Lack of Spark, or Fuel?
#1
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Joined: Jun 2020
Posts: 515
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From: Holland MI
Can you tell from a spark plug if the cylinder is lacking fuel or spark? The motor the pictured spark plug came from is a 2002 4.3 mpi that's is down on RPMs from where it should be at. This is cylinder number 3 plug and looks like it is hardly firing, all other plugs look like they are firing fine. All plugs were new at the beginning of the season and have about 40 hours on them. One side of the spark plug strap does have some carbon build up on it, so it has to be at least firing a little bit.
Cap, rotor, distributor, and plugs were all new at the beginning of the season. Plug wires were not replaced.
Compression on all 6 cylinders 150-155psi
New fuel water separator, and fuel pressure steady at 40 psi, even under load with lack of RPM.
Planning on new spark plug wires and having the injectors cleaned, but now as I'm typing this I'm wondering if potentially the exhaust manifold is leaking water in that cylinder and that's why the plug looks so clean??



Cap, rotor, distributor, and plugs were all new at the beginning of the season. Plug wires were not replaced.
Compression on all 6 cylinders 150-155psi
New fuel water separator, and fuel pressure steady at 40 psi, even under load with lack of RPM.
Planning on new spark plug wires and having the injectors cleaned, but now as I'm typing this I'm wondering if potentially the exhaust manifold is leaking water in that cylinder and that's why the plug looks so clean??



#6
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Joined: Aug 2021
Posts: 112
Likes: 62
From: Hawaii
get you an inline spark tester. $10 or so at Autozone or wherever.. looks brand new as in never been fired. I'm guessing you have spark issues. probably a plug wire, ground issue, whatever.
one time i had a plug wire get old and worn and it was arcing through the shielding onto the engine and causing that cylinder to misfire. i'm surprised you don't notice a significant misfire if you have a spark issue.
one time i had a plug wire get old and worn and it was arcing through the shielding onto the engine and causing that cylinder to misfire. i'm surprised you don't notice a significant misfire if you have a spark issue.
#7
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Joined: Nov 2009
Posts: 4,197
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From: KY
Cap, rotor, distributor, and plugs were all new at the beginning of the season.
Saying last season it was fine, or this just started so the parts were replaced to try and fix?




