Scoboblio Posted December 28, 2007 Share Posted December 28, 2007 Afternoon all! My housemate has a VX Vectra which has had the head gasket replaced after it cracked badly a couple of weeks ago. Recently I took a look at the spark plugs, and it looks like they weren’t changed (they were very dirty but the electrodes looked clean). The car was allowed to overheat several times due to a coolant leak before the gasket went Is it common / good practice to replace the plugs after a head gasket failure? I imagine the overheating could have been enough to damage the plugs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshBhp Posted December 28, 2007 Share Posted December 28, 2007 Is it common / good practice to replace the plugs after a head gasket failure? Yes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoboblio Posted December 28, 2007 Author Share Posted December 28, 2007 Yes Thanks. How common practice is it do you think? Along the lines of 'I do it just in case', or 'I wouldn't touch a mechanic that leaves the old plugs in'? Sorry for the stupidity, just trying to judge how likely it is to be causing his problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AshBhp Posted December 28, 2007 Share Posted December 28, 2007 Just common practise. If you have no misfire i wouldn't worry to much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
movistar Posted December 30, 2007 Share Posted December 30, 2007 I would want to know if they had changed the temp sender and thermostat too.Plugs would be just good practice...not really anything to worry about though. What engine..x20xev? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoboblio Posted December 31, 2007 Author Share Posted December 31, 2007 I would want to know if they had changed the temp sender and thermostat too.Plugs would be just good practice...not really anything to worry about though. What engine..x20xev? I think that's the one, it's a 2.0 ecotec. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Wilson Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 If it's been seriously overheated it *MAY* have weakened the plugs ceramic or electrode parts, but if it got THAT hot it's probably softened the head casting anyway, so the plugs are the least of his worries. I'd change them, FWIW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
movistar Posted December 31, 2007 Share Posted December 31, 2007 I think that's the one, it's a 2.0 ecotec. Wish i had a pound for every one i had changed....get rid now in my opinion...if its running OK now? Tel him to get a decent motor...full of problems those ones cam and crank sensors will be next! Let me guess water pump failure was the start..yeah!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoboblio Posted January 2, 2008 Author Share Posted January 2, 2008 Wish i had a pound for every one i had changed....get rid now in my opinion...if its running OK now? Tel him to get a decent motor...full of problems those ones cam and crank sensors will be next! Let me guess water pump failure was the start..yeah!? Tell me about it.... every time it goes in for a service it needs more and more done to it... headgasket, cam sensor, head needed skimming etc etc... now it's misfiring badly and won't start properly, new plugs didn't solve the problem. I've advised him to park it up until Vauxhall can take another (proper) look at it. It started with a coolant leak which he ignored. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scoboblio Posted January 2, 2008 Author Share Posted January 2, 2008 it's probably softened the head casting anyway, What does this mean Chris? Is that equivalent to needing the head skimming because it's warped? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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