[mangogirl205]

Started when it was getting cold out.

Went to start my car in the morning and it wouldn't start. So my dad got his portable car jumper and hooked it up and the car started. This lets me know it's obviously a battery issue.

Okay so I go to Advance Auto and have them do a battery test:

My Battery-Cold Cranking Amps rated 700
*Results 391 CCA

*Starter is fine
*Charging system is fine

Okay so I charged my battery for two hours on my battery charger rated at 10 amps. The needle was at Zero when I checked (2hrs later). So to me the battery is charged.

Meanwhile...me and my sister was checking out the engine bay.We heard a ticking when I started the car. The car was only running for maybe 20 seconds.Everything was still cold,it's like in the 30's here. Anyways she sticks her hand down in the engine bay closest to the intake by the spark plugs to check if they are on all the way.

Well she screams and I run over and she has a really bad burn on her finger. We inspect it more and find that the spark plug is showing about an inch . We removed the boot ( third cylinder,passenger side closest to firewall) and the spark plug is covered in white ashy looking residue. I then look inside the boot and it is burned inside and I can hardly see the little metal electrode that connects to the spark plug itself.**IS it OKAY to drive the car like that?**

Now the car runs okay,there is no vibration BUT do you guys remember I had a misfire issue in cylinder 3? So what should I do? Do I have to get new wires? Maybe a new plug too? If I do have to replace the wires,can I just do the one or do I have to purchase the whole set? I have the 9mm MSD wires.

Now again about the battery, I go to start the car tonight and it started but it took several seconds. It was a hard start. Does that mean it needs to be charged again but longer? The battery is 4 years old and has never been charged before.It was in a previous car but for only a couple months and then I got the mustang and put it in. Is it time for a new battery?

Any thoughts and opinions would be much appreciated.

[Rich J]

First off, get a new battery if you can. It sounds like it's barely holding a charge, you shouldn't have to charge it all the time that's what the alternator is for.

Second off, If your eating through spark plugs on cylinder 3 (this one is bad, and you said you had a misfire so I am assuming you changed it somewhat recently) you have another underlying problem. Might have to pull off your valve covers. How many miles on your motor?

[eleanorGT]

Yurp.. New battery, new plug, and possibly new wires.. new plug for now untill you have time to take off the top end of your engine, and see whats up..

[mcqueen]

1. The burn is probably from her bumping the exhaust manifolds. Those bastards get hot quickly.

2. If your spark plug is white, then it's getting too hot. Are you running the proper heat range spark plugs? Gapped correctly? O2 sensors good (if they're bad, you might be running lean)?

[mangogirl205]

Thanks guys, well I am going to get a new battery. Because even with the charge it didn't seem to do much.This morning when I started my car it was hesitant. I have a volt meter and it's reading a little below 12v.It cranks and then after 5 seconds it's able to start but I don't want to put any stress on any more components. Any good batteries anyone would recommend?

Secondly, about the spark plug wire. There was a defect in that boot(installed 2 years ago).It would never go on the spark plug perfectly so I had to trim some extra rubber off of it. It fit then but there was always a problem with perfect fitment.And that little elctrode inside the boot,it's like it was shoved too far inside.So I am thinking because of the defect in that boot water may have gotten inside. The spark plug has a tiny amount of that white ashy stuff but If I take my hand and wipe it it comes right off.

I've never had any problems with going through spark plugs. I changed them two years ago and that was it. My car is running smoother now since I shoved the boot over the spark plug(using a small flat piece of wood)now I don't see the spark plug. but still I don't like that the inside of the boot is funky looking and the spark plug has residue on it.

So, I am getting a new battery,new spark plug and re-using my stock plug wires.Until I can get a set of new MSD wires.

@mcqueen, yeah everything was pre-gapped. And made for that make/model and year.Said so on the receipt too.

If my O2 sensors were bad wouldn't I get a code? Or something on my dash?

[eleanorGT]

if everything was gapped correctly to the year make and model, did you swap out your motor at an point??? just curious