when u start having problems from it .. Also, what would be the best replacement for the head gasket? OEM or some aftermakret brand such as Buddy Club or Greddy etc. ?
Last edited by D C 2; 03-30-2008 at 07:17 PM.
03-30-2008, 09:41 PM
#5
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Location: Brampton
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After washing your engine it's a good idea to let it idle until most of the water dries up. That way you dont get that problem, also water sitting around will lead to corrosion.
Check your coolant, do you see any oil mixed in the coolant, good way to check if you have a bad head gasket. Does not always work though.
The cat glowing means your engine is running rich, maybe you have a misfire. You should get that checked out so that you dont ruin anything else in your car.
You cat is bocked so under load (in any gear) the exhaust gases cannot flow through the blocked cat. Therefore, you can only rev up to like 3000 RPM. Engine running rich will have a high content of HC (unburned fuel) which will burn in your cat leading to very hot temps (thats why the cat is glowing red). Over time, the cat will melt inside and get blocked.
Get your car checked out and replace the cat!
Ps. Head gaskets dont fall under a maintanence service, they should have to be replaced unless their is a problem. When choosing replacement it really depends on the application. Everyday driver just stick to OEM but for race application or if your a tuner Performance is the way to go!
Check your coolant, do you see any oil mixed in the coolant, good way to check if you have a bad head gasket. Does not always work though.
The cat glowing means your engine is running rich, maybe you have a misfire. You should get that checked out so that you dont ruin anything else in your car.
You cat is bocked so under load (in any gear) the exhaust gases cannot flow through the blocked cat. Therefore, you can only rev up to like 3000 RPM. Engine running rich will have a high content of HC (unburned fuel) which will burn in your cat leading to very hot temps (thats why the cat is glowing red). Over time, the cat will melt inside and get blocked.
Get your car checked out and replace the cat!
Ps. Head gaskets dont fall under a maintanence service, they should have to be replaced unless their is a problem. When choosing replacement it really depends on the application. Everyday driver just stick to OEM but for race application or if your a tuner Performance is the way to go!
03-30-2008, 10:07 PM
#6
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at first i thought it was coolent in the plugs area but it wasnt it was jus the water from the wash. ye im changing my cat tomorrow and the plugs 1 of them is dead so only 3 are firing. so gona change that to. ill post up again tomorrow afternoon after i change these.
03-31-2008, 06:37 PM
#7
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well so far it seems to have worked what i did. i changed my plugs with oem honda plugs from formula..., and changed my distributor cap aswell and so far i dont have any problems, the cat seems to be ok it was just glowing red because 1 cylinder wasnt firing so all that fuel went through the exhaust and lit up in the cat i guess so therefore higher heat there and it started glowing,
