I'm Getting That Sinking Feeling.

[davemar 16]

Yesterday I whipped out my spark plugs (Mi16 1.9) to check them over, and one of them had quite a covering of white crystals over the hexagonal part of it. The sort of residue you get from leaking coolant. Curious to find it on the top side of the plug. I also noticed the header tank was very low in coolant. I haven't done more than the odd couple miles here and there over the past month or so due to ignition problems, so I haven't really been checking the coolant level over this period as the engine hasn't really been on a long run. I really hope its not the headgasket on its way out. I replaced only a few months ago, and the car has hardly been driven since (a couple of hundred miles at the very most). Surely a blown HG wouldn't put water on the top of the plug?

[richard 0]

Get a snif test done by your local garage, or you can buy kits which will tell you if you have exhaust fumes within the coolant system. These use a chemical reaction shown with a fluid.

 

A quick and easy way to know.

[DamirGTI 342]

Hi !

 

I've had similar problem :

http://forum.205gtidrivers.com/index.php?s...l=cracked+liner

 

Rgs !

Damir

[davemar 16]

Haven't had much chance to check things recently or run the engine, but did a compression test today. Obviously it was with a cold engine, but the figures ranged between 12.7 and 13.0 for all 4 cylinders, so not much variation between them. Nothing really dodgy I assume.

[Sandy 191]

Could well be condensation causing furring in the plug bores, don't panic!

[pug_ham 244 3 Cars]

I agree with Sandy, the hex of the plug isn't in an area that is likely to show signs of a failing head gasket but if the car has been stood for a while it could quite easily be just moisture from condensation after its last run thats dried out.

 

If its running fine I wouldn't be conerned by it.

 

Graham.