Why was there oil all over one of my spark plugs?

[no-name-person]

Changed my plugs today and one of them had loads of oil over it (leftmost one). Why is this? The rest were clean, see pic

I had to wipe it clean before the pic cos there was oil dripping everywhere!

 

[Jonny1*2]

Leaky rocker cover most likely. Oil
Above the plug I assume

 

[Tony Hunter]

Were they all tight?

 

[no-name-person]

All were very tight yeah. Took a lot of effort to get them out.

I had an oil leak at the rocker cover some time ago but spent a lot of money getting that fixed. Plugs have been changed (not by myself though) since then. Car does still use a bit of oil though - going to see how it goes over the next few days.

Did an oil change today too, let's hope it doesn't burn it all!

 

[no-name-person]

by the way, oil was on the spark end of the plug

 

[Jonny1*2]

Do you mean on the thread end or the white end?

 

[Dan519]

by the way, oil was on the spark end of the plug

won't have been until you took it out

 

[Cup_Phil]

When you say left most one - do you mean drivers side

If so it's the oil seal around the VVT switch - Mines gone and it leaks oil all around the HT lead on that side and eventually it drips down onto the plugs. Mine started miss-firing because of it

 

[KevF182]

...or a leak from one of the bolts on that side, as is the case with mine currenly.

 

[Silent_Scone]

Rocker covers leaking. If it's gone again it hasn't been sealed properly... Or like Phil suggested it could be the rubber seal around the vvt solenoid, which is a much cheaper fix

 

[Chip-mk1]

Possibilities:
VVT solenoid leaking
Rocker cover seal leaking
One of the rocker cover bolts leaking
The breather cover at the back right leaking

To be on the ceramic part and on the electrode its no doubt built up above the thread, then when you have undone it its leaked down the thread and onto the electrode.
I assume it was misfiring under load and thats why you took it out? The carbon in the oil allows the spark an easier route to ground than through the plug which is what causes the misfire.

 

[Silent_Scone]

Could be worse

 

[Chip-mk1]

Silent_Scone will your engine lend me some money please? It looks rich enough to do so.

 

[Sam@NP]

Cool plugs bro, hows the car Mike?


Edit: s**t me Mike your engine is so rich it makes the Queen look poor.

 

[Silent_Scone]

lol Chip

It's been spot on Sam, going up to Matt's in a couple weeks (those plugs are from my old engine)

 

[no-name-person]

hmm will get this looked at soon then, at least i have some possibilities

thanks