Cylinders # 4 5 6
 

I'm not sure what the deal is here. After changing the spark plugs this weekend I have some concerns with my 98k x5 3.0i.

I am identifying the plugs from the front of the engine to the back. So closest to the firewall is #6.

Moving on plugs #1 #2 #3 look aged but good #4 #5 #6 had oil on the threads. I will take a picture of them later tonight.

Things i probably should disclose to help diagnose: I recently (6 months or so) had my oil separator replaced with the new cold weather version. Things seemed just fine. I do see some smoke in the tailpipes and it increases with RPM's. Also I burn a quart to maybe quart and a half every oil change which is ~4k-5k miles. Let me add this I've been burning oil on this car for a long time.

Oh after the plug swap the car is very responsive and fast.

I'm hoping this is a valve cover gasket but i'm not sure how to test that. I also didn't see a write up to replace the gasket in the how to's.

Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.

Whats the exact problem you're having with the X ? Whats different after you changed the plugs and which plugs did you use?

Well whats different i'm not certain. I know i have been burning oil for a while as I have been adding oil to the car between oil changes. What i never done before was look at the plugs (I guess that's different). The threads from the top had oil on them. I want to know what could be causing this. I used NGK plugs (recommended in a different thread) that i bought at advanced auto. The car runs really good. Idle smoothed out and much more responsive. I'm thinking i picked up a few ponies.

Hrm, you sure your burning that oil? maybe you have a slight leak and you just dont notice it?

Would it be intake or valve cover gasket that would leak oil down into the spark plugs? I'm not certain where that oil would be coming from. It's possible that may be my source of oil disappearing.

The X5 burned oil 1-2Q every 4-5k miles is just normal......
But you noted oil in the spark lugs threads ....Most likely you have cracked valve cover
usually it crack at the section where the plug go into...and around the nuts bolts area.