Oil filling cylinder up to spark plugs

Bearj · Post by **Bearj** » 27 Feb 2018, 09:30

I got a mechanical question...So when I went to do my tune up on my 2000 v70xc, one of my cylinders was full of oil up to the top of the spark plug. And it was starting to happen on another cylinder but not nearly as bad. Any ideas on what needs fixed? I tried getting the best pictures I could, thanks in advance.

Post by **Rattnalle** » 27 Feb 2018, 09:32

The actual cylinder or "just" the spark plug well?

Bearj · Post by **Bearj** » 27 Feb 2018, 09:42

It is where the spark plug threads into and the ignition coil boot slides down in. On the top of the motor, Im not sure exactly what its called.

Post by **RickHaleParker** » 27 Feb 2018, 10:15

This can be one of four sources.

1. The gasket on the oil cap.
2. The O'Rings around each Spark Plug Well.
3. Spills when doing a Oil change.
4. Lifter adjustment ports.

The O'Rings are between the cam cover and the head. You got oil outside the Spark Plug Well, that points towards Oil cap, Lifter ports, Spills or a combination thereof but, is not conclusive.

I would wash off the oil at a car wash, add trace dye to the oil, then use a Ultraviolet (UV) lamp to trace the oil back to the source.

Post by **abscate** » 27 Feb 2018, 10:20

You have a leaky or overloaded PCV system or oil cap gasket. - look at the oil on top of the cylinder head cover. That area should be dry.

On a 1999+ on, you can also leak oil from the CVVT solenoid(s) nearest the timing belt cover

Post by **prwood** » 27 Feb 2018, 11:23

I had this problem on my '01 V70, and the spark plug tube seals ended up being the culprit. I replaced them and re-sealed the cam cover, and since then all the oil has stayed where it belongs. I was able to find this by cleaning up the top of the camshaft cover VERY thoroughly, then starting the engine, letting it idle, and watching the cam cover until I saw some oil start to seep from under one of the ignition coils.

Prior to this I had also replaced the oil cap gasket and replaced the PCV system in an attempt to stop the leak (for the PCV system I also had other symptoms including smoking oil dipstick tube and inflating rubber glove test on the oil filler neck).

Multiskilled · Post by **Multiskilled** » 27 Feb 2018, 11:55

Hold a latex glove over your oil cap, if it inflates it's your pcv blocked up. quick and easy to test first

Post by **abscate** » 27 Feb 2018, 11:56

To clean up, drive the car to a firefight, then remove all the plugs, let the oil fall into the cylinders, replace plugs, then lay down a smokescreen for the good guys by starting it up.

Oil on the plug threads is good.

Im an optimist and think you just have top cylinder leakage - I think the O-ring failure is pretty rare on these cars...prwoods car was just reminding him it wanted attention after a big cross country trip.

Post by **RickHaleParker** » 27 Feb 2018, 13:06

prwoods car was just reminding him it wanted attention after a big cross country trip.

Prwood drives a Munchausen?

Post by **abscate** » 27 Feb 2018, 13:20

RickHaleParker wrote: ↑27 Feb 2018, 13:06 prwoods car was just reminding him it wanted attention after a big cross country trip.

Prwood drives a Munchausen?

By proxy....