I had the oil changed 2/27/11 drove it home parked it for the night next morning I went out to start it I heard loud clunk. I opened the hood and found a spark plug laying on the head seperate from the spark plug wire. What would make this happen? I have not had the sparks plug changed recently.190,000+ miles.
View 10 Repliesmy car sounded very bad and upon raising the hood, noticed a spark plug had blown off. When this happened the steering and brakes got hard to use.
View 4 RepliesI've got the 2.4 L DHC 97 Stratus, 4 cylinder. I just finished a head gasket job and now I'm getting a crank, no start condition. I noticed I was getting no fuel pressure at the rail and when checking the 4 pin connector to the fuel pump in the trunk, I'm getting 0 volts when cranking. I ordered new fuel pump and ASD relays, though I did the tests in the Haynes manual and the ones I have seem good. All of this stuff was working before I took everything apart. I've checked around for obvious electrical connections or ground wires I missed hooking back up, but can't find anything. l am getting spark, so I think that means my crank and cam sensors are working. I'm stuck on this one.
View 9 RepliesI own a 1998 Dodge Stratus (ES Sedan 4D, 2.4 liter, automatic) and driving to a restaurant on Friday I ran over a rather nasty pothole. It had once had a metal plate over it, but it was 3/4 of the way uncovered and I hit so hard that the front of the car bottomed out hard on the pavement. I made sure I hadn't popped a tire and was on my way. Later that evening I got back in the car to go home and the battery had died suddenly. I knew I had not left any lights/systems on in the car. I got a jump and the car made it home, clicking, with lights flickering and gauge needles wobbling the whole way.
I left it for the weekend, and tried to assess the situation further after work on Monday. The battery in the Stratus is located under the driver's side wheel well, so I removed the cover to check if there were any loose wires/connections and there weren't. I got the car jumped and made it to an Advance Auto Parts to have the battery tested (again with clicking, flickering lights/gauges). Right before I got there, the battery light in the dash turned on.
The battery was tested almost completely dead, and it took about 30 minutes to get to the AAP from my house. It wouldn't jump again, so I had to get AAA to tow it back to my house (It took the AAA guy about 5 tries to jump it using his tow truck's battery, and it lasted long enough to drive it up onto the truck bed).
I didn't want to buy a new battery, in case there was something wrong with the alternator and the new battery would just get sucked dry like the old one. What might have happened. It seems strange that a battery would just die so suddenly with no warning and I don't want to get ripped off at a mechanic because I have no idea what might have happened (I don't know much about cars except for really basic stuff.)
2000 Excursion with the 5.4 in her. Lots of miles. Used only to tow a travel trailer. Blew out the #3 coil packet and spark plug today. Have to pull the head for sure. My question is why? Is there a more severe problem as to why it did this? Or is my old girl just worn out. 270,000 miles.
View 8 RepliesMy 2003 Toyota Matrix xrs blew spark plug, totaled engine. My husband had trouble with it stalling, the next day I drove it about 60 miles. I did have some trouble with it stalling but on the way home it got worse and was glad to make it back.
Took it in and they said pieces of the spark plug got in on top of the piston and got so hot it cut into the piston and won't hold compression. Hence totaled engine. The shop is willing to take car in payment of work done.
I bought a 2000 excursion a month ago and have already had 3 plugs blow out on me. They've been repaired professionally with time sert but the mechanic is starting to wonder if back pressure is building up causing this. He's suggesting to replace the catalytic converter as it's original and has 120,000 miles on it. He's made it clear that he doesn't know if this is the cause but to lose 3 in a month worries him. Is there anything else I can do?
View 14 RepliesI have a 1998 volvo s70 with 273k on it. I am pretty sure the head gasket is blown. The shop I usually take my car to said i need to take it to a dealer and that volvo usually wants to replace the engine on a car that old. Would you pay the 6k for a new engine or think about a new car?
View 8 RepliesMy son has a 03 mustang GT. He called and said it was making a loud clicking sound. I investigated and it appeared to have a exhaust leak, but I couldn't feel where it was coming from. I started tearing down until I got to the plugs. One of them blew out if the head. I was shocked. Have you heard of this in a car? I'd heard the Ford trucks had problems with the plugs blowing out. Its fixed and running like a champ now.
View 14 RepliesSo, last weekend the GF said she had been hearing a tick in her 2006 4L Ranger. I crawl up under it and see the right rear spark plug and wire vibrating and could tell it was loose. I jack it up, take the right front tire off, pull the liner back, and finally get a socket on the plug to tighten it. I tighten it by hand first the then the finale snug down with the ratchet.
I notice it snugged up but I just felt it was trying to slip so I stopped. Well, it lasted two days and now has fallen out again. It appears the head is stripped. I am going to pull the plug out tonight and see if I can see where the threads are stripped. I assume I will find material on the threads of the plug.
My question is, is there anyway for me to make a temp fix till there is time to pull the head and repair it properly? I saw NAPA used to have a kit for the Triton engine but when I went to their web site I couldn't even find that anymore.
My son has a 2001 F150 with a 4.6L V8 that's blown a sparkplug from # 3 cylinder. The plug looks as if struck by lightning and has a burn groove as deep as a kitchen match stem the full length of the threads.
How difficult is an engine swap/change using another 4.6L? Neither of us have extensive mechanical backgrounds but plenty of aptitude.
I got a 98 Subi Forester L, stick, 130k mi.
I've been thinking about what gs ragtop & tester mentioned about the silicate stuff and I'm ready to take the chance, but there's one thing bothering me: If that stuff is supposed to be drawn into the combustion chamber where the silicate comes in contact with the super hot temps that solidify it, thereby sealing the leak, that assumes coolant is going into the combustion chamber, right? Well, I've been driving this car with a blown hg for at least 2yrs maybe 3, (that in itself amazes me), and I've never seen any sign of coolant in the exhaust, no smoke, nor any rough starting issues to speak of.
So, my question is simply, HOW THE HECK DOES THAT HAPPEN!! How in the world can I lift the hood and watch exhaust gases bubbling up in the radiator, yet when I park on a hot, 95 degree August day with a fully pressurized cooling system, the next time it's started there is no sign of coolant. The physics of that defy me! I mean, it says that the head gasket magically blew a "one-way" valve in itself? What do you think? Am I missing something?
I'm trying to replace the spark plugs of my 2006 Prius, but the deep well 5/8 socket attached to a 2 in extender just turns loose, as if it does not fit in the top of the spark plug. I tried also 3/4 and 13/16 but those don't even fit in the spark plug well. I tried in another spark plug to the same result. Problem to replace to spark plugs?
View 7 RepliesLast weekend my number 4 spark plug blew out while on the highway. The truck stayed on long enough for me to get off the highway and pull over before it died. I towed the truck home. Last night I repaired it with a helicoil and replace the spark plug and coil. Now the truck cranks but won't start. I noticed that my theft light flashes fast and doesn't stop after a few seconds or during cranking. I still haven't tested relays or fuses because it was late after the repair. I will be checking those tonight.
I will be reading and taking suggestions and posting my results tonight while I'm working on the truck. I will be checking the fuel pump and PCM relay tonight. I will also try 2 different keys and checking the Inertia switch on the fuel pump to see if that tripped. The truck is a 2001 F-150 Lariat Supercrew with 150k miles on it. 5.4 liter engine.
The spark plug in chamber 2 blew off while the vehicle was in motion (approx 35 mph). Purchased replacement plugs and when I went to install, there was nothing for the plug to grab (i.e. appears that all of the threads on the block/casing are gone . Not sure what my options are.
View 2 RepliesI have a 02 F250 with 137 thousand miles. When it had 130 thousand on it I had the plugs changed unknowing that this year 5.4 was known for blowing the plugs.
View 14 RepliesI have a 2001 Dodge Ram 1500 that I bought used a couple of years ago. About every 20k miles (120k miles on it now) I get a check engine light and upon diagnosis it's the 4th cylinder spark plug fouled out, every time. I change the spark plug, but the old ones are always identical in damage. The porcelain has cracked on the spark plug.
View 17 RepliesMy girlfriend has a 1998 Cheve Cavalier that recently on the way to work completly blow out the number 3 spark plug. It was completly gone and poofs of air now come out of it's place?
View 1 RepliesMy Neon needed a water pump. At 204K miles the timing belt should be replaced also. The pump and belt were replaced. The motor started and the car drove about 1000ft. and stopped. There was no more spark. The car was checked to make sure that the timing belt is on correctly. The cam points to top dead center when the #1 cylinder is at peak and the crankshaft is at top dead center. Both marks align. When the key is turned the starter tries to turn but the engine does not spark. Electricity goes to the coil pack. 1998 Dodge Neon 2.0L SOHC 4 cylinder....
View 2 RepliesI am changing the plugs in my 98 e150 today and I was thinking it was a .54 gap and 13 ft/lbs to tighten them. That sound about right?
View 9 Replies I have a problem with my Stratus, its the 2005 V6 MotoR 2.7L 24 valves Chrysler LH (USA imported model)
The problem started months ago when a piece that connect several hoses and it have the temperature sensor (coolant air bleeder?) broke, we replaced it for a new one and also changed the thermostat, however the car still overheated (the heat level didnt ascend from half so the fans didn't went on) and the cooling water from the deposit was bubbling, behind the spot where the deposit is, white smoke/steam (?) was coming out and it was making a weird noise also.I changed the water deposit pressure cap, but it keeps doing the same.This happens just 15 min after I turn on the car so the mechanic disconected a piece from the fans, so the fans are always on. Still, after 45 minutes it start again.
The mechanic did a test in the deposit they said that the pressure was very high and it was probably a problem with the head gaskets, it can be that?
Researching for my own, I found that it can also can be a problem with the water pump, and maybe it needs to be replaced
What should I do?Is there any test that I can do to know if the head gasket is the problem or if the water pump isn't working?I don't want to buy the head gasket and realize that the problem was the water pump, or the other way round