Am I burning lean or REALLY lean?

[2zzgtte]

My car seems to go threw spark plaus every 4,000 miles. I thought I was burning really rich because my gas mileage sucks, and it smells like it. Something isnt right though.

Last 2 times I have changed my spark plags, the seem to come out whiteish. I changed my plugs last time because my car seems to misfire when they start going bad. The last time I changed my plugs the misfiring went away. Yesterday it went away. It is back today...


I didnt think I was burning lean the first time I changed my plugs. I just thought it was the Amsoil P.I. I put in there. Well my plugs tell a different story.



















Here is the one I just pulled out. I only pulled 1 out because I didnt have time to pull the rest. Going to the Wolves game. Let me know what you guys think.




(Seems like best lighting is in my bathroom...)




Here is an old one with about 3 - 4000 miles on it (right) vs. a new one with maybe 100 - 150 miles on it... (left)

[mike55112]

Get your car tuned. You shouldnt be having problems going through plugs since your setup is so basic.

[Matt D.]

Those look good to me. *shrug* Mine look the same and have probably 10,000+ on them.

[2zzgtte]

Originally Posted by mike55112

Get your car tuned. You shouldnt be having problems going through plugs since your setup is so basic.

Do you remember when we were coming back from Michigan and you said my car sounds like its burning rich? the exhaust still smells like that but my plugs dont seem to show evidence of it burning rich.

Originally Posted by Matt D.

Those look good to me. *shrug* Mine look the same and have probably 10,000+ on them.

Then I wonder why they keep misfiring. Around 3 - 4000 miles they start to misfire. When I replace them, the misifring goes away. This time it didnt i guess...

[Matt D.]

Sounds like it's rich? Please tell me how you can hear such a thing.

Are your plugs gapped correctly?

[mlomker]

Originally Posted by Matt D.

Sounds like it's rich? Please tell me how you can hear such a thing.

I guess if it were possible to tune using plugs then we wouldn't need afr gauges.

[mike55112]

I remember I could hear a little misfire and it smelled rich. Slap in your cams and have shane tune it

[Matt D.]

Originally Posted by mlomker

I guess if it were possible to tune using plugs then we wouldn't need afr gauges.

No, but plugs are a good indication of engine health and overall performance.

[Kevin 1G Drummer]

Those plugs look just fine to me.

[sleepydsm]

Probably needs a tune! They look a little sooty to me, I bet its too rich!

Invest in a wideband.

[123abc]

What are you gapping your plugs to? Are you on a stock setup/injectors or whats the story?

[311evo]

I'm wondering about the gap too.

Otherwise tune. Do you have an intake on it?

Edit: Boost leak test done.. ever?

[2zzgtte]

Originally Posted by Matt D.

Sounds like it's rich? Please tell me how you can hear such a thing.

Are your plugs gapped correctly?

Oops, sorry. It should have "smelled" rich.

My gap is .025 on BPR7ES.

Originally Posted by mike55112

I remember I could hear a little misfire and it smelled rich. Slap in your cams and have shane tune it

Haha, "slap" them in... I'm not mechaniclly inclined so nothing is "slapping" it in... Plugs is the easiest thing for me to do but that still takes me a while lol

Originally Posted by 123abc

What are you gapping your plugs to? Are you on a stock setup/injectors or whats the story?

My gap is .025 on BPR7ES.

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Originally Posted by 311evo

I'm wondering about the gap too.

Otherwise tune. Do you have an intake on it?

Edit: Boost leak test done.. ever?

No boost test ever done. Maybe I should try one? Maybe I should try compression test while I'm at it too.

[Matt D.]

If you are that concerned about your car when the plugs look fine then you really should do a boost leak test and have Shane look at the tune. You aren't going to get a magical answer by making forum posts on the internet.

[GsXtUrBo98]

He's just trying to build his post numbers. Give him some slack

Originally Posted by Matt D.

If you are that concerned about your car when the plugs look fine then you really should do a boost leak test and have Shane look at the tune. You aren't going to get a magical answer by making forum posts on the internet.

[2zzgtte]

Lol, Sorry guys. I thought they looked lean to me. Just thought I'd ask. I could care less about post numbers

[GsXtUrBo98]

Originally Posted by 2zzgtte

Lol, Sorry guys. I thought they looked lean to me. Just thought I'd ask. I could care less about post numbers

Lol, it was a joke.. I was giving some shit.. just bored at work like matt d I guess.

[2zzgtte]

I am in the same boat as you guys... Trying to get my Google Talk to go through my Proxy and it just wont work. Since we have came to a conclusion about my spark plugs, maybe someone can give me advice on that?? lol

[Shane@DBPerformance]

Your plugs don't look fouled out or anything, and they aren't covered in oil residue either.

Copper plugs don't last forever either though. You might have a weak coil(stock Evo coils suck) or bad plug wire, if it will only fire smoothly with perfectly new plugs. Or your ignition timing in the tune could be too far off.

A lot of people confuse the smell of a car idling/running lean with that of a rich car. Lean smells very noxious. Really rich and gas will be coming out the exhaust pipe, but it will smell like raw gas and your plugs will usually be dripping wet.

[scheides]

Good call shane, stock coil boots and plugwires go bad quicker than most people think; if the car is missing and the plugs are not gunked up, def replace both (or do the spoolinup COP woot!). I have a good set of stock coils w/ good boots/wires if you want to borrow them as a test.