What generally causes plugs to go white? I know a lean condition, or maybe too much timing can, but provided both of these are OK, what else could it be?
Something that would make them white pretty quick too....
Thanks.

 

I had a friend who had a racist engine, only let white plugs in there...

j/k Sorry. Hope you get it figured out. I was gonna say a lean condition as well.

 

So, all of the plugs have a white (powdery or slimy) coating. Or is it a single plug. Out here in Cali, they removed the MTBE from the fuels and are now experimenting with various fuel additives to substitute alcohol. Another question, what type of plugs are they? Perhaps there is a "reaction" to the additive if others in your area can verify.

Just thinking outside my initial thought of lean...

 

All plugs are white and the fuel is high octane (unleaded) race fuel with no additives.
The problem is that this same car ran perfect on the same tune a week or so ago and now the engine is surging at even part throttle where the fueling is stock.

 

Any pics of the plug in high-res would help a ton.

What part is "white"? The whole plug... ground strap, top of thread and porcelain or just the porcelain?

The porcelain should be white and any flecks (black or shiny) on the porcelain would indicate detonation.

More info please.

-Mindgame

 

I had that on my '88 2.2L Sundance (the winter beater). Changed the fuel filter, changed the plugs, pulled them a week later, and a week after that, nothing. Your fuel filter could be starving your engine. Other than lean, white plugs mean HOT (which is related, but could help you brainstorm). Try richening your mixture and definitely change your fuel filter.

 

my plug turns white on my atv when i run too cold of a plug for the temperature or mods that i have.

 

Good point. I forgot the rule of thumb, but for every 50 or 100 hp that you add, you should step down one heat range. You might just have too many mods for your plugs.

 

The "ideal" heat range is indicated in looking at the ground strap of the plug and the color variance along the strap.

Again, not enough information to throw out a "you need a colder plug" comment. Do we know where the color changes? No... but that will tell you if the heat range is correct or not.

-Mindgame

 

Hey man, don't know if this will help you out or not...

http://cochise.uia.net/pkelley2/sparkplugreading.html