Weird problem going on... I just hope it's not a head gasket leak... Ok so here's what's going on, my truck has been sluggish (read, extra sluggish for a 3.0), so today I was going to do a compression test, but I guess I bought the wrong size or something (14mm) because I absolutly cannot get the damn thing to screw in!!! Anyways, I did take a good look at acouple of my spark plugs, and I've never seen the like... The number 4 cylinder (right side, back of engine) gave a a plug where the ceramic was 1/2 black, 1/2 normal white. I took a pic...


Sorry for the crappy quality, it was on my phone. It doesn't show up too too well but you get the idea. I pull the plug out of cylinder 5 and it was 1/2 white, 1/2 tan, like a much lighter shade of 4's plug... I pulled a plug from the cylider right across the engine on the other side (trying to rule out a head gasket problem by going to a different head) and it too was 1/2 tan 1/2 white...

What the heck is going on? How much would a shop charge for a compression test? Maybe $30? More, less? Any ideas what's going on? Running rich/lean because of some sensor problem, ect...

Thanks!

 

I don't think it's a head gasket problem based on that picture. Rich plugs will be covered with carbon and black. Lean plugs will be more light colored. Oil on plugs looks like oil basically. I'm leaning toward it being a sensor/computer problem. I always try running fuel system cleaner through mine every once in a while and I have not changed my plugs once since I owned my truck. I did buy some of that CRC MAF sensor cleaner and clean the MAF off.

 

My father suggested buying mid-grade fuel... Would that help? Not all to long ago, I had taken it into a shop for a diagnosis and they said a scan returned an error at the spark plugs (the last shop had gapped them wrong) so I'm assuming that they found no other errors?

 

did you re gap them?

 

Of course

 

Carbon deposits usually mean its running a little rich, or the ignition system is weakening. Try some fuel injector cleaner in the tank with your next fill up.
How long has it been since the plug wires were last replaced?
Does it misfire or stutter any when you first start it or when its idleing at low engine speed?

 

Idle is a little rough, don't know why. Wires are new, less than 1,000 miles. The engine doesn't missifre at all, but if I start it and while the engine is cold (ie: sitting for more than 2 hours) and I punch the gas it will skip for a second and then rev.