Check your Spark Plugs! Minor crisis averted! (1 Viewer)

[shadow247]

Check your spark plugs. I just had one come loose yesterday about a 1/2 mile from my house. Sounded like a horrible exhaust leak, I was actually getting ready to order header gaskets next week because the ticking was so loud at startup. It was a loose plug on the passenger side, and I had oil streaming down too. The plug was about 75 percent of the way backed out, so I figured the pressure from the piston was pushing the seal and allowing oil to sneak by the coil seal.

I checked service records before I bought this one, and the dealer replaced the plugs about 60k miles ago. Seems strange, but I'm going to retorque all of them this weekend.

The noise sounded just like an exhaust leak, and that's what I genuinely thought it was.

 

[blatant]

Well covered, good info here.

Ticking time bomb TICK TICK TICK: Spark plugs Alert Alert Alert!

TICK TICK TICK POP POP POP is a ticking time bomb, often mistaken as exhaust manifold crack or gasket leak leak. ALERT, ALERT, ALERT: Spark plugs are working themselves loose. "Walking Out" Then blowing out of head, taking their female threads of head with them! Very damaging! You think TICK...

forum.ih8mud.com

 

[AllLC]

it was an exhaust leak, just not the usual kind . Thanks for the heads up. Easy check, easier fix.

 

[2001LC]

Good catch. These can damage threads of the head when they blow out.