Why no spark plug anti seize?

[ToolGuy]

I replaced my plugs in 2004 53,000 miles when I got my car and used a little anti seize on each. I've heard horror stories of the two dissimilar metals bonding the plugs to the heads and did not want this to happen...

Years after, at idle, my car had a small stumble which I thought was injectors and or not doing the idle re-learn after I took it out of storage. So I used Chevron Techron every year and started to do the idle re-learn, no change. I even cleaned and flow tested the injectors using GM's Hickock injector tool, still no change.

Just the other day, it stumbled a few times in a row, gave no codes and corrected itself, I thought could be the gas?

This week I think it clicked, knowing what I know now, I said to myself THE PLUGS!

I pulled two of them and was like WTF!!! The white porcelain insulator was tinted silver! The anti seize was gone and I figured it was because it melted down and stuck to the plugs! The plugs looked like junk and had maybe 15,000 miles on them tops!

I've since ordered new plugs and will post pics when I change them out.

From now on, NO anti seize for me on any plug! I ruined a set of plugs and a $47 leason learned, I thought I was doing the right thing...



So my question is, am I right in saying the anti seize broke down and stuck to the plugs, fouling them?

[LLC5]

Originally Posted by ToolGuy

I replaced my plugs in 2004 53,000 miles when I got my car and used a little anti seize on each. I've heard horror stories of the two dissimilar metals bonding the plugs to the heads and did not want this to happen...

Years after, at idle, my car had a small stumble which I thought was injectors and or not doing the idle re-learn after I took it out of storage. So I used Chevron Techron every year and started to do the idle re-learn, no change. I even cleaned and flow tested the injectors using GM's Hickock injector tool, still no change.

Just the other day, it stumbled a few times in a row, gave no codes and corrected itself, I thought could be the gas?

This week I think it clicked, knowing what I know now, I said to myself THE PLUGS!

I pulled two of them and was like WTF!!! The white porcelain insulator was tinted silver! The anti seize was gone and I figured it was because it melted down and stuck to the plugs! The plugs looked like junk and had maybe 15,000 miles on them tops!

I've since ordered new plugs and will post pics when I change them out.

From now on, NO anti seize for me on any plug! I ruined a set of plugs and a $47 leason learned, I thought I was doing the right thing...



So my question is, am I right in saying the anti seize broke down and stuck to the plugs, fouling them?

Are the spark plugs fouled, or just tinted silver, or both? If the insulator is just tinted it is usually fuel related. I have never seen anti seize do as you described even if it was applied improperly (too much), but I suppose anything could happen. I would like to see the pictures.


GM's take on anti seize as I understand it, is that it impedes a grounding source for the electrode and can alter torque spec's of the spark plug, not fouling of the plugs or discoloration of the insulator from the application itself. Paul will know more about GM's take on it than I do though.

[ToolGuy]

Originally Posted by LLC5

Are the spark plugs fouled, or just tinted silver, or both? If the insulator is just tinted it is usually fuel realted. I have never seen anti seize do as you described even if it was applied improperly (too much), but I suppose anything could happen. I would like to see the pictures.

Well the two I removed had a silver look to the insulator, not the golden brown "normal" look. I used fouled because they look trashed to me, but they were not the typical fouled, wet, covered in carbon look.

The one also has a small red tint on the one side of the insulator.

Now I've seen this red tint before with a leased PT Cruiser Turbo I had. It developed a miss, so I pulled all the plugs and all of them had a red tint! I took them to Chrysler, where I was working at the time and the techs said they've never seen that before. I replaced all 4 plugs and stopped going to the cheapo gas station I used and the car was fine the rest of the lease.

So possibly the silver is not anti seize, but something trashed my plugs and I don't ever use cheapo gas with this car. I use BP or Marathon only.

The threads at the end of the plug, the threads toward the boot, also had a residual ring of anti seize which I wiped off as I inspected them. Possibly too much used?

I'll def post pics, I should have the new plugs Fri, or Sat!

[LLC5]

Yeah, I'd like to see the plugs.

About the fuel, who really knows what is coming out of the pumps? During ski season a 76 station was selling fuel that was 14 cents a gallon cheaper than anyone else, and this particular station was out in the sticks. Was it really Top Tier 76 fuel? Your guess is as good as mine, but I would seriously doubt it.

[ToolGuy]

Well here are the old plugs. First pic are the worst ones.

I asked my wife to take a look at the three worst ones to verify if she saw silver or gray and she said yes.

Most of the plugs had old antiseize around the base if the threads, I've since wiped it off of them all. The one has some of what looks to be AS on the electrode. Guess it must have got it while coming out and not in the cylinder.

These plugs had maybe 15,000 miles on them.

Car runs better with the new plugs (#41-110).

What do you think Larry, do they look normal to you?

[LLC5]

Originally Posted by ToolGuy

Well here are the old plugs. First pic are the worst ones.

I asked my wife to take a look at the three worst ones to verify if she saw silver or gray and she said yes.

Most of the plugs had old antiseize around the base if the threads, I've since wiped it off of them all. The one has some of what looks to be AS on the electrode. Guess it must have got it while coming out and not in the cylinder.

These plugs had maybe 15,000 miles on them.

Car runs better with the new plugs (#41-110).

What do you think Larry, do they look normal to you?

The porcelain and electrode colors look ok to me, none of them looked fouled to my eye. What is the debris on the backside of the electrode on the middle picture, and is it a hard or soft compund?

[ToolGuy]

Humm... The insulator is grey in color, but hard to see here.

I just did not think that was normal?

The debris is antiseize, I guess it got on there as I removed the plug, that's why I think there was way too much on the plugs.

[Fixvet]

I used anti-seize on my replacements and my '98 runs like a champ still after about 25k miles. I pulled one out last week and it looked fine. Once it starts running alittle rough at idle, I start looking for plugs again on my cars.

[vettex2]

I've never had an issue using anti sieze
I think too much is probably an issue

[ToolGuy]

Originally Posted by vettex2

I think too much is probably an issue

Yeah I think so. I even found the originals the other day that I kept, and they did not have the silver tint to them. I guess I really spread the anti seize on last time, for fear of them bonding with the heads.

Oh well, lesson learned.