Oil in cylinders

[ben4866]

Morning all, wondering if anyone can help.

Ive got an A3 AGU 1.8t which won't start. Inspected the spark plugs and cylinders 1 and 2 were dripping with oil as well as the ends of the coil packs, the plugs litterally covered in oil (cylinder 1 starting from timing belt end). No3 only had oil around the spark plug seating washer and end of the coil, no4 was totally clean.

Basically what happened is I got into the car the other morning, fired it up and then it ran for a few seconds and then cut out. It wouldn't fire again after that. Up until that morning the car had been running great with no signs of anything deteriating.

Also the car was parked up previous to this for 10 days without being started. Would it be possible for the valve cover to have leaked and filled the plug chambers ? Only thinking this because the coil pack ends are covered in oil ?

Now that I think about it more the spark plug socket I used was covered in oil as though it had been submerged in a pool of oil. Is it likely that the valve cover gasket had leaked, created a pool of oil above the plugs and when i slackened the plugs the oil ran down the threads and covered the plugs ? And the reason the car wouldn't run was because of coil packs wet with oil ?


Can anybody shed any light on what may have gone wrong ?

Any help greatly appreciated.
Regards,
Ben.

Also the car was parked up previous to this for 10 days without being started. Would it be possible for the valve cover to have leaked and filled the plug chambers ? Only thinking this because the coil pack ends are covered in oil ?

 

[<tuffty/>]

Take the hose off the throttle body... if its dripping with oil then sounds like a blown turbo seal... else it could be the headgasket..

<tuffty/>

 

[ben4866]

Thanks Tuffty, ive edited my thread with more info if it helps. I'll check throttle body when the rain stops.

 

[patTTpoa]

Are the chambers filled with out the plugs being taken out? Or are the tips of the plugs covered with oil?


Pat

 

[ben4866]

I'm starting to suspect above the plugs was full of oil and then when I slackened them it ran down the plug ?

 

[patTTpoa]

If that's so, id remove clean & replace cam cover gasket.
Clean or even better replace plugs & clean coil packs of oil then see if it'll start.

Pat

 

[ben4866]

Cheers Pat I'll try that and see it it fires. fingers crossed.

 

[s3dave]

I think it is as you have described, its usually water thats the first to go on the head gasket, if left 10 days maybe the valve stem oil seals have leaked too?

 

[aragorn]

The oil you've found is almost certainly the cam cover gasket, and isnt really relevant to the car not starting.

 

[superkarl]

The oil you've found is almost certainly the cam cover gasket.

i was gonna say this too. surely the only way the coils are wet

 

[sekenzo]

I had the same problem previously. 2 cylinders failed to fire. Took out the plugs and they are covered will oil down to the firing tip. Suspected a blowned head gasket but coolant level was fine. So I changed the cam gasket and everything is now fine. I come to the conclusion that it was a worn cam gasket, oil collects in the plug hole causing arcing hence causing the cylinders to stop firing. When I remove the plug, the oil flows down to the firing tip.

 

[aragorn]

Yep exactly. If a lot builds up it can cause missfires, but i cant see how it would cause a complete failure to start

 

[ben4866]

Just to update, I changed the cam cover gasket, cleaned plugs and coils and it's running sweet again.

So a big thanks to all who helped to all who helped diagnose it.

 

[patTTpoa]

Glad it sorted the problem out!

Happy days

Pat