2002 Saturn SL2 Oil on spark plugs

YAR

MEMBER
2002 SATURN SL2
4 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
30,000 MILES

This car is my mothers and while trying to do the 30,000 mile maint, I found oil on the spark plugs and when I look down in the plug hole I can see a puddle of oil in plug hole. This car was maintained by Saturn as scheduled until they went out of bussiness and it seems to be runnig fine with only 30,000 miles on it. The PCV valve also had a lot of oil in and on it too. I did not put new plugs in, thinking that it would be a waste of money and time and that the car must be running on one two or three cylinders. I am lost! How can the car seem to be running fine, power, no smoke and 23 miles per gallon city?

2 Replies

SERVICE WRITER

MECHANIC
9,123 POSTS

You'll need to replace the valve cover gasket. There are orings on the spark plug tubes that have failed and allowing oil in the plug area. Try to cleanout the oil as best as possible when the cover is off before removing the plugs. Really should throw a set of wires on at the same time. Be sure to check the gap before installing the plugs.

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Thursday, October 21st, 2010 AT 6:06 PM

SATURNTECH9

MECHANIC
30,869 POSTS

To fix the oil in the plug well's you just need to replace the valve cover gasket it's real common for that engine to do that. When you replace the gasket you need to put a bead of silcone across where the front cover meet's the head before you put the valve cover back on or it will leak real bad.I would replace the plug's after you replace the gasket they get pretty worn after 30,000 mile's and that is there recommend replacement. Make sure you remove the oil before removing the plug's don't just let the oil fall into the plug hole's. Just use stock NGK plug's don't use platnuim plug's. The plug gap is.040" also replace the wire's.

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