Engine hesitation - wet spark plug

[boomboy2k1]

I had almost 50,000 miles on the original spark plugs and I was having an engine hesitation under hard acceleration like it was misfiring but no engine code. I decided it was time to replace the spark plugs and I noticed one of the spark plugs was wet. Is there an underlying problem? The misfiring/hesitation problem went away with the new spark plugs.

 

[scotman]

They look similar to me. Did you measure the gap?

 

[boomboy2k1]

They look similar to me. Did you measure the gap?

No. They were originals straight from the factory. The 2nd spark plug from the top is wetter and is darker in appearance. Not sure if oil or gas. Probably from gas if it was not firing.

 

[scotman]

I would be looking at the plug wire to that particular plug. Wires and coil packs have a higher failure rate than spark plugs.
Also, did you notice if the hesitation was present when you drive the car from a cold start?

 

[boomboy2k1]

It didn't matter if the car was cold or warm. It was warm when it hesitated especially under load and over 3000 rpm. The new spark plugs fixed in my case.

 

[Handy Andy]

You got lucky!

Lots of times those that think it's just from "Bad Gas" don't realize it until it's too late

If the plugs were from the respective cylinders - Plug 2 and 4 - check their porcelain inside electrode insulator.

#2 was definitely clean - and 4 looks like it was next in line to go. It is "cleaner" that the other two in this set.

By the tarnish on the threads - it was also the cooler (Coolest ) of all those plugs - so I'm curious to know where this plug was - outside towards Belt or the opposite side towards transmission?

So to look at failure - how did the plugs porcelain outer shell look?