Melted spark plug
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Melted spark plug
Has anyone heard of this!! I’ve googled this and yes it does happen. But what my mechanic told me he’s heard of it, but never seen it.. my advisor at ford told me he’s seen it numerous times and then another guy at ford said hes worked here for 5 years and has never seen it.
long story short!!
I have a 2018 ford f-150 with 95,000 miles
a little more than a week ago, we were driving and my truck and it started to shake. He looked down and the engine light was blinking. We turned around and drove about a block home. Couldn’t get it to stop shaking but did get the engine light to stop blinking by disconnecting the battery..
when I put the reader on there. I read p0305. Which is a misfire to the 5th cylinder. However I didn’t realize I didn’t see there were 13 other codes on there.
I had my truck towed to my mechanic the next day. When he looked at it. He said there were 21 codes. Cylinder 1,2,3,4,5. ( I think those were them). he got all but one cylinder to clear. Cylinder. He looked at the spark plug and the coil of the cylinder and he says they were fine, but the job would have been too much time and too big of a job for him to do. For him to look further into it. And the best bet is to take it to ford. Now this guy didn’t charge me anything and I’ve been with him for uears.
I drove my truck about 2 blocks (still without the engine light blinking) to my parents. So I could have it towed to ford.
ford looked at it and told me that the spark plug to the 5th cylinder is melted with some in the engine. And I need a new engine. now my mechanic checked that. I called my mechanic and asked what spark plugs he checked. And he said the one that was misfiring. (This one) I talk to him about it. He said he’s been a mechanic for 30 years and has heard about it but has never seen it. He says my engine basically needs to get so hot to melt steel. And something doesn’t seem right. I went to ford and wasn’t to happy. They showed me a spark plug. Now could this have happened from me driving it the 3 min yo my parents? Did they leave my truck on so long that it was constantly misfiring that it did this? Is this bull? I asked ford how did this happen. He said we can tear apart the engine to investigate more but at the end of it we still might just tell you hey you need a new engine but all you’re gonna get out of that it’s probably a diagnostic saying hey this is how that happened. But at the end of it, we still might just tell you hey you still need an engine but now you have to pay for those labor cost of us tearing apart the engine. When I talk to Craig my mechanic, he said you’d really have to beat the crap out of your vehicle for something like this to happen and I don’t. I’ve only had it for three years. I told him about driving it with the engine light on for a minute just to get home and he’s like no that wouldn’t do it. Maybe like an hour but no! Oh and to add ford complained about my mechanic clearing the codes.
Has this happened to anyone? Also I had no signs.
long story short!!
I have a 2018 ford f-150 with 95,000 miles
a little more than a week ago, we were driving and my truck and it started to shake. He looked down and the engine light was blinking. We turned around and drove about a block home. Couldn’t get it to stop shaking but did get the engine light to stop blinking by disconnecting the battery..
when I put the reader on there. I read p0305. Which is a misfire to the 5th cylinder. However I didn’t realize I didn’t see there were 13 other codes on there.
I had my truck towed to my mechanic the next day. When he looked at it. He said there were 21 codes. Cylinder 1,2,3,4,5. ( I think those were them). he got all but one cylinder to clear. Cylinder. He looked at the spark plug and the coil of the cylinder and he says they were fine, but the job would have been too much time and too big of a job for him to do. For him to look further into it. And the best bet is to take it to ford. Now this guy didn’t charge me anything and I’ve been with him for uears.
I drove my truck about 2 blocks (still without the engine light blinking) to my parents. So I could have it towed to ford.
ford looked at it and told me that the spark plug to the 5th cylinder is melted with some in the engine. And I need a new engine. now my mechanic checked that. I called my mechanic and asked what spark plugs he checked. And he said the one that was misfiring. (This one) I talk to him about it. He said he’s been a mechanic for 30 years and has heard about it but has never seen it. He says my engine basically needs to get so hot to melt steel. And something doesn’t seem right. I went to ford and wasn’t to happy. They showed me a spark plug. Now could this have happened from me driving it the 3 min yo my parents? Did they leave my truck on so long that it was constantly misfiring that it did this? Is this bull? I asked ford how did this happen. He said we can tear apart the engine to investigate more but at the end of it we still might just tell you hey you need a new engine but all you’re gonna get out of that it’s probably a diagnostic saying hey this is how that happened. But at the end of it, we still might just tell you hey you still need an engine but now you have to pay for those labor cost of us tearing apart the engine. When I talk to Craig my mechanic, he said you’d really have to beat the crap out of your vehicle for something like this to happen and I don’t. I’ve only had it for three years. I told him about driving it with the engine light on for a minute just to get home and he’s like no that wouldn’t do it. Maybe like an hour but no! Oh and to add ford complained about my mechanic clearing the codes.
Has this happened to anyone? Also I had no signs.
Last edited by Amyrae886; May 6, 2025 at 09:23 AM.
5 Year Member
Joined: Feb 2020
Posts: 7,719
Likes: 2,199
Has anyone heard of this!! I’ve googled this and yes it does happen. But what my mechanic told me he’s heard of it, but never seen it.. my advisor at ford told me he’s seen it numerous times and then another guy at ford said hes worked here for 5 years and has never seen it.
long story short!!
I have a 2018 ford f-150 with 95,000 miles
a little more than a week ago, we were driving and my truck and it started to shake. He looked down and the engine light was blinking. We turned around and drove about a block home. Couldn’t get it to stop shaking but did get the engine light to stop blinking by disconnecting the battery..
when I put the reader on there. I read p0305. Which is a misfire to the 5th cylinder. However I didn’t realize I didn’t see there were 13 other codes on there.
I had my truck towed to my mechanic the next day. When he looked at it. He said there were 21 codes. Cylinder 1,2,3,4,5. ( I think those were them). he got all but one cylinder to clear. Cylinder. He looked at the spark plug and the coil of the cylinder and he says they were fine, but the job would have been too much time and too big of a job for him to do. For him to look further into it. And the best bet is to take it to ford. Now this guy didn’t charge me anything and I’ve been with him for uears.
I drove my truck about 2 blocks (still without the engine light blinking) to my parents. So I could have it towed to ford.
ford looked at it and told me that the spark plug to the 5th cylinder is melted with some in the engine. And I need a new engine. now my mechanic checked that. I called my mechanic and asked what spark plugs he checked. And he said the one that was misfiring. (This one) I talk to him about it. He said he’s been a mechanic for 30 years and has heard about it but has never seen it. He says my engine basically needs to get so hot to melt steel. And something doesn’t seem right. I went to ford and wasn’t to happy. They showed me a spark plug. Now could this have happened from me driving it the 3 min yo my parents? Did they leave my truck on so long that it was constantly misfiring that it did this? Is this bull? I asked ford how did this happen. He said we can tear apart the engine to investigate more but at the end of it we still might just tell you hey you need a new engine but all you’re gonna get out of that it’s probably a diagnostic saying hey this is how that happened. But at the end of it, we still might just tell you hey you still need an engine but now you have to pay for those labor cost of us tearing apart the engine. When I talk to Craig my mechanic, he said you’d really have to beat the crap out of your vehicle for something like this to happen and I don’t. I’ve only had it for three years. I told him about driving it with the engine light on for a minute just to get home and he’s like no that wouldn’t do it. Maybe like an hour but no! Oh and to add
Has this happened to anyone? Also I had no signs.
long story short!!
I have a 2018 ford f-150 with 95,000 miles
a little more than a week ago, we were driving and my truck and it started to shake. He looked down and the engine light was blinking. We turned around and drove about a block home. Couldn’t get it to stop shaking but did get the engine light to stop blinking by disconnecting the battery..
when I put the reader on there. I read p0305. Which is a misfire to the 5th cylinder. However I didn’t realize I didn’t see there were 13 other codes on there.
I had my truck towed to my mechanic the next day. When he looked at it. He said there were 21 codes. Cylinder 1,2,3,4,5. ( I think those were them). he got all but one cylinder to clear. Cylinder. He looked at the spark plug and the coil of the cylinder and he says they were fine, but the job would have been too much time and too big of a job for him to do. For him to look further into it. And the best bet is to take it to ford. Now this guy didn’t charge me anything and I’ve been with him for uears.
I drove my truck about 2 blocks (still without the engine light blinking) to my parents. So I could have it towed to ford.
ford looked at it and told me that the spark plug to the 5th cylinder is melted with some in the engine. And I need a new engine. now my mechanic checked that. I called my mechanic and asked what spark plugs he checked. And he said the one that was misfiring. (This one) I talk to him about it. He said he’s been a mechanic for 30 years and has heard about it but has never seen it. He says my engine basically needs to get so hot to melt steel. And something doesn’t seem right. I went to ford and wasn’t to happy. They showed me a spark plug. Now could this have happened from me driving it the 3 min yo my parents? Did they leave my truck on so long that it was constantly misfiring that it did this? Is this bull? I asked ford how did this happen. He said we can tear apart the engine to investigate more but at the end of it we still might just tell you hey you need a new engine but all you’re gonna get out of that it’s probably a diagnostic saying hey this is how that happened. But at the end of it, we still might just tell you hey you still need an engine but now you have to pay for those labor cost of us tearing apart the engine. When I talk to Craig my mechanic, he said you’d really have to beat the crap out of your vehicle for something like this to happen and I don’t. I’ve only had it for three years. I told him about driving it with the engine light on for a minute just to get home and he’s like no that wouldn’t do it. Maybe like an hour but no! Oh and to add
Has this happened to anyone? Also I had no signs.
was that the original set of plugs ?
F150 Vendor
Joined: Jan 2025
Posts: 1,014
Likes: 683
Looks like damage due to preignition, maybe oil fouled too. Is the truck completely stock? Only happened to the one plug?
This sounds odd too "he got all but one cylinder to clear. Cylinder. He looked at the spark plug and the coil of the cylinder and he says they were fine, but the job would have been too much time and too big of a job for him to do. For him to look further into it." Almost like he found something he didn't know how to deal with so he pawned it off on the Ford dealer.
-Steve
This sounds odd too "he got all but one cylinder to clear. Cylinder. He looked at the spark plug and the coil of the cylinder and he says they were fine, but the job would have been too much time and too big of a job for him to do. For him to look further into it." Almost like he found something he didn't know how to deal with so he pawned it off on the Ford dealer.
-Steve
Last edited by AppleFordParts; May 6, 2025 at 11:14 AM.
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Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 1,322
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From: The Great Midwest, aka, Flyover Country
Before you spend thousands for a new engine, I think I'd get either Ford or an independent shop to do a borescope check of the upper cylinder walls and piston crown (if they haven't already).
It's possible that the broken tip from the plug could have been "spit out" the exhaust without doing catastrophic damage to the cylinder.
You state the truck has 95K miles on it so you're within the recommended service interval for plugs on the engine. Unusual.
Based on the amount of carbon black on the plug, I'd guess you probably have significant deposits in the combustion chamber on the cylinders, heads and valves as well.
It's possible that the broken tip from the plug could have been "spit out" the exhaust without doing catastrophic damage to the cylinder.
You state the truck has 95K miles on it so you're within the recommended service interval for plugs on the engine. Unusual.
Based on the amount of carbon black on the plug, I'd guess you probably have significant deposits in the combustion chamber on the cylinders, heads and valves as well.
F150 Vendor
Joined: Jan 2025
Posts: 1,014
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This may not have anything to do with it but what fuel do you run? Do you drive in eco-mode? I'm just trying to think of the variables involved.
Do you have the other five plugs that were in it when the issue happened?
Do you have the other five plugs that were in it when the issue happened?
Member
Joined: Sep 2024
Posts: 73
Likes: 33
From: Oviedo, Florida Seminole County USA
You do not need a NEW ENGINE. Rebuild or Repair what is broken. Engine is ok. Fix what is broken.
Of course during Engine Rebuild Inspect the entire engine to ensure all your Rockers and Valves are good
You may spend only a couple of thousand $$$ as opposed to $8k. But either way fix what is broken
Good Luck
Of course during Engine Rebuild Inspect the entire engine to ensure all your Rockers and Valves are good
You may spend only a couple of thousand $$$ as opposed to $8k. But either way fix what is broken
Good Luck