Urgent Help Needed

[t-tony]

I was having a look at a YouTube video of a bloke doing it on his 1.9 and it seems that each coil can be swapped out?

View: https://youtu.be/KZJnTK7OCJI


It's more likely that I'll be wrong as my mechanical knowledge can't be compared with yours

The piece the guy s holding is the coil pack. From that to each spark plug is an HT lead which carries the High Tension (high voltage, several thousand volts) spark to each spark plug in turn. 1-3-4-2 if that's the firing order. That is what you need to swap from your donor car mate to the one which is faulty on you car.

Tony.

 

[Faheem]

@t-tony I took a HT lead out of my project zed and I fit it to my car.

It turns out that half the top portion of the spark plug is stuck in the HT lead - is that even possible?

The reason I think this is the case is because no matter what I did, the old lead wouldn't click back into place.

All the other spark plugs seemed to be tight, except for one which I can't seem to grip with a 16 socket, it's weird, I can't get the socket to hold the head no matter what I do, though I can see the plug in the cylinder.

After putting everything back together the car seems fine, although we'll have to wait and see whether the cold starts are any better.

 

[colb]

Are you using a plug socket which is a deep socket or a normal size socket, if the socket is not deep enough to go right over and down to the bottom of the plug it will not be gripping the plug enough and may well slip around.
As for the stuck HT lead on the plug use some force to pull the lead off its only a snap fit, get some pliers on it and give it a good pull, if need be swap it for a lead off your other car.

 

[Faheem]

I've tried using both spark plug tool that comes in the boot and a special spark plug socket that I bought earlier this year.

 

[Brian4]

Hi @Faheem looking at the picture of the plug that fell out it is missing the screw on cap so this is probably in the plug lead and stopping it going on. you can get it out by screwing the plug back into the lead and then pull the plug out. make sense? I know what I mean.

 

[Faheem]

I know what you mean mate I hadn't thought of that but that's a good idea, I'll give that a go now.

 

[Faheem]

Unfortunately that didn't work Worth a go though.

 

[colb]

Re the plug spanners, make sure there is nothing lying at the bottom of the plug cavity stopping the spanner from going to the bottom of the plug and letting it grip the flats on the plug

 

[colb]

Here is a guide I found for M44 plug changing which may help you
http://www.bmwe36blog.com/replacing-bmw-e36-m42m44-spark-plugs-diy.html

 

[t-tony]

If you used that type of plug spanner to tighten the spark plugs you will not have tightened them enough. You should only use the "Tee" handle to spin them down then bend it ove to a right angle and use the handle as a lever. You can't do that when the plugs are set down in those holes. Check carefully that there isn't a plug screw cap or even a stone down by the bottom of the plug you can't undo, if there is it can drop into the engine when you remove the plug.

Tony.

 

[Faheem]

@t-tony I don't have a torque wrench but I went out with a 1/2 inch ratchet and some extension bars and you were right in that I could tighten them more. As I don't have a proper tool to measure how tight the plugs are I don't want to overtighten them so it was a bit of guess work.

I took a code reader to the car and scanned for codes, it appears the code reader thinks I have a misfire in 2 cylinders, cylinder 4 and cylinder 3 and as well as that there was code p0130 which is for the 02 sensor, wondering whether the spark plug shooting out would have caused that? I scan for codes at least once every month and I haven't seen any codes on my zed up until now.

I've reset all the codes so I'll drive it for a couple of days and see if anything comes back. The car is fine at the moment but I still can't tighten the plug in this cylinder.

There appears to be something inside though I can't see what it is, I don't want to put a screw driver or pliers inside as I may gouge the cylinder wall and no good can come from that.

I thought about using tweezers but unfortunately I don't have any that are long enough. The car does drive properly now and this morning there was no cold start issues.

 

[Zeti]

Try with a magnetic small cap; if what's there is metal , will stick to the magnet.
Any part in there, iron or ALU , can disturb the good function of the plug.
Try to see what's obstructing the access to the plug.

 

[t-tony]

It would appear to me looking at that picture that the spark plug didn't have a removable screw on cap but a solid tip which it looks as though has snapped off, therefore there's nothing for the plug lead to clip on to. If you can get access to compressed air it's possible you could blow out whatever is sitting near the bottom of that plug.

Tony.

 

[motco]

That looks to me as if it's a section of the terminal end of the plug lead; rubber or plastic. Look at the female part that engages with the top of the plug and see whether it is complete. If you can get access to an airline then blow compressed air down the aperture and bit that is preventing the spanner getting on to the hex part will come flying out.

My son had a spark plug fly out of a Peugeot a few years ago and it was because the thread in the cylinder head was stripped. A chap called The Thread Doctor put a Helicoil in and a plug would then screw down as normal. I fail to see how a plug can blow out from a thread that isn't stripped. Surely, if it gradually unscrewed the noise of the blow-by would become unmissable?

 

[colb]

Looks like the top of the spark plug has broken off and fallen down alongside the plug, your attempts to use the plug spanner seems to have mangled the alloy top of the plug around the base of the plug. get a flat blade screwdriver down there and see what you can loosen up before trying to get it out by compressed air blast or blutac an the end of a thin stick. Reckon whats mangled down there is preventing your plug spanner getting onto the plug far enough to grip the flats on the plug.
Do not worry about damaging anything down there its only a recess poking about down there should not cause anything untoward.

 

[oldcarman]

@t-tony I don't have a torque wrench but I went out with a 1/2 inch ratchet and some extension bars and you were right in that I could tighten them more. As I don't have a proper tool to measure how tight the plugs are I don't want to overtighten them so it was a bit of guess work.

I took a code reader to the car and scanned for codes, it appears the code reader thinks I have a misfire in 2 cylinders, cylinder 4 and cylinder 3 and as well as that there was code p0130 which is for the 02 sensor, wondering whether the spark plug shooting out would have caused that? I scan for codes at least once every month and I haven't seen any codes on my zed up until now.

I've reset all the codes so I'll drive it for a couple of days and see if anything comes back. The car is fine at the moment but I still can't tighten the plug in this cylinder.

There appears to be something inside though I can't see what it is, I don't want to put a screw driver or pliers inside as I may gouge the cylinder wall and no good can come from that.

I thought about using tweezers but unfortunately I don't have any that are long enough. The car does drive properly now and this morning there was no cold start issues.

View attachment 46256

I'm a bit confused by where you think the problem is. At the bottom of the plug hole, in the cylinder or? From what I'm seeing in the pic it almost looks like metal from the threads which were caused by cross threading a plug. Also could explain why you can't tighten the new plug! Just a guess here as I only have my iPhone pic to go by. Good luck JIM

 

[t-tony]

I can't really get a good idea of what is exactly wrong either Jim, so just offering suggestions on a best guess basis.

Tony.

 

[Faheem]

1. The plug that fell out whilst driving was replaced.
2. The lead wouldn't sit correctly as the top of the old plug was stuck in the lead
3. Lead replaced with one from my project zed
4. When checking the other plugs for tightness, I could tighten all of them besides the first plug which for some reason I can't grip onto.

It's very hard to see what's wrong. But I appreciate your help unfortunately I don't have an air compressor which may leave me with no choice but to take it to a garage, I hate taking the car to a garage though. Unless of course the zed shed Midlands branch is willing to help

I should say the car drives fine, my only issue is: a) why can't I grip onto the plug? B) if there is something there that doesn't belong there with the plug that can't be the best for the car.

Once again I'd like to thank everyone for their help.

 

[t-tony]

More than happy to take a look Faheem, there will be staff here next Saturday afternoon.

Tony.

>.<

 

[Bozzy]

More than happy to take a look Faheem, there will be staff here next Saturday afternoon.

Tony.[/
You won't find better "staff" than @t-tony to fettle your zed.

Be good to see you there young Faheem .

Steve