Water on spark plugs 7 & 8. Mystery solved.

[pjw73nh]

I found where the water is getting in on my cylinders 7 & 8. If you've been following some of my other posts, you'll know I've been shooting an intermittent miss. It appears to be a moving target too. Changes cylinders all the time. Very intermittent.

Anyway, it rained pretty heavily last night. As part of my troubleshooting regimen, I took each of the coils out today and cleaned them, blew out the spark plug wells with compressed air, and greased them with dielectric grease.

Number 8 was the first one I did. When I pulled it out it had a lot of water puddling on the coil itself. I traced the water ingress to one of the plastic windshield cowl fasteners. It was dripping wet. Actually 2 or 3 of them leaked, but only one of them was the culprit for the water on cyll 7 & 8.

See my pix here.

https://picasaweb.google.com/103956146819641847893/WaterOnCylinder8?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCNLR9vS4yYniqQE&feat=directlink

Use the magnifying glass to zoom if needed.

Best.

P.../NH

 

[steve6534]

I found where the water is getting in on my cylinders 7 & 8. If you've been following some of my other posts, you'll know I've been shooting an intermittent miss. It appears to be a moving target too. Changes cylinders all the time. Very intermittent.

Anyway, it rained pretty heavily last night. As part of my troubleshooting regimen, I took each of the coils out today and cleaned them, blew out the spark plug wells with compressed air, and greased them with dielectric grease.

Number 8 was the first one I did. When I pulled it out it had a lot of water puddling on the coil itself. I traced the water ingress to one of the plastic windshield cowl fasteners. It was dripping wet. Actually 2 or 3 of them leaked, but only one of them was the culprit for the water on cyll 7 & 8.

See my pix here.

https://picasaweb.google.com/103956146819641847893/WaterOnCylinder8?authuser=0&feat=directlink

Use the magnifying glass to zoom if needed.

Best.

P.../NH

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[pjw73nh]

I am such an idiot sometimes. Sorry about that.

Try this link. I'll edit the other one. Thanks

https://picasaweb.google.com/103956146819641847893/WaterOnCylinder8?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCNLR9vS4yYniqQE&feat=directlink

 

[steve6534]

I am such an idiot sometimes. Sorry about that.

Try this link. I'll edit the other one. Thanks

https://picasaweb.google.com/103956146819641847893/WaterOnCylinder8?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCNLR9vS4yYniqQE&feat=directlink

That's better - Good find ! I'll have to check mine after the next big rain and see if it looks the same.

 

[TexasArmadillo]

I wish I could remember what rain looks like. Good find though, I'll make sure mine is water tight when I get it back.

 

[pjw73nh]

Been hearing about TX drought in the news up here in NH. Sounds like you guys are getting slammed with heat and dryness. Been pretty dry up here (dry for the northeast anyway), but nothing like what you're getting hit with.

 

[TexasArmadillo]

It happens. You just have to adapt to the problems your are given. Pretty much you just have to avoid parking in tall grass.

 

[Explorer_PL]

Hi PJW -

if that's the case (sure looks on your truck) then another winner for Ford. It cost me a plug on my 06 when I had to drill #8 hole and part of the plug, insert a bushing and have almost heart attack when I did that.And after that I was still getting water there and then it stopped. I though I had intake gasket leak or cracked head or something else.Thanks for the research.

 

[Explorer_PL]

So after 3 days of raining, my Explorer started bucking and kicking same way as it did 20K miles ago, when my #8 sparkplug was not fireing. Back then I replaced all of them with #8 being basicaly welded to the head, and me snapping it in a half when trying to remove. So I opened the hood and to confirm what pjw73nh found out, the water was dripping heavily on #8, and probably #7 as well from that stupid plastic cowl clip exactly as pjw shows on the pictures. I guess another project for the weekend to pull the plugs and dry them and divert the water somehow.

PJW - how did you fix that issue ?

 

[pjw73nh]

PJW - how did you fix that issue ?

Well... I didn't... Yet. Today was the first rain so far and it's not my daily driver so I haven't checked it.

One thing I DID do in the meantime was take each coil out 1 by 1 and blow/vacuum out the spark plug wells, clean each of the boots thoroughly with a shop rag and some starting fluid, and put dielectric grease on each boot. I have drive about 400 miles so far (250 of that with a 6100 lb trailer) and no skipping at all. Some of it it wet weather too. Fingers crossed...

-P

 

[thebrakeman]

Are those fasteners holding the windshield wiper assy (usually a large tray that run the wide of the vehicle)? Whatever it is, it probably has an intended drain hole(s), but water just happens to get thru that clip.

If you can pull up all of the fasteners (remove the wiper assy/tray/whatever), squirt some silicone in those slots (that the clips go thru), then reinstall the "whatever".

The water should then go to the intended drain hole(s).