Overall Engine Scenario as my 5er fades

[ericbendler]

Ok....Where do I begin.

I have water showing up in cyliners 5 & 6.

Upon inspection of top of the piston with a flashlight down through the spark plug hole, I find that the top of it looks like a charred marshmellow.

Not exactly at shiny piston head.

I have oil on some of my spark plug threads. Namely the middle ones.

My 5 also slugged its way home the other day with no power. Two of the spark plug holes having an inch of water in it might have had something to do with that.

And my gas milage has sunk to 15 around town and 22 on the highway.

My question is this.

My head would not just warp right spontaniously? No overheating episodes. I thought that the water in the splug wells looked like rain water, not coolant.

The charred pistons - slow daily driving with no fuel additives?

Water on top of the plugs? Drainage from the heavy rains we just had?

Oil on my plugs? Valve cover gasket? Valve Stem Seals?

I have replaced the valve cover gasket, all 6 spark plugs (again), new ignition coil boots, and tried to make sure that there is NO WAY water is getting down into the 5th & 6th spark plug wells cause I don't want to burn up my DME.

I am waiting on the dealership for two boots for the coils before I can take off & see how it runs. I was just hoping that someone would take a look at what is going wrong, with the help of some pictures, and send me your opinion as to why MY DAILY DRIVER IS A PAPER WIEGHT.

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/556700959Ynxlvn?start=0 is the link for the photos of my car. Sorry about the random pics, but my tires were rubbing and I had to make some changes.

[ryan roopnarine]

Ok....Where do I begin.

I have water showing up in cyliners 5 & 6.

As a florida driver, i'm surprised that you don't see this that often. water slides off the windshield to the back of the motor and (according to jon kensey) through your windshield washer nozzle holes and down into number 5.

Upon inspection of top of the piston with a flashlight down through the spark plug hole, I find that the top of it looks like a charred marshmellow.

Not exactly at shiny piston head.

Motors get dirty inside, would be more concerned if you said that one or two were shiny, that would indicate pressure washing.

I have oil on some of my spark plug threads. Namely the middle ones.
Valve cover gasket not done with a torque wrench, or is getting old.

My 5 also slugged its way home the other day with no power. Two of the spark plug holes having an inch of water in it might have had something to do with that.

its 100% the water if the webshots pictures are accurate.

And my gas milage has sunk to 15 around town and 22 on the highway.

The coil boots being soaked in water will do this. are you hearing a misfire under load at all? i would think you would.


My head would not just warp right spontaniously? No overheating episodes. I thought that the water in the splug wells looked like rain water, not coolant.

Your headgasket can let go at any time, but the water in the wells is rainwater. if you've wrenched american cars or whatever for a while, get the car up to temps, nice and good, and feel the radiator hoses. if they are extraordinarily hard, then maybe it is a headgasket. if not, then no.


I have replaced the valve cover gasket, all 6 spark plugs (again), new ignition coil boots, and tried to make sure that there is NO WAY water is getting down into the 5th & 6th spark plug wells cause I don't want to burn up my DME.

if the "new" coil boots are the one in the pictures, then no difference will be made. if, on your test run, you are using ANY old plug boots that have been exposed to water, dry them out and wrap them in strapping tape or electrical tape. take your coils out, and put a one layer coat of tape around the plastic parts of the ignition coils to prevent hairline cracks from dumping the electrical energy from ignition into your valve cover. i saw that you had the same coils that i once had when i was over at your house. mine had many hairline cracks that could only be seen with a magnifying glass, as do most of the coils that i've had in my hands of that vintage. once you set a baseline for good running, you can take the tape off the coils and see if you need to buy a new set of coils.


http://good-times.webshots.com/album/556700959Ynxlvn?start=0 is the link for the photos of my car. Sorry about the random pics, but my tires were rubbing and I had to make some changes.[/quote]

[ericbendler]

concise answers man. I really appreciate it!