Thanks. will do.

 

Since interchanging coil 7 with coil 3 indicates that it is not the coil, I plan to inspect the spark plug. While fitting the spark plug socket on the extension and swivel, I noticed oil on the bottom of the socket. I have NOT removed the spark plug.

I split a plastic drinking straw and checked the level of oil in the spark plug "chamber". I found exactly1/2" of oil. I recently changed the oil before this issue & the oil in the chamber looks new. That would indicate that this just recently occurred since there is no dirty oil. As per usual, my wife thinks she was right all along that I precipitated the leak with my aggressive driving; c'est la vie, mon Fi Fi!

I would like to remove the oil before removing the spark plug. The only thing that I can think of that would work without too much hassle would be a bunch of pipe cleaners to absorb most of the oil. If the chamber was one of the more accessible ones, any thin piece of metal and a cloth would work.

Any thoughts?

Also, I will check the easily accessible spark plug chambers for oil. After I find the cause for the misfire on #7, I will replace the cam cover gasket(s) & seals also.

If I find that it is not the spark plug, I suspect that it is most likely the injector. Does this sound right? Would I need to replace all of the injectors or just the defective one? Is it usual to have injectors fail in 95K miles?

Thanks & best,

Steve

 

Compressed air gun and hold rags over the plug well when you blow it out. In fact I NEVER remove a spark plug without doing this!
Too much junk and debris collect in there to chance something falling in the cylinder.
.
.
.

 

Thanks, Clubairth1!! Saved me a trip to the tobacconist!

 

"... Try to 'provoke' it and then read DTC to see if misfire moved..." Big Koshka

BIG KOSHKA WAS RIGHT!!

After replacing spark plug, amber engine light went out for awhile, and she still didn't sound just right. So, after driving her around the block, I read that the #3 was now misfiring! I ordered another Denso coil for $43.95 including tax & shipping. Couldn't have done it without your help. Thank you, thank you, thank you!! I thank you each for your valuable input, If it hadn't been for Big K, I would be soliciting questions re the gaskets & would not have properly diagnosed the primary problem - for another day.

Have a great day,

Steve

 

The intermittent nature of the miss would have me trying injector cleaner that you can add to the fuel system.. Regular use (once a month or so depending on driving style and miles) can help maintain the injection system. The injectors do not usually wear out but getting dirty is very common. Since you can get her to run without a misfire that is the method I would suggest. A quick search may help you decide what product to use as there are quite a few. The additional oil you observed in the spark plug well may be from excess pressure building up in the crankcase due to the EGR system also getting dirty. Especially if you are "pushing" her to recreate the misfire condition. There are cleaning solutions regarding that system as well. Aged rubber seals will let oil pass by easier than new seals and gaskets but even new ones will leak if the pressure is to great. should you replace the valve cover gaskets and the spark plug seal rings and the oil reappears that would be the likely cause. I'm glad you were able to figure out your issue.

 

Thanks, Ranchero Guy!

I will digest what you have sent. Off the top, it sounds, as are all of your suggestions, very sound.

I have checked all of the wells on the passenger side (US) and the only spark plug well that had any oil is # 7, the one that originally misfired. As I previously mentioned, when I changed #7 coil with #3 coil, the 7 error disappeared and the 3 error appeared. So, I am assuming that when the new coil arrives in the next week, that will be that.

I will definitely get some injector cleaner starter. Is there a particular brand that you like?

My partially considered stance on replacing the gasket and related seals: Drive her a bit and check periodically for oil. If oil reappears, I am inclined to fix the seal.

As per your recommendation, I will definitely clean the EGR system as soon as I do some research on the techniques & order any parts necessary.

Again, many thanks for your invaluable help! SS

 

Regarding injector cleaner, I usually use Seafoam as a regular gas treatment. I also use it in my motorcycle so I buy it by the gallon. However not everyone will say it is good. I have also used Techron and had good results in other cars. Because of other problems I am now experiencing and because I have not added Seafoam for at least 3 tankfuls I decided to try the Berrymans injector cleaner (I use Berrymans carburetor cleaner on my other vehicles when I rebuild carburetors). No opinion yet. There are others mentioned in this forum but not all are sold near me (BG44). There is also a cleaner that you run directly through the injection system with the fuel shut off but that is more involved than the usual DIY procedures. Honestly a bottle of Techron will usually help. and you can find that everywhere.

 

According to my knowledge there is.
The breather from the left bank is the part load one and limits maximum flow by an orifice. For high to full load the blowby gasflow wouldn’t be enough, so the breather on the right bank is gradually opened by intake vacuum on a diaphragm. That’s the disc shaped item on the right bank.The less vacuum there is in the intake, I.e. throttle more open and higher engine load, the more blowby gas is allowed through that path.

 

Thanks, AIX. I will endeavor to digest this excellent technical info.

Question:

As I mentioned earlier, on the passenger side(US), the only oil was in #7. If the misfire was caused by EGR issues, does it make sense that only 1 spark plug chamber had oil? Or, is the #7 seal the path of least resistance? Should others have had oil? BTW: The oil stick shows the oil filled to max. There is no oil leaking from either cam cover gasket; so, it has to be the #7 seal. Or, I hope, just an aberration from dirty EGR. The car has never had the EGR cleaned. At 95K miles, she is due. However, the PNW has very clean air as a rule.

My intention is to replace the defective coil, clean the EGR, drive for a bit while occasionally checking for oil in the wells. If I see no oil, I won't replace the gasket & seals & vice, versa.

Does this approach seem reasonable?

Thanks & best,

Steve S.

 

@xjrsteve Steve, I think you may have two unrelated issues:
1. Bad coil pack #7
2. Some oil sepage on tube gasket for #7
Before getting into coinsidences and sluething work
When you replace coil pack you will find out that youre' quite happy how you car is running and forget about oil seepage.
But, if I get it right, inquiring mind will want to know!
Now sleuthing begins

• What is connection between oil leak and bad coil?
• Did oil make coil plug go bad?
• I do not know, did oil got into coil?
• Could it be that plug was not torqued sufficiently?
• Faulty EGR valve can make pressure under valve cover above what it designed to withstand; but you have to have factual evidence that oil in plug tube made coil pack bad!

You can open it up and replace valve cover seals. Is it right time or can wait till something else will make imperative to get under valve cover? EGR cleaning can be a good preventive maintenance, iregardless.

BTW, thanks for acknolegement!

 

As per usual, Big K, you are spot on!!

By Friday, the new coil will be here. With a little good fortune, that will fix the misfire & then, I can go on to the next thing & I hope I'm not being presumptuous to think that there will be a next thing, but at my age...

Have a great week!

Steve

 

The coil finally arrived. I replaced the defective one & voila: no check engine; runs like she just came out of the showroom!

Thanks to all, especially Big Koshka. Had it not been for him, I would still be replacing cam cover accouterments.

The coil has changed a bit. The most noteworthy is that there is a rubber seal on the shaft of the coil. I don't believe that oil would get by this seal. Therefore, I will swap #7 (where I found a little oil & where the defective coil was at first) with the new one in #3.

As to the cam cover, it is on my list, along with other agenda items, to be taken care of when the time presents itself. Pray I live long enough!

It is so fulfilling taking care of this beauty that I actually feel sorry for folks not having this experience. Now, lest you think that I have nothing better to do, our social calendar is working into October. At 76, I still ski, sail & attend plays, party and the theater, opera & symphony with friends & family. I regularly thank God for these undeserved blessings!

Without this Forum, I would not own this car that I love almost as much as I love my boat!