Over the last couple weeks iv noticed my car is constantly popping and misfiring from the exhaust during deceleration or in gear with no throttle going down a hill.

Got a day off today so i thought id check my spark plugs and low and behold one of the spark plug bores is filled with oil. After removing the oil i removed the spark plug and it was drowned in oil too.

I have come to the collusion that its either:

Worn Piston Rings

Worn Bores

Valve Cover Gasket is leaking

Or maybe even all of these...

Im a DIY machanic who's had many a engine apart.. Mainly my Camaro's as its for drag racing and always braking something.. but with current work commitments i just dont have time to do this job.

Does anyone know of a cheap / reasonable priced machanic in or near Surrey who could diagnose the actual problem and solve it for me along with a rough cost. Im guessing its about 5 hours Labour.

Many Thanks

May i add:

Its an e36 328i Sport with a Schrick inlet manifold and has been remapped. Duno if this may have contributed to the problem

Could be failed valve seals ?

How is the power?

Im not sure if its because im so use to it compared to when i first got it, but it has felt less powerful...

After cleaning up the spark plugs and tightening a couple bolts on the rocker cover it feels like iv gained some power back. Runs cleaner...

I also Noticed some oil leaking towards the back of the engine, cleaned it off and gonna keep an eye on it over the next few days. But considering these bolts were kinda loose im preying it is just the gasket... I can do that on my next day off.. But considering oil was on the spark end of the spark plug makes me suspect its piston rings or valve guides

Will just be the rocker gasket,no need to worry!

Hope so Ian.. Got next Sunday off so gonna do it then.

Cheers =)

Are you SURE it was oil and not a sooty plug soaked in unburnt fuel?

Nah it was dripping in oil.. All the other plugs seemed fine which originally made me think it was a piston ring...

Yeah, you're right OR a valve seal... Get a compression test mate :mellow:

All happening next Sunday =) got a machanic mate doing the check but either way im changing the valve seal. Even toying in changing the head gasket too whilst its half apart because its drinking a bit of water too, and atleast then i can have a visual of the pistons...

Drinking water with no puddles = Gasket failure !

Bypass the compression test and sort the gasket, have the head checked for true-ness too !