1993 camry Spark Plugs covered in snow deposit

I usually buy old cars and do what it takes to keep them going. The
latest purchase is a 5spd 4cyl dohc 93 camry. I got it at 188k and I
dont think it was carefully maintained by the last owner (proly shoulda
shopped more, but it was a 5spd). Last timing belt change sticker
said 90k and I think Toyo says do it every 60k. So for fun, sport, and
35$ I changed it. As part of changing the T-Belt I pulled the plugs,
the electrodes in the plugs' bodies were nicely rounded off (worn out),
and the longer electrodes were covered in a nice white deposit, not
grey, white. Anyway, took them in to Advance Auto and the guy said my
engine was running lean, and was going to burn holes in my pistons.
Any thoughts on the white deposits? burning lean? normal build-up
from never being changed (guessing here)? Also, the repair book said to
use only platinum plugs. I did not, I will be happy to get 50k out of
this car, and i can afford to replace the plugs at 1.75ea. Is the some
important reason i should rush down the to auto store and get platinum
plugs? Oh, and before all this I was usually geting 32mpg in mixed
driving, and the air filter still needs to be changed, badly I think. .
...

Thanks

<andrewmcnown@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1142659710.062665.25960@j33g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...[color=blue]
>...Anyway, took them in to Advance Auto and the guy said my
> engine was running lean,...
>... and the air filter still needs to be changed[/color]

Yes, do change the air filter. ECU controlled engines are not like a carb
engine where a dirty filter makes the engine run rich. The ECU tries to
compensate for the amount of air, and tends runs lean. You should also check
the O2 sensor and cat converter. All these can conspire to lean running.

Stewart DIBBS

Hmmm, that is counter intuitive, clogged air filter making it run lean.
Never would have guessed. So the white snow like deposit on the plugs
IS symtomatic of running lean?

>A clogged air filter will not make the system run lean because the air flow meter measures >the air exiting the filter.

That is how i thought it was set up. . . . . . I compared the plugs
to the color photos in the back of my haynes manual, and I couldnt find
one to match them. Then I was told (because of the plug coatings) that
my engine was running lean and burning holes in my pistons!. . . . so
I thought it wise to seek a 3rd and fourth opinion. They seem to match
the picture of the normal running plugs on the bosch web page. Thanks

"mcndrew" <andrewmcnown@gmail.com> wrote in message
news:1142830459.591631.97080@t31g2000cwb.googlegroups.com...[color=blue][color=green]
> >A clogged air filter will not make the system run lean because the air
> >flow meter measures >the air exiting the filter.[/color]
>
> That is how i thought it was set up. . . . . . I compared the plugs
> to the color photos in the back of my haynes manual, and I couldnt find
> one to match them. Then I was told (because of the plug coatings) that
> my engine was running lean and burning holes in my pistons!. . . . so
> I thought it wise to seek a 3rd and fourth opinion. They seem to match
> the picture of the normal running plugs on the bosch web page. Thanks
>[/color]

I wouldn't worry too much about a fine white ash on the plugs. I'd bet that
if you switch to Toyota genuine plugs, you wouldn't see as much white stuff.

Your concerns remind me of a customer who came to our office with concerns
about the plugs on his Starlet. The receptionist called me up to the front
desk to speak to the guy, who was holding a spark plug in a rag. He
explained his concerns and handed me the plug. What he didn't tell me is
that he had removed the plug in the parking lot and that it was still HOT!
Luckily, I dropped it on a stack of papers on the receptionist's desk and
not on the ceramic tile floor! A quick re-gap and he was on his way.
--

Ray O
(correct punctuation to reply)

Yep

David

mcndrew wrote:
[color=blue]
> Hmmm, that is counter intuitive, clogged air filter making it run lean.
> Never would have guessed. So the white snow like deposit on the plugs
> IS symtomatic of running lean?[/color]

Thanks,

The book, and toyota said to put platinum plugs in it, so of course I
didnt. I dont plan on getting more then 50k more out of the car, so I
dont plan on spending 7$ a plug. Ordinary plugs arnt going to melt into
the cylinder or anything or they (I already have them in there, and it
has run just fine for 2-3 hundred miles)?