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Oil in spark plug well, now won’t start

Home Forums Stay Dirty Lounge Service and Repair Questions Answered Here Oil in spark plug well, now won’t start

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  • #521999
    jodenejodene
    Participant

      I have a 1990 Honda Accord LX F22A1 engine, 150k miles.
      I discovered oil in the plug wells & like a dope I let it go inside the plug hole when I removed the spark plugs. I estimate maybe a 7 tablespoons of oil went into one of the holes (the one with the most oil) and a bit less in 2 more plug holes. I cleaned up the plugs & the car ran ok for maybe 5 minutes but then suddenly died. Coincidentally, I was spraying around the Electronic Fuel Injection hoses with carb spray to find vacuum leaks at the exact moment when the engine stopped. I was happy because I thought I found a vacuum leak (at the throttle body hose that connects to the MAP sensor) but to my dismay, the car never started again. I suppose it has something to do with the oil & not the carb spray, but I honestly don’t know. It cranks, but does not start.

      I tried to clean the plugs & plug wires as best I can & will replace them as soon as I make sure everything is clean & will not foul up the new set of plugs & wires. After testing, I don’t seem to be getting sparks on any of the spark plugs. The PCV valve also had a lot of oil in it. The oil seems to have gone a lot of places & is keeping the car from running. Are there any other components I should check, replace, or clean out to get it to run?

    Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
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    • #522011
      MARK FELDSTEINMARK FELDSTEIN
      Participant

        Personally, I think we could use some additional info as to what precipitated all this including the oil around your plugs. Was the car misfiring initially, running rough, hesitating on acceleration? Were there any diagnostic codes or check engine light before you started checking for vacuum leaks?

        Was that oil from a spill while you were adding it or was it coming from somewhere else?

        I’m wondering whether you somehow overdosed your MAP sensor on carb cleaner and toasted the thing. So I’d definitely look for codes and check that with a volt meter if it gives you any indication of a problem code. If so, you can test the sensor with a VOM meter.

        First test the connector. If that tests ok, remove the MAP sensor and test it. Here’s a good video that tells you how to do that using an VOM/VTM meter.

        #522047
        college mancollege man
        Moderator

          You need to replace the spark plug tube seals. with all the
          oil in the spark plugs you may have shorted the ignition.

          #522091
          jodenejodene
          Participant

            Thank you for the reply, I’ll check the MAP sensor. Could an error there cause the car not to start?

            I was checking the spark plugs & checking for any vacuum leaks bc the car was idling rough & the HC & CO% emmissions were high when under 25mph. There weren’t any check engine lights on.

            no, I didn’t spill the oil. It was in there when I looked into the plugs. I don’t know where it came from, but these old hondas tend to need new seals.

            #522092
            MARK FELDSTEINMARK FELDSTEIN
            Participant

              I like CM’s theory as well on checking out your ignition module. I didn’t think of replacing the spark plug tubes but he’s got that covered well also. Keep us in the loop.
              Mark

              #539010
              jodenejodene
              Participant

                It was the ignition coil. Replaced it and it started right up. I was so unsure of what I was doing until I hit the igniter with a test light and it seemed to be working correctly, which pointed to the coil being the problem. Thanks everyone.

                And thanks to the cops for ticketing my old car for not having tags anymore. If it wasn’t for them I would have just let it sit there another 6 months. Maybe I shouldn’t even pay this thing. What d’u think?

                #539015
                BillBill
                Participant

                  I dunno where you live but where I come from the Cops will haul your ass away when they catch up with you. Besides that when your tags are due you can’t renew until you pay the fine.

                  Glad you got it running anyway.

                  #539130
                  college mancollege man
                  Moderator

                    Glad to hear it worked out.Thanks for the update. 🙂

                  Viewing 7 replies - 1 through 7 (of 7 total)
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