Hi, there. I'd appreciate any opinions on this issue.

So, my car wouldn't start yesterday. I usually just have to jiggle some of the electrical wires under the hood, around the engine (spark plug wires/tap the distributor cap with a rubber mallet), to have the car start. This usually happens after a heavy rain in high humidity - I've always assumed moisture got on the wires. This wasn't the case this time around. It wasn't humid for days. But, I proceeded to do the same things, but none of it worked and I still couldn't start her.

This morning, the car started without a problem.

However, I stumbled on another issue while trying to get my car started yesterday. While checking the plug wires, I noticed that there was oil around the spark plugs. Not a good sign as I assumed this prevented good metal-to-metal contact between wire and spark plug. So, not having the tools to remove the spark plugs, I took some skewers, wrapped q-tips at both ends and slowly dabbed the oil out of each well. I wiped the wires also. I did all this and the car still didn't start yesterday (Remember, the car started this morning without an issue).

Here's what I'm assuming about the oil in the wells:

1) Either the piston rings or valves gave and the oil is seeping through. However, I don't see/smell oil in the exhaust.

2) I noticed that I have too much oil in the engine after the last replacement. Am I correct to think that the head gasket is leaking the oil through onto the spark plugs due to oil pressure because of too much oil in the engine?

This is a '94 Accord DX with about 140,000 miles on her. Last 7 years she's only seen maybe a total of 40,000 miles. The distributor cap, ignition rotor, spark plug wires and spark plugs were replaced less than two years ago.

Here are the skewers. I dabbed about two times the amount shown in the picture.

Thanks much for any help.

 

Your oil was leaking from the valve cover gasket for it to be visible around the plugs. Valves or rings leaking oil would put the oil INSIDE the combustion chamber.

 

Thanks for your help.

Yes! Sorry. That's what I meant - not head gasket, valve cover gasket. I see that it's "damp" - slight oil residue right around it.

I've had the valve cover gasket replaced once after my clogged thermostat blew it.

Would oil in the spark plug wells prevent the car from starting?

Thank you, again.
:thumbsup:

 

it could but it would do it all the time not intermittently........there is a write up on the DIY section about the cause and fix of oil in spark plug tubes...

also when car does not start you need to diagnose,, lack of spark or fuel.......

it almost sounds like a typical main relay issue

 

It's very possible, you're right. The main relay was cited once before as a possible reason for my non-starts. I'll look into it.

By the way, when replacing the valve cover gasket... does the engine oil have to be drained?

Thanks!

Edit to add: Do you have a link to the DIY? I went there and can't seem to find it. Thank you.

 

By the way, for some strange reason I was thinking that the oil got passed the plugs from the inside and ended up in the wells. Of course, I assume if that was to happen then there would be too significant amount of oil for me to even start the car.

 

If there was any kind of opening from the combustion chamber, it would make all kinds of noise while running, as the combustion pressure (not just oil) would leak out. Then you'd see burn marks, charred burned oil. Think of the firing tip of the spark plug being all black, oily sludge when an engine burns a lot of oil. It doesn't look the same as oil leaked from the VC gasket.

I'm also curious... You said your THERMOSTAT blew the VC gasket? How's that happen?

 

I see what you're saying. I have the Haynes manual and it has a picture of a spark plug with exactly what you describe on the back cover. I checked my records and all those parts that I said were replaced, were replaced in March of '08. Geez... what a shame (on me) I don't even have a spark plug socket to check the spark plugs just in case - I moved recently and don't have access to my friend's garage anymore.

Thanks.

 

Well, I was driving around on a hot day and all of a sudden saw the temperature gauge spike to top red. I pulled over to see what was going on - didn't see anything. So, stupidily, I ended up driving for another 30 minutes on so on red instead of calling in a tow. Well, the next day I called in a tow and went to the dealership. Dealer mechanic said that the thermostat was clogged, so he flushed the system and replaced the thermostat. Next four/five days I saw oil dripping. I went back to the same mechanic and he said that I blew the valve cover gasket when I overheated the engine. He replaced it and the dripping/leaking stopped.

 

If it overheated badly enough to damage the VC gasket, I would be afraid of a damaged head gasket too.

Change oil too, if you haven't done that. The overheating can damage the oil too. That might sludge up the PCV valve (cheap part) which leads to excessive air pressure inside the crankcase. That in turn leads to oil leaks.