Last week I started to experience very rough engine conditions that got very bad very fast. Engine lights and warning chimes ... in my 2008 Clubman. The car is well maintained and had new Beru 12ZR-6SP03 spark plugs as part of a tune up about 10 months ago. as well.

The problem was found to be the spark plugs. One in particular. A piece of the ceramic ignition head appears to have broken off cause the severe engine issues. I have contacted Customer Service for BERU but not received a reply as of yet.

I am adding pics of the faulty plug. I would also note that the plug in question is loose ( the white top pulls up about 2 mm and can be giggled- See pic #2).

The mechanic is concerned about where the ceramic piece is in the engine and so am I. HAs anyone else experienced this type of problem with BERU or other plugs. ( FYI - I switched to NGK Laser Iradium )

RP

 

Yes, it happens.

If you have rust on your coil pack then it is likely due to water in contact with a hot plug or just a defect in the ceramic material.

Since it costs literally under a dollar to produce these (by the millions), you are likely to get nothing other than a warranty plug replacement.

The ceramic chip *possibly* in your engine is probably going to do no more than shatter and get blown out through the exhaust, where it might get lodged in the catalytic converter for the rest of it's life.

 

There is a worst-case scenario. It's probably rare, but can happen:

I have a friend who had some plugs come apart in a similar fashion on his 944. At least one of the bits of plug got wedged between his piston and the bore in the block. The bores in that car are aluminum (treated so the rings can run on it) and the bit very quickly wore into the liner, and then the cylinder broke.

So he had to replace his whole engine from that type of problem.

This happened within hours of operation, though, not months of driving. Chances are that the bits of plug are long gone out the exhaust as ignitionmodule said.