Just replaced spark plugs and wires and my car is still miss firing and I can’t pin point why and my old spark plug is oil covered
So I just replaced my spark plugs and plug wires and I'm still having a misfire in cylinder number 2 of my 1998 Ford Contour and it lacking getting up to speed I also noticed oil in the plug what does that mean
My car has 151135 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
Hello there, many faults will cause your 1988 Ford Contour to have a misfire even after the spark plugs were replaced. When oil is seen on the spark plug this indicates that the valve cover is leaking onto the plugs. When this happens it fouls the plugs and can cause a misfire. Until the oil leak is addressed the spark plugs will continue to become fouled. If the misfire persists there are many potential causes such as the plug wires, fuel pump, vacuum leak, oxygen sensor, MAF sensor, or the cap & rotor. A qualified Technician such as one from YourMechanic will be able to diagnose your misfire fault and make any repairs required to resolve the issue.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
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You might get a misfire code after spark plug replacement for an individual cylinder like a P0303. The code indicates a misfire in cylinder three. Sometimes the spark plug is dropped, and the ground electrode and the center electrode can make contact. Or the problem could be with the connection to the coil.
Most new spark plugs are packed with plastic or paper sleeves to protect the air gap during shipping. When a sleeve protector is present, the air gap is usually correct. The potential for inadvertently creating a misfire is very real when installing new spark plugs.
Loss of spark is caused by anything that prevents coil voltage from jumping the electrode gap at the end of the spark plug. This includes worn, fouled or damaged spark plugs, bad plug wires or a cracked distributor cap.
After you`ve changed your spark plugs, you should start up your engine to make sure they`re working as they should. If your engine starts up without a hitch, you can pat yourself on the back for a job done right.
A clogged or failed exhaust gas recirculation or crankcase ventilation valve or faulty oxygen sensor can send the wrong signals to the computer and cause misfires.
The most common causes of misfires are worn, improperly installed, and mishandled spark plugs, malfunctioning ignition coils, carbon tracking, faulty spark plug wires and vacuum leaks.
Yes. While the damage may seem small initially, the longer you drive with a bad oxygen sensor, the worse the damage will become. Eventually, you may experience rough idling, poor acceleration, engine misfires, an illuminated check engine light, and failed emission tests.
A Bad Crankshaft Position Sensor
The crankshaft position sensor monitors the position and rotational speeds of the crankshaft. Without the crank sensor, the engine control module (ECM) wouldn`t know when to fire the fuel injectors and ignite the spark plugs.
In most cases, you`ll see a noticeable difference in performance after replacing your spark plugs and wires. The engine will run smoother and faster, and the car will have better acceleration. You may also notice an improvement in fuel economy.
Ensure the engine is off and cool, and spray WD-40 Multi-Use Product on a clean, soft cloth. Rub over the chosen area, or spray the spark plug wires and the inside and outside of your distributor cap with WD-40.
A spark plug blow out occurs when the spark plug is fastened too tightly or not tight enough to the engine plug. The result is that the spark plug itself cannot properly channel the electric charge from the plug to the engine block, and the spark plug breaks down.
Is it safe to spray WD-40 in a spark plug hole? Yes. WD40 is a water displacer, not a very good lubricant, and a bit of a solvent. If you need to spray anything int he cyclinder, it should be a penetrant like PB Blaster or even some oil.
No reset. You can reset adaptions but that isn`t necessary.
Oxygen sensors are a common cause of “check engine” lights. This sensor is located in the emission control system of your car, and is standard on all vehicles manufactured after 1980. The oxygen sensors are used to ensure that your engine is burning the correct amount of fuel, and running at peak performance.
If you start to experience engine misfires, stalling, or rough idling when the car is stopped, it can also be a warning sign of a failing TPS. You don`t want to wait to get this checked out! If the idling appears off, it means the computer is unable to identify the fully shut throttle.
The type “A” misfire is the most serious condition and indicates impending catalyst damage. If detected, the Malfunction Indicator Lamp (MIL) may flash once per second to alert the driver that immediate service is required.
Dirty fuel injectors may cause your vehicle`s engine to misfire. This problem makes the motor feel as though it is sputtering — sending vibrations through the car. Such misfires can happen when a fuel injector problem mixes up the delicate balance between fuel and air entering the engine.
A leaky head gasket will usually cause multiple cylinders to misfire, especially ones next to each other. If you move a few spark plugs around and the issue stays localized within certain cylinders instead of localized to problematic spark plugs, you should check your head gasket.
Oxygen sensor failure can often be traced to one of three common factors: Age and high mileage, an internal contaminant (poisoning) or an electrical issue. One or two wire unheated oxygen sensors should be inspected or replaced every 30,000 miles.
The catalytic converter, or cat for short, is responsible for removing harmful emissions from the exhaust. If the two O2 sensors collectively sense that the oxygen levels don`t change significantly after running through the cat, it`s a sign of a bad catalytic converter.
MALFUNCTIONING AND FAILED SENSORS Oxygen sensors can fail when the sensor`s ceramic element is exposed to certain types of silicone compounds or when an oil-burning engine leads to the sensor becoming oil-fouled. Also, a small amount of tetra-ethyl lead in the gasoline can kill an oxygen sensor.
If the ignition relay shorts, burns out, or otherwise fails while the engine is operating it will cut off power to the fuel pump and ignition system. This will cause the vehicle to immediately stall due to fuel and spark being cut off.
The ESC module is one of the components that directly controls engine spark, so if it fails, it can leave the vehicle without spark. A vehicle without spark may still crank, but will not be able to start or run.
Malfunctioning spark plugs can result in increased fuel consumption and emissions because of incomplete combustion. The lack of proper acceleration is another sign of faulty spark plugs in a car. This causes the engine to not respond and struggle to increase speeds when the accelerator pedal is depressed.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
Just replaced spark plugs and wires and my car is still miss firing and I can’t pin point why and my old spark plug is oil covered
ANSWER : Hello there, many faults will cause your 1988 Ford Contour to have a misfire even after the spark plugs were replaced. When oil is seen on the spark plug this indicates that the valve cover is leaking onto the plugs. When this happens it fouls the plugs and can cause a misfire. Until the oil leak is addressed the spark plugs will continue to become fouled. If the misfire persists there are many potential causes such as the plug wires, fuel pump, vacuum leak, oxygen sensor, MAF sensor, or the cap & rotor. A qualified Technician such as one from YourMechanic will be able to diagnose your misfire fault and make any repairs required to resolve the issue.
think i put wrong oil in car went few miles lose power car dies oil in spark plugs still starts low oil blinking light before die.
ANSWER : Hello. If you put too thick of an oil in the car, then you may have damaged the engine bearings but this should not have caused oil to get in to the spark plugs unless the oil got into the intake of the engine or one of the pistons rings broke. If you ran it without oil and then tried to put oil in thinking it would be okay after that, then you were not that lucky and broke or damaged all of the rings on the pistons. If you would like to have this looked over, a certified professional from YourMechanic can come to your car’s location to inspect the stalling issue and go over all of the relevant systems for a better diagnosis.
Spark plug chaos. Rubber stoppers are preventing the spark plugs from coming out.
ANSWER : Hi there. Try using a pair of small needle nose pliers to pull off the rubber boots from the spark plugs. As you pull, twist the rubber boots to break them free. If you cannot get the rubber boots off, then try using some mineral oil on the boots to aid them off, then clean off the oil with soap and water with degreaser. If you need further assistance with removing the boots from the spark plugs, then seek out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you.
Engine will not stay started. I have replaced idle control valve map sensor spark plugs spark plug wires no check engine light is
ANSWER : You have a problem with the distributor assembly. I recommend replacing the distributor assembly. This will replace all the possible sensors and coil for the ignition and fix the problem you have.
lost all oil pressure, replaced the oil pump, low oil sensor, oil pressure sensor, oil pan gasket,
ANSWER : The fuel pump will not stay on if you loose oil pressure. This is why it is shutting off. The loss of oil pressure may be from bad crankshaft bearings or camshaft bearings. The engine oil pan should be removed and the oil pump needs to be checked to ensure that you put in the pick up tube seal to the pump and connected the pump to the block. Then remove at least one main bearing cap and inspect the bearings for excessive wear and crankshaft damage. If you need some help with this, consider YourMechanic, as a certified technician can help diagnose the issue with your oil pressure firsthand and help you fix it accordingly.
The car is not firing. There is oil on the plug number 4
ANSWER : Oil on the spark plugs is never a good sign. if the oil is on the outside of the spark plug, you probably have a leaking valve cover seal. If the oil is on the inside (business side) of the spark plug the most likely origin for the oil would be bad piston rings or bad valve stem seals. If your car really only has 18000 miles on it, it may be covered by the manufacturers warranty. You will have to go to the dealer’s service department for that. If you don’t want to go in cold, you might want to have a technician check out your car and give you an opinion as to what is wrong. Contact Your Mechanic to have a technician come out to your home or office and check out your spark plug problem and render an opinion on what it will take to solve it.
Are thse current and relevant prices for this service, and how long does it take? REPLACE AUX VACUUM PUMP (OIL LEAKING FROM A
ANSWER : Hi there. It really depends on who provided you with this diagnosis as to how long the repairs would take to complete. In regards to not including the seals listed at the bottom, this is not advised. The seals protect the components from leaking and will also reduce the potential of overheating on your vehicle.
I have a engine miss codes po174 po420 are on now I had code multiple cylinder miss fire. I changed spark plug wires and plugs l
ANSWER : Hi there. Your issue might be caused by a faulty O2 sensor. You might want to read this article about the P0174 OBD-II trouble code as it will show you possible causes, symptoms and solutions to resolve the problems.
