Car Problem

[jspence1]

While driving my taurus today I heard a loud bang and it started to run like a go-cart and could smell gas. When looked at I discovered the spark plug had broken. The metal part that threads into the engine was still threaded in and the ceramic bit was still in the wire, and some bits were missing. I just tossed another spark plug in and it appears fine. My question is is it possible that I have a much bigger problem than a broken spark plug. Do spark plugs ever break like this? I have a couple of large purchases planned in the next few days and if I'm going to be car shopping I want to stop them. Any thoughts?

 

[Bobby_M]

I've never heard of this happening. Thermal shock maybe? Maybe you ran something over and it popped up and hit the wire pretty hard. Unlikely maybe.

 

[jspence1]

This one has got me worried. I have an appointment to have a stereo installed in my wife's car tomorrow. But if I'm looking at a new car the $800 would be better spent on that.

My first thought was that I hit something with the loud bang but I didn't see anything


The car has no value I picked it up 3 years ago for $2000 and have put about $200 into it. The transmission is a little flakey too maybe I should just replace it. My biggest problem is I drive about 10 km a week on average now that I stay at home with the kids

 

[Ichthy]

Should be fine. But if it happens again i would start worrying.

 

[springer]

I have had this happen before. Original or old plugs right. The metal around the ceramic rots away and you start to get some compression leakage the compression wears on the parts causing failure. There is no way that anything mechanical hit it from the inside as it would have been knocking and such and still would be.

Ford has a problem with their V-8s actually shooting the plug and the threads from the heads out . You need to either remove the head or use a special insert that restores the the threads and the taper of the head as thats what sets the plug.But this isn't something you need to worry about as you have a 4 or 6 cyl .

 

[azscoob]

sparkplugs can break like that, I have seen quite a few actually. I was worried when reading the first few sentences of your post, the ford trucks are known for blowing the plugs out of the head intact, taking the threads with them..an expensive problem to have. the plug may have been damaged when it was first put in, or there could have been some knocking or detonation that resulted in the plug failure. I would simply start running a better grade of gas, and possibly some fuel system cleaner with the next few tanks to clean up the carbon deposits. I recall the 95-99 eclipse with ther chrysler motors had issues with carbon chunks dropping off the head, and smashing into the spark plug tips, at minimum the plug cant fire or it broke like yours.

 

[jspence1]

I'll take it for a good run tonight and see what happens. I've never seen anything like this, I'm glad someone has seen it before. The car had been running good I took it on a 100 km trip this weekend and had no problems. I did have my mother in my car, She is the most unlucky person on the planet maybe it just rubbed off on my car.

I canceled the stereo install and put a call into the ford dealer about some pricing on a new fusion. (The stereo was my way of keeping her happy with the old car for anther year or so)

 

[mattjmac]

I have it on good authority that spark plug manufacturers often get sued by damage their plugs cause to people's engine. I know a guy who knows a guy who once worked in the legal department of a certain German auto part manufacturer. If there is damage, I recommend calling the spark plug manufacturer. It won't be easy, but they will pay out if you kept the broken plug.

 

[jspence1]

lol I wonder what the payout is on a 1998 taurus station wagon with 280000 Km on it.

 

[Homercidal]

Sounds like the plug simply detonated due to a possible crack or deformity in the ceramic half. Not likely a problem with the engine, but if it has more than 100,000 miles on it, I'd consider replacing all of the plug wires and all of the plugs. Keeping good spark in the cylinders goes a long way towards heading off other future problems.

 

[azscoob]

lol I wonder what the payout is on a 1998 taurus station wagon with 280000 Km on it.

I think the payout is a half a wheel of mild cheddar

 

[Fingers]

If the bottom half of the plug is still threaded into the cylinder, then you only had a failure of the plug. The ignition system is common for all of your plugs (with the exception of the wire) so it's unlikely that there was a problem before the plug. Carry on as if you're normal.

 

[jspence1]

LOL as if I'm normal. That could be a challenge for me.

 

[shizzle]

If the bottom half of the plug is still threaded into the cylinder, then you only had a failure of the plug. The ignition system is common for all of your plugs (with the exception of the wire) so it's unlikely that there was a problem before the plug. Carry on as if you're normal.

if the threaded half isnt beaten up +1