spark plug pics...

[2K3 MSP]

These stock plugs were pulled from my MSP about an hour ago...This is only the 2nd set of plugs I've ever removed, so I'm not exactly sure what this means...Doesn't look good though.
/members/2K3 Mazdaspeed/spark plugs 002.jpg
/members/2K3 Mazdaspeed/spark plugs 003.jpg
/members/2K3 Mazdaspeed/spark plugs 004.jpg
All 4 looked identical.

 

[BlueMP5Dave]

Looks like normal wear can't see much pics are blurry. What kind of discolorations are on the tips? Are there any chips out of the electrodes?

 

[uclap5]

carbon deposites usually mean rich.

but those dont look that bad. you should see the set from my mr2. pure black everywhere.

 

[2K3 MSP]

On the underside of 2 of the electrodes, there is a little white dot(some sort of deposit) where the spark was jumping from the electrode to the point. Other than that, they look very similar. just a little carbon deposit on the electrodes, and the rest is just a brownish color, I'm assuming from the heat they encounter.
If I were getting detonation, could I tell by looking at the plugs? Just curious about the after effects of getting the flash and adjusting my boost.

 

[t3ase]

damn it, i knew i should have saved that spark plug page. lemme go look for it.

 

[BlueMP5Dave]

Detonation in extreme case can take chips out of the electrode or break electrode off. Brownish color can come from bad gas but normally looks like rust deposits. Yours look very normal.

 

[t3ase]

Love google:
http://www.classictruckshop.com/clubs/earlyburbs/projects/spark/plugs.htm

My plugs looked the exact same when I changed them out. Oh, so this means you got the other two?

 

[t3ase]

Detonation in extreme case...

Will there be signs of detonation in a lesser degree of extremity? Is it okay to assume you're not detonating if the plugs look fine?

 

[2K3 MSP]

yeah, they came in today...I owe you something...just gotta figure out how to repay you

 

[BlueMP5Dave]

T3ASE - if you detonate you will here the ping normally. Heard it in a friends car and we pulled over. Turned the boost down. Once we got back we pulled the plugs and they were fouled pretty bad. It turned out that he had put 89 gas in and a octane booster. The booster had alchohol in it which apparently caused the knock and fouled plugs. There was a chip out of three of the four spark plugs and he ended up have to rebuild the motor. Due to acombination of things this just topped it off. This was a old eclipse.

 

[MalkavianMP3]

The white dot that you see on the underside of the electrodes, is where the spark is originating. In most cases you'll find what looks like a line of white/yellowish discoloration on the ground(side) electode that will indicate where the spark is going. When the gap is set correctly, the line should be at the bend on the ground electrode.