Kerry
Member
Registered: 5th Oct 01
Location: Norwich
User status: Offline
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Ok back in July some time my Vectra, which is a 2.0l ecotec, started firing on 3 while sitting in traffic. My suspicions were confirmed when a new set of plugs cured the problem!! At the time of fitting the plugs I noticed oil sitting in number 4 hole but didnt really do anything more about it.
A couple of weeks ago I noticed oil leaking around the cam cover at number 4 end and on checking the plugs again there was oil sitting in number 2, 3 and 4 hole but number 1 was dry as a bone!!
The gasket and breather pipes were all changed last week and I even fitted an ecotec breather box thing and its been running fine. I got a set of plugs too but never fitted them as the others were not that old.
Today, it started running on 3 again (ironically in exactely the same place as last time) and on getting the car home I found the following......
This is NUMBER 1 plug 
Oh and theres still a bit of oil sitting in 3 and 4 is this normal and will it clear or do i still have a problem?
And my question is, WHY IS THAT PLUG LIKE THAT?? What causes it?
p.s plugs have been changed and now runs ok again 
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Kerry
Member
Registered: 5th Oct 01
Location: Norwich
User status: Offline
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anyone?
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bigjim172000
Member
Registered: 3rd May 05
Location: New Buckenham, Norfolk
User status: Offline
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got any smoke out the back?
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Kerry
Member
Registered: 5th Oct 01
Location: Norwich
User status: Offline
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not really no!!
sometimes when im sitting in traffic though i get like a fume smell coming in the vents it smells slightly oily
[Edited on 07-10-2007 by Kerry]
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Dave A
USER UNDER INVESTIGATION - DO NOT TRADE
Registered: 10th Dec 03
Location: County Durham
User status: Offline
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is it just oily gunk on the plug or is it actually damaged?
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Kerry
Member
Registered: 5th Oct 01
Location: Norwich
User status: Offline
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i dont think the plug is damaged and the gunk is cooked on solid so i cant clean it off to check!
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Dave A
USER UNDER INVESTIGATION - DO NOT TRADE
Registered: 10th Dec 03
Location: County Durham
User status: Offline
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burning oil in that cylinder is the likely cause. worst I have seen infact!
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Kerry
Member
Registered: 5th Oct 01
Location: Norwich
User status: Offline
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so how would the oil get in there? its bad innit to be like that after 3 mths!!
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Dave A
USER UNDER INVESTIGATION - DO NOT TRADE
Registered: 10th Dec 03
Location: County Durham
User status: Offline
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could be one of 3 things:
oil coming past piston rings
oil coming past stem seals
oil seeping down the side of the valve guide (common on the c20xe)
my guess would be stem seal. get someone to check for blue smoke from the exhaust on startup.
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Kerry
Member
Registered: 5th Oct 01
Location: Norwich
User status: Offline
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im thinking stem seal too
will try and borrow a compression tester and fingers crossed 
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