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Old 02-21-2005, 07:25 PM   #1
rumatt
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Diagnose my spark plugs

Experts, any thoughts on my spark plugs? They're from my E30. Supposidly they were changed 1 year ago.

4 of the plugs look the most like the bottom attachment: pretty good, but with a slight dusty gray coating. But two of them look a bit more like the first two pics, with a bit thicker and uneven layering.

According to the haynes manual, it looks like the most like the picture that has the following description: Carbon Deposits: Dry sooty deposits indicate a rich mixture. Check for a clogged air cleaner, high float level, sticky choke, and word ignition points. Use a spark plug with a longer core nose for greater anti-fouling protection.

Does that sound right? Is this a big deal and I should be concerned, or fairly normal on a 15 year old car? I can just get new plugs and call it a day.
Thanks folks.
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Old 02-21-2005, 07:28 PM   #2
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Rich running tends to give you darker deposits.

They do look greyer than mine, but not abnormally worn.
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Old 02-21-2005, 07:37 PM   #3
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Wrong forum, dood! Post this in the right place next time.

Assuming they really were all changed at the same time (no guarentee) looks like there's a bit of excessive crap on those two.

One of two things: Either they are worn out or it's carbon deposits. However like RGal said, carbon deposits tend to be gray-black, not light. I do see hints of dark stuff on either side of the air gaps, though that may be due to lighting.

Cold Fouling AKA cabon-fouled is caused by an excessively rich air/fuel mixture. If only one or two plugs show evidence of it, sticking valves are the likely cause.
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Old 02-21-2005, 07:44 PM   #4
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Thanks folks.

Is the "do nothing and see what happens" approach acceptible here?

I'll replace the plugs within a week or two, but other than that...
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Old 02-21-2005, 08:29 PM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rumatt
Thanks folks.

Is the "do nothing and see what happens" approach acceptible here?

I'll replace the plugs within a week or two, but other than that...


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Old 02-21-2005, 08:30 PM   #6
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LMFAO

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Old 02-21-2005, 08:42 PM   #7
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Old 02-21-2005, 09:06 PM   #8
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Don't worry about those. They're not immaculate, but they're not alarming. I've seen some spark plugs that would make your heart skip a beat. Just put in a fresh set and enjoy.
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Old 02-21-2005, 09:12 PM   #9
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Thanks blee
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Old 02-21-2005, 10:38 PM   #10
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Those look pretty good (in the normal wear-and-tear mode) from what I've taken out of my cars... Non plats that is.
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