1998 Chevy Prizm CHECK ENGINE LIGHT

VETO

MEMBER
1998 CHEVROLET PRIZM
4 CYL
FWD
AUTOMATIC
155,000 MILES

MY CHECK ENGINE LIGHT WENT ON IT KEEPS ON BLINKING OFF AND ON AND THAN STAYS ON. GOT IT DIAGNOSED AND GOT CODES WHICH TOLD ME MY SPARK PLUGS MIS FIRING #1 AND #4 ALSO GOT A TUNE-UP ON MY CAR AND THEY HAD TOLD ME THAT MY SPARKS PLUGS WERE GETTING OIL IN THE SPARKS PLUGS #1 AND #4 DO YOU KNOW WHAT COULD BE CAUSING THEM TO GET OIL? THANKS FOR YOUR TIME.

Sunday, January 10th, 2010 AT 1:36 AM

4 Replies

RASMATAZ

MECHANIC
75,992 POSTS

Could be rings and valve seals/ stems/guides-try retorquing the heads down again and see if it works-if it doesn't those cylinders have to be repaired.

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Sunday, January 10th, 2010 AT 2:00 AM

VETO

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Sunday, January 10th, 2010 AT 6:29 PM

VETO

MEMBER
3 POSTS

Can you please let me know on a price range how much it would cost? Thanks again

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Sunday, January 10th, 2010 AT 6:31 PM

MMPRINCE4000

MECHANIC
8,548 POSTS

Start by performing a compression test on all cylinders, if #1 and 4 are low, then possible rings, or valve spring.

As Raz mentioned could also be valve stem seals or guides. The valve stem seals (if bad) you would have blue smoke out exhaust on startup, if rings it would smoke all the time to some degree, but a compression would tell you if rings are bad.

This could also be a tube seal that is leaking oil into spark plug hole, if you remove plug and tube hole is covered with oil then a tube seal is leaking, this is a $100-200 repair.

If rings are bad, then you would probably be better off replacing engine with used one.

If seals are bad, you are looking at $300 to replace. If guides are bad, I would replace head with a remanufactured one, usually cost $300-600 plus labor to install.

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Sunday, January 17th, 2010 AT 7:47 AM