The vehicle is jerking and not firing and the plug number 4 is soaked with oil.
I started my car last weekend and drove it. After, about 5 minutes, it started jerking very badly and it wasn't firing. There was no fault indication on the screen. I have run a diagnostic test and it didn't reveal anything. My mechanic checked the plugs and discovered that the plug number 4 is soaked in oil. The vehicle is still jerking and that plug is still oil soaked. Even when we replaced the plug, it still had the same problem.
My car has 19000 miles.
My car has an automatic transmission.
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
Hi there. When a spark plug has excessive oil on the plug, then there is excessive oil getting into the cylinder. This will foul out the spark plug and cause a misfire. The misfire is causing the engine to be jerky. There are three areas that cause excessive oil in the cylinder.
The oil scraper rings on the piston is worn and causing the oil to not crape down off the cylinder wall.
The Positive Crankcase Ventilation Valve (PCV) is plugged up causing the crankcase to over pressurize forcing the oil into the cylinder.
The valve guide seal on the intake valve is split or damaged causing oil to puddle up on the intake valve and being sucked in on the intake stroke.
Check the above areas and one of them will be the cause and repair to your symptom. If you need further assistance with your engine having excessive oil on the spark plugs, then seek out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
Our sources include academic articles, blog posts, and personal essays from experienced mechanics :
Backfiring
In severe cases, an engine can even begin backfiring due to the presence of oil contaminated spark plugs. This comes as the result of less than ideal combustion efficiency. That said, a fuel related issue or a faulty ignition coil could also be the actual cause.
A leak from your O-rings or the spark plug tube seal is usually the main culprit behind the oil on spark plugs. The spark plug tube seals keep your spark plugs dry by keeping engine oil and coolant out. Failing O-rings can cause engine oil to leak into your spark plug well and onto your spark plugs.
If you found oil has entered the spark plug tube galley then the oil may have shorted out all the coils and plug wires causing the engine no start.
Engine misfiring can occur in any of the engine`s cylinders due to incomplete fuel/air mixture combustion. With oil in the spark plug well, the plug is less likely to generate enough spark to complete the ignition of the gas/air mixture. As a result, you will begin to notice misfiring in your vehicle`s engine.
Specifically, if the PCV valve malfunctions, or is stuck open, it allows some of the oil that is used to lubricate the pistons and cylinders to escape. This wayward oil can then find its way to the surface of the engine`s spark plugs, resulting in a condition known as “oil fouling.”
Engine oil leaks commonly develop from the camshaft end plugs, cylinder head, valve cover gaskets, and spark plug tube seals. Oil leaking into the spark plug tubes can cause the engine to misfire.
Constant exposure to high temperatures, high pressures, vibrations and contact with hot fluids over a period of time will cause even the best gasket or seal to develop leaks. Except for very rare cases of catastrophic failure, gasket leaks start out as small drips that you may first notice as spots under your car.
When a spark plug well fills with oil, it means that the O-ring that seals the well to keep out oil and debris has deteriorated and started to leak. Although the leak can sometimes be fixed by tightening the valve cover bolts, more often than not the valve cover gasket and well seals will need to be replaced.
Oil damage is another cause of ignition coil repairs. If a customer comes in for parts relating to an oil leak, the spark plugs and ignition coils might also have been damaged and in need of replacement.
Blown Head Gasket
Motor oil can get into the combustion chamber if you have a blown head gasket and leak into your plug wells and onto your spark plug threads.
Overflowing engine oil can also lead to bent engine rods and collapsed valve pipes. Spark plug fouling – Excess oil can find its way into spark plugs, which will then need to be replaced.
If the spark fires in the wrong cylinder at the wrong time, this is sure to lead to a backfire, among other problems! This problem can also occur if the spark plug wires are crossed, say, after having your spark plugs replaced — but, again, modern cars have engineered this problem away for the most part.
On an older car with spark plug wires, wires that get crossed or installed in the wrong order can inadvertently cause a spark to fire in a cylinder when it`s not supposed to. This could cause a significant backfire.
If the spark fires in the wrong cylinder at the wrong time, this is sure to lead to a backfire, among other problems! This problem can also occur if the spark plug wires are crossed, say, after having your spark plugs replaced — but, again, modern cars have engineered this problem away for the most part.
Another possible cause of your backfire is a spark plug refusing to “spark” when the exhaust valve opens. If the air/fuel mixture has become too rich, unburned fuel is left in the exhaust system. The misfired spark plug ignites the rich air/fuel mixture, causing a loud “bang” in the tail pipe.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
The vehicle is jerking and not firing and the plug number 4 is soaked with oil.
ANSWER : Hi there. When a spark plug has excessive oil on the plug, then there is excessive oil getting into the cylinder. This will foul out the spark plug and cause a misfire. The misfire is causing the engine to be jerky. There are three areas that cause excessive oil in the cylinder.
The oil scraper rings on the piston is worn and causing the oil to not crape down off the cylinder wall.
The Positive Crankcase Ventilation Valve (PCV) is plugged up causing the crankcase to over pressurize forcing the oil into the cylinder.
The valve guide seal on the intake valve is split or damaged causing oil to puddle up on the intake valve and being sucked in on the intake stroke.
Check the above areas and one of them will be the cause and repair to your symptom. If you need further assistance with your engine having excessive oil on the spark plugs, then seek out a professional, such as one from Your Mechanic, to help you.
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.
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.
Oil was leaking, put in over 4 qts of oil and oil leak stopper. White smoke coming tailpipe,engine shakes, car dies. Oil leaking.
ANSWER : Oil additives are not recommended by any vehicle manufacturer for any reason. Additives that purport to resolve oil leaks are useless, a waste of your money, and may result in engine damage. Every vehicle manufacturer strongly recommends against use of these materials. There is only one recommended and approved repair strategy when it comes to oil leaks: fix the leak.
You can only add the manufacturer specified amount of oil to an engine. If you add too much oil, or too little oil, that will cause engine damage. You should check the engine oil dipstick to determine if there is presently too much oil in the engine. If there is too much, the excess will have to be removed to prevent engine damage.
The leak that you are referring to can be repaired if you request an oil leak diagnostic. If you have further questions or concerns as you decide what to do, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic because we want you to make the most of your repair dollars and help you get the best possible results.
Oil drain plug and pan missing after oil change
ANSWER : Hello there, this is a rare accident that can occur when oil changes are performed. In this type of situation, an oil sample is taken and sent off to a facility that can perform an oil analysis. This is done to determine if the lack of oil is caused by long-term damage or if there is any metal in the oil. With the dealer taking weekly oil readings, they are attempting to see if your Suzuki Vitara has excessive oil consumption that would indicate an issue. This is something that can take some time to show symptoms and diagnose. If you would like to have this checked elsewhere, a certified technician from YourMechanic can come to your car’s location to inspect the relevant systems and let you know how to best proceed.
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.
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.
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.
