smudger068

i serviced my car today and go it hot so oil drains better, then i removed the spark plugs, replaced them, changed the filter, then allowed the car to cool right down and readded fresh oil, and later found that my spark plugs are red around the base of the electrode??
look at spark plug charts but cant find anything.. ideas please

Mk1-stu

pic might help ?

billybigspuds

more browny? just old age mate

smudger068

okay will get pic soon as,
...
no its like primer red, and spark plug only done 6-7000 miles

CossieRich

iTrader: (1)

Have you been using octane boost?

smudger068

okay, nah just normal fuel never seen this before pics



just never seen it before,

phil_focus

how very weird, its not even in the back of my haynes manual :s

which cylender did it come out of??

phil_focus

2 second google search revealed this

"Normal, but with red coating: The red coating is a result of the additives in lower-quality unleaded fuel and will be visible on the plug's ceramic insulation. The red coating is not an indication of any engine problems."

off http://www.automedia.com/Spark_Plug_...cr20030701sp/1

what fuel do you use???

TOMMY_RS

nice leg in the pic

smudger068

its just a basic 1.6 focus, with cat back and k&n panel filter...yeh i know i couldnt find one like it anywere to be honest

smudger068

must of been v-power because on all the times i have used tesco 99... but other day was short on petrol so went to shell, or could be that i ran it low on fuel and all the crap went through??
thanks

smudger068

phil_focus

if its mainly run on tesco fuel then i'd put it down to that but i would have thought all the plugs would be red.

i run my 2l focus on shell v-power most of the time and occasionally stick shell 95 in there if i'm a little short. my plugs always look clean as a whistle

Spiky

iTrader: (1)

i wouldnt bother with v power or tesco 99 on a 1.6

stick to nice and cheap 95 octane, but just avoid the super markets and i hate them and have issues in the past


unless of course it says it has to have SUL or 98 on the fuel cap, and i very much doubt a bottom of the range focus does

smudger068

yeh there all like that to be honest . . . just ive always ran mine on tesco 99, but they changed the name so im not sure, might wipp them out in a few miles and see whats going on

RichieST

iTrader: (2)

Your wasting your money running it on 99 when the car is mapped for 95, you will see zero benefits, apart from an emptier wallet!

Paulo P

Put your washing away

phil_focus

it'll be the additives in the tesco fuel. i've found the tesco 99 to be like water and inferior to shell 95.

Rich 170, my 2l focus zetec definately runs better on v-power than 95 and gets more mpg on v-power so there are benefits to be had. although to get the most out of it the car would have to be mapped to use it.

RichieST

iTrader: (2)

It doesn't run better. Its called the placebo effect

You may well see a better mpg, but more than the extra cost of the fuel?

phil_focus

i promice you its not the placebo effect. it runs smoother fact!

i've not worked out whether the extra mpg offset the extra 7-9p a litre but v-power does decoke the combustion chamber and pistons etc which leads to better running and a reduction in hot spots therefore protecting the engine. not to mention its higher resitance to det so its all round prolonged engine life which is only a good thing!

BM08

I always thought it doesnt matter where you buy fuel, it all comes from the same place, does it not?

smudger068

yeh i run basically no emmissions, and the engine hardly gets chocked up compared to a mate of mines whos spark plugs are as black as. yeh general starting is alot better, also when giving it the shit, which it has a fair bit, it runs and responds better, which really was the main reason why i did it, because didnt wanna kill it

saphlover

its just a spare he has lying around, its a great talking point at partys.

smudger068

and its only like 4p more a liter depending on what part of ipswich you are

smudger068

yeh cant you tell its fake!!

phil_focus

HAHAHAHA lma of the leg jokes. personally i quite like the sock, where can you buy them?

BM08, they might come from the same place but its after then than the different companies mix in different additives to make their own special blend and imho shell's the best. i've never tried bp though but bp ultimate is a lower octane and costs more so dont see the point!

ASHCOSSIE

nothing wrong with tesco 99 its all iv ever run and never had any problems

Silver'Scort

For some reason my Escort cannot abide supermarket petrol. It'll judder, kangaroo, back off and run like a real nail when giving it beans, to the extent i thought i had a fault with the Carb, but having been using 'proper' fuel from Esso the problem disappeared. Is it coincidence or is it the fuel?

phil_focus

to be honest the way i look at supermarket fuel is:

1) my car definately performs better on shell, even 95ron shell compared to tesco 99
2) i've never heard of anyone being disapointed with shell
3) tesco gets mixed reviews

therefore just going on the reviews my conclusion is shells better! pluss shell is always no dearer or cheaper than the supermarket stuff and i live near shell so i just fill up with the good stuff 8)

Dar-rst

if your on a carb, then dirty fuel can make it run like poo, i used to avoid a certain petrol station when i had my xr1.1

Rsmat

iTrader: (2)

+1

Dlatch!

my old pug 406 ran like shit on tesco fuel

Frenchy0204

No need to worry about that chap. What with modern cars having plastic tanks and the fuel being filtered so much before it reaches your engine, actual debris from the tank entering your engine is VERY unlikely to happen nowadays.

Glenn_

iTrader: (1)

Well ive never seen that before.

Silver'Scort

Certainly did, turned it into a right owd dog. Either way it seems happy now its being fed with Esso motion lotion, I just avoid supermarkets altogether as far as fuel is concerned now.

My bike wont run on it either.