So here are my symptoms - on a CS1 1800 engine.
Lately, last few months, the engine starts on 3 cylinders, the fourth coming along after a few moments, and after that she runs sweetly.
Today it got worse. After a 50 km trip the engine was shaking because of one cylinder not running properly, and I notice a fair (unfair, perhaps) amount of whitish smoke from the exhaust pipe.
No 2 spark plug is black and shining/sticky with oil when I take it out - and shining a light down the hole shows oil (I think) on the piston top. The adjacent spark plug is fine, dry and brownish, and its piston top dry and clean.
There is no visible oil in the coolant, and no visible water in the oil - for what that is worth. It uses no oil, but recently I've had to top up coolant a few times.
What is this?
One person suggested new spark plugs - which I'll try, but I'm not convinced.
A knowledgable friend says it's a blown head gasket. This could account for the symptoms, but as I said, I've found no apparent signs of oil mixing with water...
My fear is broken piston rings or something else wrong with a piston - but my friend tells me that's very rare.
Please help.
martin
Lately, last few months, the engine starts on 3 cylinders, the fourth coming along after a few moments, and after that she runs sweetly.
Today it got worse. After a 50 km trip the engine was shaking because of one cylinder not running properly, and I notice a fair (unfair, perhaps) amount of whitish smoke from the exhaust pipe.
No 2 spark plug is black and shining/sticky with oil when I take it out - and shining a light down the hole shows oil (I think) on the piston top. The adjacent spark plug is fine, dry and brownish, and its piston top dry and clean.
There is no visible oil in the coolant, and no visible water in the oil - for what that is worth. It uses no oil, but recently I've had to top up coolant a few times.
What is this?
One person suggested new spark plugs - which I'll try, but I'm not convinced.
A knowledgable friend says it's a blown head gasket. This could account for the symptoms, but as I said, I've found no apparent signs of oil mixing with water...
My fear is broken piston rings or something else wrong with a piston - but my friend tells me that's very rare.
Please help.
martin