wed. night i picked up 'autolite' copper spark plugs from O'reilly's,

 

went home and changed the cylinder 1&3 plugs,

the plugs i removed were worn but normallly

then realized i didnt have a 3/8" u-joint so reconnected the spark plug wires to go get one

 

when i tried to start my car up it wouldnt start.. sometimes it turns over constantly sometimes even starts to start but nothing after..

 

i took out the plugs i'd just put in and they smelled like gas and were covered in dark, 'oily' fluid..

 

i put in the original plugs and still no start, pulled those plugs and got the same dark oil fluid on them

 

went home and changed the cylinder 1&3 plugs,

 

maf sensor unplugged? vac hoses all in place.

 

1 & 3 are both on the passenger side. maybe you left something dis-connected.

nothings unplugged, i only got to those two because i couldnt reach the cyl 3+4 holes with the tools i had

 

could there be oil or fuel in the cylinder? idk what the black fluid would be, smells like gas

Does the plug ground properly through the engine block. It should with such an amount of thread. Unscrew plug or measure resistance between sparkplughead and block it should be very high.

Also could be some oil came into the cable end which goes onto the plug when the valve cover seals are worn.

Is it getting spark? The engine will run on just 2 cylinders ... So if 2 were getting spark it would at leasts fire and stumble over a bit. Sounds like something is unplugged.

i didnt unplug anything other than the boots from the plug.. everything else looked good..

 

i didnt torque the plugs though but i dont think an electrical connection is being made since the plugs are soaked with black gas/oil

i didnt unplug anything other than the boots from the plug.. everything else looked good..

 

i didnt torque the plugs though but i dont think an electrical connection is being made since the plugs are soaked with black gas/oil

 

 

Since you see the plugs are soaked with black gas/oil, I agree with you that you are not getting spark to the plugs. If you haven't done so, check to see that all plug wires are on correctly, and are plugged in properly to the coil pack. However, I am thinking that you have already done this. Swap out coil packs, if you have access to one.

 

Any chance that you accidentally crossed plug wires on reassembly to 1 and 3?

If you didn't torque the plugs (by that, I assume you mean tighten), why would you expect that the car would start? You haven't sealed the combustion chamber.

i tightened them, but i didnt torque them to the fsm specs, i just used a socket to tighten it...

 

any idea if a leaking valve cover gasket is causing oil to enter the cylinder?

i tightened them, but i didnt torque them to the fsm specs, i just used a socket to tighten it...

 

any idea if a leaking valve cover gasket is causing oil to enter the cylinder?

 

An engine will run even if the plugs are loose... That's the main reason plug holes get stripped out.

 

Valve cover gaskets keep the oil from leaking out of the engine, won't have any effect on running. And since the plugs on the ej22 don't go through the gasket, you couldn't get oil in the plug holes from it leaking either.

i didnt unplug anything other than the boots from the plug.. everything else looked good..

 

i didnt torque the plugs though but i dont think an electrical connection is being made since the plugs are soaked with black gas/oil

 

 

You MUST torque the spark plugs using a torque wrench. Too loose and the engine will "spit out" the spark plugs, ruining the spark plug hole threads in the cyclinder head. Too tight and you strip the spark plug hole threads in the head. Sure, I've done the spark plugs "by hand' myself in the past. But it's an unnecessary risk to take when a torque wrench can be had for a reasonable amount of money.

 

They should be ok out the box. But you check the gap on the new plugs?

Edited January 17, 201115 yr by The Dude

The 3/4 in. hose (the biggest one there) that runs from the idle air control to the air tubing has come loose under the air tubing. Find the big black box at back of engine and follow the tubing to the air filter box, then look on the bottom about the middle of the tubing that connects these two, you will see where to push the 3/4 in. hose back on.

 

When this hose pulls loose which it does quite often when changing plugs, the car will almost try to start but it wont stay running.

 

Your plugs are black and oily because you are not getting the proper air for it to start and run.

Edited January 17, 201115 yr by tcspeer

+1 for the hose. Happened to me.