Oil is a good electrical conductor,right?

[Jehu]

Swapped in the Denso Iridium's finally today and was a little suprised to find two very oily upper plug/coil boots. I cleaned as much oil and gunk as i could from inside the boot but there was clearly still a film of oil over the metal cup unside where it mates with the plug electrode. I didn't have anywhere to go buy new boots but figured if it ran ok as it was it will run ok still and it did. Clearly sounded like it had more pep right away upon start up . So why was there oil in that area? Valve cover gasket problem? Any reason to worry and get it fixed immediately?

[attack eagle]

oil is a good insulator.

[Bill R.]

Typically oil is a bad conductor, good insulator. Automotive coils used to be filled with a dielectric oil as an insulator.... But in the case of the oil around your spark plugs frequently it contains enough metals and other materials that will conduct that it makes a good conductor rather than insulator. I see many car coils short to ground through the oil that leaks from the valve cover gasket. If i were you i'd replaced the valve cover seals that are leaking ,if it gets bad enough and shorts the coil to ground it can damage the dme eventually.

Swapped in the Denso Iridium's finally today and was a little suprised to find two very oily upper plug/coil boots. I cleaned as much oil and gunk as i could from inside the boot but there was clearly still a film of oil over the metal cup unside where it mates with the plug electrode. I didn't have anywhere to go buy new boots but figured if it ran ok as it was it will run ok still and it did. Clearly sounded like it had more pep right away upon start up . So why was there oil in that area? Valve cover gasket problem? Any reason to worry and get it fixed immediately?

[Jehu]

I was being facetious but i greatly appreciate the wisdom. I have a set of gaskets in my trunk.. Thank you.

[markus]

looks like my plugs today. well 4 more to go.. looks like u need new valve cover gaskets

[ThoreauHD]

I noticed the same thing with the Denso Iridium IK20's- minus the puddle of oil. Very smooth, and for me seem to remain so for the passed 10K miles thus far. Sorry about your valve cover gaskets btw. It looks ugly.

Next part I'm looking at is the bavauto ignition coils and boots/cables. Got this nagging check control module error that I think maybe electrical related. Nobody can seem to figure it out.