Smashed Electrode / Oil In Cylinder!!!

[Maxx Mazda]

Got a flashing CEL this morning. Pulled the spark plugs cause it was misfiring, and my #1 cylinder plug's electrode is touching the plug. (No gap) the rest of the plugs were fine. I havent' checked VICS Screws yet, but that may be the cause, although the plug does not look like the damage was mechanical. It simply looks like the electrode just bent.

Looked down into the cylinder, and I can see a thin layer of oil on top of the piston. I swabbed a bit of it, and it's black as ****. The rest of the engine oil is fine. Now, I'm worried. If this was a VICS screw case (I removed my VTCS long ago) could this thing be stuck in my turbo? I heard no rattling or anything whatsoever when the misfire occured, so I'm stumped. I don't know that the oil on the piston is such a good thing either. Blown piston ring?

 

[RaiderMS3]

If it is not the screw, them perhaps a chunk of piston flew up and smashed it. The easy blame is the VCTS/ViCS screws though, even though you have an 2002. If the piece of piston, perhaps a chunk of cylinder or head, or that friggin screw of doom passed out the exhaust valve, it may be in the turbo. Time to tear it apart.

That sucks, man. Let me know if I or even Street Unit can help to get you back on the road.

 

[Protephile]

The damaged spark plug could be from the screw but it doesn't seem like it. The only problems I've read (and encountered with my own car) are cylinder#4, 2003 models.
Sounds like something more serious internally to me.

 

[Maxx Mazda]

Just re-gapped plug, and started the car after resetting ECU. It runs fine now, no CEL. I was doing some HARD runs at the track on Friday, and burnt out my clutch in the process lol! But ya, I was down half a quart of oil from when I topped it up on friday, but turbo cars do burn oil when they're run hard, so I can chock that up to that. Now do I chock this smashed plug up to a fluke> Could excessive boost do that? I had one spike up to 12psi (only for 0.0005 seconds) 2 days before I went racing, but after that I pulled plugs, etc and all was well. I'm gonan drive gently for a day or two here. I took the stethascope to the turbo, head, valve cover, etc while the car was idling and found no abnormal rattles or anything to speak of. So maybe it wasn't a screw, cause that thing would have never gotten past the turbine and would rattle around like a beeotch. Any more ideas keep them coming!

 

[LinuxRacr]

The screw will cause the plug to look like it did. I've seen it.

 

[kudakev615]

hope the cel didnt flash for too long. it flashes when the cat reaches 5k degrees and your risking servere damage to it.

 

[mspeedP5]

Dude,
Our problem is that we live north of 49.
Take a look at the oil in my intake manifold....

 

[kudakev615]

(omg) (omg) (omg) (omg)so your saying you always have much oil entering your combustion chamber?

 

[mspeedP5]

(omg) (omg) (omg) (omg)so your saying you always have much oil entering your combustion chamber?

No... I'm saying that the magnetic energy of the North Pole is drawing the oil into the upper regions of our engines that it should otherwise not be found! This is a phenomena only found in regions north of the 49th parallel. The price we pay for living in paradise I guess... (canada)

Okay, back to the original topic! 'pologies for the jack... (evil)

 

[Maxx Mazda]

hope the cel didnt flash for too long. it flashes when the cat reaches 5k degrees and your risking servere damage to it.

I'm catless anyway lol!

I'm putting my 626 manifoldo n this week, so I'll see if I'm missign a screw I guess, but like I said, all was well since I've re-gapped it. I had another thought. The fluid in the cylinder could have been fuel, since it was having gas pushed in, but since it wasn't sparking, the gas had nowhere to go, and I doubt it would all have been blown out.

 

[Maxx Mazda]

Dude,
Our problem is that we live north of 49.
Take a look at the oil in my intake manifold....

BTW I'm guessing this was before you installed the millenia PCV valve, correct?

 

[Maxx Mazda]

Another thought I had, was could knock have done that?

 

[13984]

Another thought I had, was could knock have done that?

Another reason you will get a flashing cel is from misfire, I've experienced this myself.

 

[Kansei]

hope the cel didnt flash for too long. it flashes when the cat reaches 5k degrees and your risking servere damage to it.

!!! mine is flashing right now. so that's why my radiator was smoking.. WHY THE HELL HAVEN'T MY FANS COME ON?!?!

Oh yeah and I'm having the whole sputtering, misfiring business too. I was going to pull the plugs as the next step, guess I'll go do that now.

*yay* being late to work when I have a meeting at 9 :'(

 

[Kansei]

Another reason you will get a flashing cel is from misfire, I've experienced this myself.

oh ok that's good to hear *phew*.. but yeah the smoking radiator scares me

 

[RaiderMS3]

Man, that totally sucks!!

 

[bazooka joe]

oh ok that's good to hear *phew*.. but yeah the smoking radiator scares me

what's the temp guage say?

 

[Kansei]

^^ It's fine, though um yeah the radiator is quite hot and the fans aren't turning on.

I just pulled my plugs and two of them were dripping with water. ******* SPARKCO WIRES ARGHARG ARGARGHARGHARGHARGH

I hope autozone has some NGK.. though I could continue to use the sparkcos and just not get them wet. the engine got hosed down last night.

One of my roommates is taking me to get plugs/wires right now. The electrode on the two bad spark plugs was red and they were smoking, but the other two plugs were ok to handle (barely warm).

 

[bazooka joe]

whoa....what gives....why did the engine get hosed down...on purpose?

 

[Kansei]

well sorta on purpose.. I was rinsing my car after washing it off, didn't think that much water would be a problem. My sparkco spark plug cables didn't seal well enough at all :'(