Still misfiring
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
From: Alberta Canada
I had the same red-ish hue on my plug so i think your using a fuel additive of some kind. My "dealer" did some "work' on my 05 screw lariat becasue of a misfire under load and told me the reason the plugs were dropping out was becasue of inadquate fuel. I called there bul**** and paid them $500 to change the ones that we misfiring. Now the same ones are misfiring so i have 8 COP' s on the way.
Senior Member
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 290
Likes: 0
From: Northwest Ohio
Sharp fella! Good guess on the additive but not quite it. An additive would give it that reddish color (which is harmless BTW) while also cleaning up the carbon.
Actually you are right in a sense, but the additive is in the gasoline. This truck has had nothing but a Top Tier gasoline in it since I've owned it (Shell V-power to be exact, which like Chevron contains Techron). Because I've been running some experiments on this truck, I go to great pains to keep the same brand of gas in it. Top Tier fuels (google Top Tier Gas to see the latest list of suppliers) have a higher than mandated level of detergent additives in them versus the el-cheapo brands, so they are better are preventing and removing combustion chamber deposits. This is but one example I have see recently of this. I borrowed a borescope and looked inside the combustion chamber of my truck and there was literally no carbon to speak of, just a few dark spots on the piston crown. Intake valve was shiny clean.
I think oil use could contribute to carbon buildup too and while I know a highly detergent gas can keep up that that to a degree, that could depend on how much oil was being burned.
Before doing the plug change, I considered adding a can of Techron but decided not to. I wanted to personally experience one broken plug. I was denied that "priviledge" and after studying this a bit more, I think that was why. We only soaked the plugs 10 minutes or so at most before removing them. Plus, my shop was at about 35 degrees (it was done in January).
FWIW, I think a couple of tanks full of a good combustion chamber cleaner (at the specified mix) along with a Top Tier fuel, could remove a lot of that carbon before you go in for a plug change. That always seemed like a logical and important step when I heard other people mention it, but my recent experience and further research seems to make it more so.
Actually you are right in a sense, but the additive is in the gasoline. This truck has had nothing but a Top Tier gasoline in it since I've owned it (Shell V-power to be exact, which like Chevron contains Techron). Because I've been running some experiments on this truck, I go to great pains to keep the same brand of gas in it. Top Tier fuels (google Top Tier Gas to see the latest list of suppliers) have a higher than mandated level of detergent additives in them versus the el-cheapo brands, so they are better are preventing and removing combustion chamber deposits. This is but one example I have see recently of this. I borrowed a borescope and looked inside the combustion chamber of my truck and there was literally no carbon to speak of, just a few dark spots on the piston crown. Intake valve was shiny clean.
I think oil use could contribute to carbon buildup too and while I know a highly detergent gas can keep up that that to a degree, that could depend on how much oil was being burned.
Before doing the plug change, I considered adding a can of Techron but decided not to. I wanted to personally experience one broken plug. I was denied that "priviledge" and after studying this a bit more, I think that was why. We only soaked the plugs 10 minutes or so at most before removing them. Plus, my shop was at about 35 degrees (it was done in January).
FWIW, I think a couple of tanks full of a good combustion chamber cleaner (at the specified mix) along with a Top Tier fuel, could remove a lot of that carbon before you go in for a plug change. That always seemed like a logical and important step when I heard other people mention it, but my recent experience and further research seems to make it more so.
Junior Member
Joined: Dec 2009
Posts: 7
Likes: 0
From: Alberta Canada
The current plugs have only 30k on them so carbon shouldn't be an issue just yet. Ive been running a Lucas fuel additive since the last plug change and i really dont have access to a higher quality of fuel since i live in a one horse town. But i think my coils are dropping out when they get warm so ill change all of them plus the plugs again and ill go from there.