Ceramic spark plug failuer

check fuel pressure replace fuel filter first then fuel pressure regulator, fuel pump depending on age of vehicle, mileage

cylinder 1 getting too hot causing ceremic crack could have wrong heat range plug in which spark plug too hot.or need replace spark plug wires.one plug wire could be bad best replace all spark plug wires.

Test all injector. Must be with in specification. If not replace it.


Mai Lor

The following is a list of the more common causes in most vehicles:

-bad spark plug(s), wire(s), coilpack

-out of time engine (timing belt jumped teeth)

-bad fuel injector(s)

-low compression on cylinder(s), stuck valve(s), broken valve spring(s), piston damage
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BMW ICOM software

Since both one and 4 are fired using the same coilpack if the location of the coilpack is easy to get to you can swap it with the 3/2 coil pack and see if the miss moves to 3/2 thus eliminating the ignition module and related circuits and confirming the coil is faulty

Check out the AboutAutomobile.com site for NHTSA complaints. I believe there was a defect in the cylinder heads for this engine. The redesigned heads have a different suffix letter than the stock heads.

For a time, the Manufactuer was paying for the repair.

Dysturbedr1,
In a word, NO- don't worry about the gel. There are 2 different kinds of "goop" that is sold for installing new plugs- one is to lubricate the spark plug threads, and the other (which I think you are calling the "gel") is to lubricate the boot and direct fire coilpacks. These are for making it easier to install and replace your plugs and coilpacks....nothing more.
The flickering check engine light is indicative of a misfire condition, which makes sense since your codes said the same thing. The most common cause for this is using a non-premium grade of gasoline or a gas with a high ethanol content (very common in the Mid-West) in a high compression engine such as yours. I had a 2001 Subaru with a high compression 3.0L 6 cylinder engine that did the exact same thing.... it ran fine, but a lower grade of gas would cause a "misfire" code. This is because lower grades of gas burn hotter and the piezo sensors in your engine are very sensitive- the explosion that takes place in a cylinder is much more pronounced with a lower grade gas to the sensor, even though it sounds fine to human ears.
Fill your car with permium, then go back to autozone and have them clear the codes. You will probably not have it happen again unless you go back to a lower gas grade.... and stay away from the Idaho Gasahol!

Good Luck, and Thank You for using FixYa!

that code is from having the plugs wires reversed as you did and the o2 senors regrsitered the overload on gas emmions once you remove the battery cables for about 5 minutes and then recconect and run the engine it should be okay

Check timing belt,sounds like belt may have skipped.

The firing order is 1-3-4-2 and that is how it should be wired.. only then can the engine work correctly.
The front of car is no 1 cylnderand nearst to dashboard is no 4 cylinderand 2 and 3 in the middle.