what causes oil to be on spark plugs on a 1998 ford econoline van

If yous've found oil on your Ford Econoline's spark plug, it should be a cause for concern. It doesn't necessarily indicate a major engine trouble.  When in that location is oil on the spark plugs is usually caused by a bad valve cover gasket or O-Ring (overhead cam engines).  There can be other causes as well.

Any gas engine needs three things in lodge to achieve combustion.  It needs air, fuel, and spark.  When whatever of these three necessary elements is off, your Econoline'due south engine will not perform every bit it should.

The ignition system takes care of the spark part of the combustion equation.  The spark plugs are the final stop in the ignition system'southward process.  An oily spark plug can crusade the spark plug to not fire properly.

If you exercise terminate up with oil on your spark plugs, you're going to demand to consider replacing them.

Ford Econoline:  Oil on Spark Plug Symptoms

When at that place is oil on the spark plug, it's going to make combustion in its respective cylinder less efficient.  Here are the most common symptoms of an oily plug:

• Bank check Engine Low-cal–  The service engine soon low-cal will often be on.  This is proficient news, since you tin can use the trouble codes it throws to diagnose the problem.
• Misfire– The number i indicator that in that location is oil on the spark plug is a misfire.  Your bank check engine calorie-free could exist on.  If it is, get an OBDII scanner.   It'll likely show a P030X trouble lawmaking, where the Ten represents that cylinder number in the firing order.  Or, you'll get P0300 if you lot have a random cylinder misfire.  Somewhen, if the engine misfires plenty, it can pb to a backlash.
• Decreased Fuel Mileage– With the fuel burning less efficiently, mileage volition suffer.  It may not be a lot at first, merely information technology volition go worse equally the plug gets worse.
• Catalytic Converter Damage– Fuel that is not properly combusted will go out behind gasses that can and will hurt the catalytic converter.  If the service engine shortly light is flashing, this indicates that the ECM reads that this could be happening.  If the check engine light is flashing, driving your Econoline could cause permanent impairment if it's not fixed.
• Bluish Frazzle Smoke– When a spark plug is called-for oil, there will exist a blue tint to the frazzle.  This is coming from the burnt oil.

Oil on Spark Plug Causes:  Ford Econoline

Most of the fourth dimension, oil on your spark plugs is going to be caused by a bad O-ring seal on the plug itself or a bad valve cover gasket.  Here are the about common symptoms of oil on spark plugs:

Bad Valve Cover Gasket–  Oil is pumped from the oil pan up through your Econoline'due south cylinder heads.  The valve cover gaskets seal the valve covers, which are on height of the caput.  They are there for you lot to have access to the head.  As they historic period, they can dry and go bad.  When this happens oil can leak out of the engine and into the spark plug wells.

Valve Guides–  Every bit an engine wears throughout its life, the valve guides tin go bad.  When this happens, oil can get directly into the combustion chamber.  While, the combustion process tin can burn down off a lot of this oil, eventually information technology'll hurt the plug and it'll become oily.

O-Ring–  On most overhead cam designs, there is an O-Ring that protects the spark plug from oil from above.  If this band dries out or fails over fourth dimension, it volition begin to allow oil to baste onto the plug.

Piston Rings–  Piston rings environment your piston and fill up the already tiny infinite betwixt the piston and the cylinder wall.  This keeps oil from entering the combustion chamber.  If these rings begin to fail, information technology tin lead to oil on the spark plugs.

Bad Piston–  If the piston runs besides long hot, information technology can develop a cleft.  This cleft volition let oil through.  When this is the case, oil on the spark plugs is nearly never the just indication of the trouble.  There is should besides be a lack of engine power and some truly horrible knocking sounds.

Conclusion

Getting oil on the spark plugs is e'er a sign of a problem with something other than the plug itself.  Although, plenty oil can ruin a plug anyway.  Good luck diagnosing your Econoline.  Please experience free to go out a comment if there is anything that you would like to add together.

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Source: https://www.700r4transmissionhq.com/ford-econoline-oil-on-spark-plug/

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