Tip Of Spark Plug Gone

[stevehh]

I picked up a misfire at low revs on Monday. Only under load, cruise and the engine felt fine.
The engine warning light came one. Phone and reader, and the error code was misfire on #4.

This morning I changed the plugs. 1-3 OK #4 a picture is below:-

The picture is poor quality off my phone, but it's clear the centre and the tip of the plug are missing.
The car runs OK now, and the error code can be cleared.

Should I assume that it's a faulty plug (NGK), and the bits have been spat out of the exhaust valves?
Or should I look further?

Steve

[flea]

never seen that before?

[binarypunk]

Hopefully it has been spat out... I would be tempted to have a poke around the cylinder with a magnet to make sure though.

Surprised that's an NGK...is it particularly old?

[stevehh]

The plugs were changed last year, say 6000 miles ago.
They are NGK, though not made in Japan, France.
The other three look fine

Steve

[threeflies]

http://www.saturnfans.com/forums/showth ... p?t=131792 is all the info I could find.

[stevehh]

Googling the problem gave a surprising number of links. It seems that this typr of problem is not that unusual.
Now this is the internet, so it's all gossip, but there are only small number reported problems, most are of the, where has the tip gone? With no engine problems.

So I'm going to run the car for some miles, and pop the plugs out, and see what they look like. If the engine is running OK, and I'm not burning oil, I'll assume it's fine.

Steve

[stevehh]

Googling the problem gave a surprising number of links. It seems that this tye of problem is not that unusual.
Now this is the internet, so it's all gossip, but there are only small number reported engine problems, most are of the, where has the tip gone? With no engine problems.

So I'm going to run the car for some miles, and pop the plugs out, and see what they look like. If the engine is running OK, and I'm not burning oil, I'll assume it's fine.

Steve

[Mazda Mender]

Cannot see you having a problem to be honest with the engine, looks like it as just melted away after the pin as goneM-m

[nedski]

Do you have access to one of these scopes to look down the plug hole. You can then tell for sure if you plug end has simply been spat out, or been mashed around and embeded in your head. If it's running ok then your probably a lucky lad



Image of plug tip damage before being spat out. Tbh if the piston is ok then things should be fine.
http://i.imgur.com/DojUO.jpg

[garyou]

I have one of these USB endoscopes, cheap and easy. Just plugs on to a laptop usb port.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2m-5m-7m-10m-Mini-USB-Waterproof-Endoscope-Inspection-Video-Snake-Tube-Camera-/261321688435

Great for checking inside cills, looking from the back at hidden/out of view nuts and fastenings.

It will give a cheap way to look inside the cylinder.

[nedski]

Nice find. Just bought one for home

[IanParsons]

I have just bought one too. When it arrives I will be able to scare myself by looking inside the front chassis rails.

[Daktana]

I have one of these USB endoscopes, cheap and easy. Just plugs on to a laptop usb port.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2m-5m-7m-10m-Mini-USB-Waterproof-Endoscope-Inspection-Video-Snake-Tube-Camera-/261321688435

Great for checking inside cills, looking from the back at hidden/out of view nuts and fastenings.

It will give a cheap way to look inside the cylinder.

Nice find, well done, bought one as well for the workshop, cheers.

As for the missing tip, I would be inclined to buzz ngk an email with a picture, they're nice people and you'll probably get some freebies, they might want the plug for testing.