help: oil in spark plug cylinder area Options

[homebuilder]

Hi, I was having trouble with the car occasionally deciding it did not wish to start. If I waited a few minutes, it would become more amenable and start. I replaced the fuel pump and fuel filter, and that appeared to help that issue, but I also decided to replace the spark plugs.

When replacing what I call the first plug, the first for me is the one near the passenger side of the car, I do not know if that is what is universally called the first one, but for reference, that is what I am calling the first plug. anyway... when I lifted up the wire even before I removed the plug, I noticed oil in the tube.

Two weeks ago I had an oil change done at firestone and they apparently spilled some oil since I noticed them washing down my car engine in the back after they did the oil change. The first plug is right near the oil intake.

So... what are the chances it happened during the oil change? Can it harm the engine if that occurred during an oil change?

If it was not from the oil change, how screwed am I?


The other 3 cylinders seemed okay.

The number three plug top was broken off in the wire, I had to replace the wire on the three plug. First, if one plug was not working all this time, what can that do to the engine? It seemed to work okay.

I have a 1995, I replaced it with a 1997 plug wire, are they the same?

How can one tell if all 4 cylinders are working okay?


Thanks!

[richee3]

It could've happened during the oil change, or it might be the spark plug tube seals. They would be replaced along with the valve cover gasket. Keep an eye on the plugs, and if they keep getting oil on them then odds are you need new spark plug tube seals. If they stay clean, you know it was simply an isolated incident.

[homebuilder]

Thanks for the info. About six months ago I had the valve cover seal replaced, are the tube seals part of that same seal? or is it a separate seal?

[Syaoran]

If you take out your spark plug wires, you'll notice that there's a nut on the top of each spark plug tube. Under that nut, there's a washer-shaped seal. That's a spark plug seal, and there's a total of 4, along with the valve cover gasket.

[homebuilder]

The other day I used sea foam in the vacuum hose system, could that have caused this problem?

[richee3]

Nope. I've heard that it'll foul the spark plugs, but it shouldn't cause any oil leaks and especially not through the spark plug tube seals.