white spark plug

[mohsen]

each time i check my spark plugs i find them like NEW (white spot and burned electrode)
i think i have someting wrong cause white spark plug = lean fire
waht are the reasons lead to this lean fire ? and how can i fix it?

[PrecisionBoost]

Stop driving immediately as severe engine damage may be occurring if it has not already.

To me you are describing severe lean conditions most likely with detonation.


If it's all spark plugs that are white you may have an issue with the fuel pump not supplying enough pressure/flow or the fuel pressure regulator is not functioning correctly.

Alternatively, but your oxygen sensor is malfunctioning and switching on a leaner point than it's supposed to.

Have you received a check engine light?

Be cautious as sometimes the bulb itself will be burnt out or removed, ensure that the CEL does come on for a fraction of a second when you first start the car.


If you have no CEL and it's running lean it more than likely means the Oxygen sensor is somehow malfunctioning.


If it's just one or two plugs that may mean blocked or damaged injectors or possibly a problem with the ECU.

Quite often if you have one injector that is blocked ( thus just one white plug ) the engine will simply push more fuel into the other three injectors until it's happy with the O2 sensor.

That is to say you might have three cylinders running 13:1 instead of 14.7:1 and one single cylinder running 21:1

Over all because you have three cylinders well below 14.7:1 the total ratio ends up being close to what it should be despite one cylinder running lean and hot.


Any way you cut it you need more fuel ASAP and the more you drive it the more of a chance there is that your engine will be destroyed ( melted pistons, explosive precombustion, burnt exhaust valves, holes in cylinder head, rings loosing their elasticity, damage to bore.


Basically short of blowing your timing belt lean engine conditions are probably one of the most destructive things that can happen, perhaps even worse than loosing oil pressure.

[gse_turbo]

what about poor qualty fuel? a low grade fuel could cause the same issue because its burning too fast. try getting close to empty and fill up half way with a mid-grade fuel. check the plugs again, if this is the issue then you will see a difference. also, always make sure that you are using a good brand of fuel and try to only use one brand of fuel as much as possible.

cheers
Garrett

[mohsen]

Stop driving immediately as severe engine damage may be occurring if it has not already.

To me you are describing severe lean conditions most likely with detonation.


If it's all spark plugs that are white you may have an issue with the fuel pump not supplying enough pressure/flow or the fuel pressure regulator is not functioning correctly.

all spark plugs that are white

Alternatively, but your oxygen sensor is malfunctioning and switching on a leaner point than it's supposed to.

Have you received a check engine light?

Be cautious as sometimes the bulb itself will be burnt out or removed, ensure that the CEL does come on for a fraction of a second when you first start the car.


If you have no CEL and it's running lean it more than likely means the Oxygen sensor is somehow malfunctioning.


i have no CEL

If it's just one or two plugs that may mean blocked or damaged injectors or possibly a problem with the ECU.

Quite often if you have one injector that is blocked ( thus just one white plug ) the engine will simply push more fuel into the other three injectors until it's happy with the O2 sensor.

That is to say you might have three cylinders running 13:1 instead of 14.7:1 and one single cylinder running 21:1

Over all because you have three cylinders well below 14.7:1 the total ratio ends up being close to what it should be despite one cylinder running lean and hot.


Any way you cut it you need more fuel ASAP and the more you drive it the more of a chance there is that your engine will be destroyed ( melted pistons, explosive precombustion, burnt exhaust valves, holes in cylinder head, rings loosing their elasticity, damage to bore.

my fuel pump worked 60 000 km and it was cheap one. should i replace it with new one?
Basically short of blowing your timing belt lean engine conditions are probably one of the most destructive things that can happen, perhaps even worse than loosing oil pressure.

any idea about timing issue?

[mohsen]

what about poor qualty fuel? a low grade fuel could cause the same issue because its burning too fast. try getting close to empty and fill up half way with a mid-grade fuel. check the plugs again, if this is the issue then you will see a difference. also, always make sure that you are using a good brand of fuel and try to only use one brand of fuel as much as possible.

cheers
Garrett

i always use fuel 92

[PrecisionBoost]

It sound more of a "lean" condition than a timing issue based upon the spark plug info.

If you have no CEL then I would consider the O2 sensor as a possible fault.

If the O2 was working correctly it should see this lean condition and try to compensate, if there is a fuel issue and it can't compensate it should give you a CEL.

Do you have an OBD scanner by chance?

If it were me, I would pick up a used O2 narrow band sensor at the local scrap yard and give it a try

There should be a pile of cars using the same exact sensor, unfortunatly I don't have my info of which sensor it is, perhaps someone else does.

[PrecisionBoost]

Pictures of a plug might help, also what brand of plug?

Is the car running good, or does it feel different than usual?

[mohsen]

[quote="PrecisionBoost"]Pictures of a plug might help, also what brand of plug?

Is the car running good, or does it feel different than usual?

plugreadings.gif

(62.85 KiB) Downloaded 393 times

my plugs look like the one on the left

my car running good

[MMamdouh]

you are running lean... period

MMamdouh

[PrecisionBoost]

Like I said, the first thing I'd do if I were you is to change out the O2 sensor just to be on the safe side.

As well, looking at the O2 sensor will help determine what is going on by the deposits on your sensor.

[Daniel]

mohsen,

you wrote in another post that you have a coolant leak. If inside engine such a leak can do nasty things to oxygen sensor.

Daniel,

[mohsen]

Like I said, the first thing I'd do if I were you is to change out the O2 sensor just to be on the safe side.

i will do

As well, looking at the O2 sensor will help determine what is going on by the deposits on your sensor.

i want ask you last question:
if i disconnect the O2 sensor electric connector
does the ECM suggest an average(neither lean nor rich) reading instead of the O2 sensor output and it will change the current A/F ratio (lean) to better one ???

thanx

[mohsen]

mohsen,

you wrote in another post that you have a coolant leak. If inside engine such a leak can do nasty things to oxygen sensor.

Daniel,

yes i did but it was an external leak and i fixed it

thank you very much Daniel