Running on 3 cylinders

[greenskanka]

Well any way, i looked under the hood today because i was hearing a wierd sound and my car was running like crap. I noticed on cylinder 4 the plug wire wasn't all the way down, so i tried to push it down and it wouldn't budge. So i try to pull it out, and the spark plug came with it. My question is how does a 4+ month old spark plug just happen to unscrew it's self. I was only running on 3 cylinders for 1 day so i hope nothing is screwed up, or outta whack. Any ideas how this happened

[uclap5]

perhaps the thread has been stripped on the engine from it being overtightened.

just guessing. i have no practical experience with such things.

[cablemirc]

the spark plug was impropely torqued, or an excessive amount of anti-sieze was use. check the others by attempting to turn them with a socket extension (without the rachet) manually.. if they turn, re-torque all to spec.

[Kooldino]

Doh. Chances are that no damage was done...I don't really see how it could really fry anything.

[NoFear]

When running on 1 dead cylinder your cat will get real hot, from all of the unburnt fuel dumping in the cylinder.

[cbcbd]

Originally posted by NoFear
When running on 1 dead cylinder your cat will get real hot, from all of the unburnt fuel dumping in the cylinder.
Yeah, that would be what I would say too-I'm sure you meant unburnt fuel dumping OUT of the cylinder.

I don't know if that fuel will do any damage to the cats or the exhaust, except for making it a little dark. Did you get to shoot some flames from the exhaust? :D

[Notorious]

This happened to me a while ago. The spark plug in my old car backed itself out. It threw a cel and had crazy misfires. After that it stopped working. In the end because it backed out it burned out the spark plug wires. It was replaced under warranty.

[bruce95fmla]

Originally posted by Kooldino
Doh. Chances are that no damage was done...I don't really see how it could really fry anything.

why don't you see running on 3 cylnders and 1 spark plug loose as hell can't mess up something ... ummm won't he loose compression ...

[Kooldino]

Originally posted by bruce95fmla
why don't you see running on 3 cylnders and 1 spark plug loose as hell can't mess up something ... ummm won't he loose compression ...

How? The spark plug is floating around in the head, but there's no explosion so the piston is just dead weight. As soon as the spark plug is replaced, all *should* be well.

[pdhaudio83]

one of my teachers had a festiva running on 2 cyl! thing was slooow as hell. it was like a HUGE lawn mower. :D

[bruce95fmla]

Originally posted by Kooldino
How? The spark plug is floating around in the head, but there's no explosion so the piston is just dead weight. As soon as the spark plug is replaced, all *should* be well.

should --- implies that your not sure.
Our cars run rich from the factory yes. but what happens to all the unburned feul .. and the spark plug that is igniting but not causing any combustion -- but it was only 1 day, so long as he was not driving hard..
Car must have felt like shit

[greenskanka]

Well, the car drives normal again, the exhaust sounds a little funny (deeper tone) than normal. It's just gotta last me through college, 3 more years :(

[Kooldino]

Originally posted by bruce95fmla
should --- implies that your not sure.


You're right, I'm not sure. There are way too many variables, and I'm not going to claim that I know something for sure if I don't.


Our cars run rich from the factory yes. but what happens to all the unburned feul .. and the spark plug that is igniting but not causing any combustion -- but it was only 1 day, so long as he was not driving hard..
Car must have felt like shit

I guess some of the fuel may get into the head, buta lot of it would just get sucked out...

[Kooldino]

Originally posted by greenskanka
Well, the car drives normal again, the exhaust sounds a little funny (deeper tone) than normal. It's just gotta last me through college, 3 more years :(

Good to hear.

[cbcbd]

Originally posted by greenskanka
Well, the car drives normal again, the exhaust sounds a little funny (deeper tone) than normal. It's just gotta last me through college, 3 more years :(
Do you think it's possible that you could have a hole or crack somewhere in your exhaust?

Could some of that fuel that went into your exhaust have done something to the cat? Next time you've got the car on a lift I'd look around.

[greenskanka]

Next time i have the car lifted???? I don't think i have ever lifted my car.

But my friend is buying me a new exhaust for helping him work on his car. He got a 91 grand Am for free, cause 1 spark plug broke in the head, everything came out except the threads. We drilled it out, put in a Hellia-Coil (sp?) and got almost everything back on. Gotta wait for the new timing chain case, we kinda broke it while taking it off. But all we have left is the sensors, vaccum hoses and the timing crap (chains, sprokets, and that crap)

But i'll check it out when we do my exhaust. I'm becoming a Greese Monkey!!!!!!!!!!

[cbcbd]

Originally posted by greenskanka
Next time i have the car lifted???? I don't think i have ever lifted my car.

:D
As when you would take the car to a garage to, say, get an oil change, they will put your car on a lift, so while they do that you can check out the underside.

But sweet, you're getting a new exhaust, but still check the exhaust from the header back to the axle-back section.

Keep us in the know! :cool:

[Dexter]

Originally posted by greenskanka
Next time i have the car lifted???? I don't think i have ever lifted my car.

But my friend is buying me a new exhaust for helping him work on his car. He got a 91 grand Am for free, cause 1 spark plug broke in the head, everything came out except the threads. We drilled it out, put in a Hellia-Coil (sp?) and got almost everything back on. Gotta wait for the new timing chain case, we kinda broke it while taking it off. But all we have left is the sensors, vaccum hoses and the timing crap (chains, sprokets, and that crap)

But i'll check it out when we do my exhaust. I'm becoming a Greese Monkey!!!!!!!!!!

glad to hear you got that fucker out of there. sweet deal.