Spark Plug Question

[JEBar]

UGLY .... REALLY UGLY .... our Silverado currently has just under 90,000 miles on it .... so far, I've been very pleased with its performance .... back at 61,000 miles the dealership cleaned the fuel system and we had to have spark plugs #'s 1, 2, and 4 replaced .... at 87,000 we had to replace spark plug #1 for the second time .... today we had to replace #4 for the second time .... that plug is shown below .... yep, ugly indeed .... we have been told that this generation of spark plug should last 100,000 miles and its not unheard of for them to last 150,000 or more miles .... my local mechanic says he believes the problem is cheap gasoline coupled with the fact that these trucks no longer come with a fuel filter .... any info would be appreciated

 

[Ty]

UGLY .... REALLY UGLY .... our Silverado currently has just under 90,000 miles on it .... so far, I've been very pleased with its performance .... back at 61,000 miles the dealership cleaned the fuel system and we had to have spark plugs #'s 1, 2, and 4 replaced .... at 87,000 we had to replace spark plug #1 for the second time .... today we had to replace #4 for the second time .... that plug is shown below .... yep, ugly indeed .... we have been told that this generation of spark plug should last 100,000 miles and its not unheard of for them to last 150,000 or more miles .... my local mechanic says he believes the problem is cheap gasoline coupled with the fact that these trucks no longer come with a fuel filter .... any info would be appreciated

I haven't seen a plug quite like that. I remember that you should see the hot spot somewhere near the bend but it looks like your plug sparks all along the base. I can't tell but on one of my vehicles, I went through several plugs before I figured out that the top wasn't screwed on very tight. It took a pair of vice grips to get it really snug. I'm sure that I was losing some spark power due to the lose cap (the side that doesn't go into the engine is sometimes threaded with a cap on it so that you can use the plug with other style wires). Anyway, that sure is one ugly spark plug!

 

[Uncle Charlie]

It's time for a new mechanic. Your pickup does have a fuel filter, but it's not easily accessible like they used to be on older vehicles. It's integrated into the fuel pump inside the tank.

 

[Johnny Acree]

Detonation Is Something That Should Not Be Ignored. Severe Damage Can Occur To Your Engine. When You Pull A Plug And Notice Small Black Or Gray Spots On The Nose Of The Spark Plug (looks Like Pepper), Your Engine Is Experiencing Light Detonation. In Cases Of Severe Detonation, Insulators May Be Cracked And/or Chipped. Detonation

Click on bold to read the article.

Now, what caused detonation on only 3 cyl? Intake vac. leak?

 

[booboo]

This is beyond me. I have never replaced one plug at a time. If they do not all look the same I assume there is an internal problem that needs to be diagnosed. Good Luck.
P.S. I am a shade tree mechanic. So putting a bottle of something in the tank sounds like a good idea to me.

 

[BaldGuy]

I replaced my spark plugs not long ago and they all looked a lot like yours. I personally favor the quality of what they now call gas theory.

 

[W. WIllie]

In the newer vehicles, "using top tier" gasoline is almost a "must do".
Even if the MFG says..........use "regular" grade fuel.

 

[JEBar]

I replaced my spark plugs not long ago and they all looked a lot like yours. I personally favor the quality of what they now call gas theory.

on the one hand, the more local fellows I talk to, the more I tend to believe the gas issue .... on the other hand, like most folks, I tend to fill all of our vehicles at the cheapest pumps I can find .... if the gas is the problem, why aren't our other vehicles having the same issue ..... I'm going to order a set of replacement plugs and wires from Amazon .... exactly the same plugs for a fraction of the price of paying a local garage to provide and install them .... I'm really curious to see compare how the ones that have been in the motor for 90,000 with the ones that have been installed along the way

 

[W. WIllie]

I haven't had good faith in Ac Delco plugs for a longtime. Maybe switch brands and go to a colder range?

They look like Iridium type. They should go for at least 100K miles.

 

[Uncle Charlie]

Just for grins, have you scanned the computer for error codes?