# Broken spark plug **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [March 3, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/broken-spark-plug/27205 "2009-03-03T00:00:01Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jdozier](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9bcb4/32.png) [@jdozier](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jdozier)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 12:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/broken-spark-plug/27205/1 "2009-03-03T00:00:01Z")
My friend has a 2001 Nissan Sentra that was running rough. When he took it to his mechanic they told him that the portion of the plug that inserts into the cylinder had broken off and “disentegrated.” A new plug was put in and the car now runs fine. Is this possible? ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 12:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/broken-spark-plug/27205/2 "2009-03-03T00:03:19Z")
Yes. What probably disintigrated was the center electrode along with the porcelain that surrounded it. Tester ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2009, 12:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/broken-spark-plug/27205/3 "2009-03-03T00:05:00Z")
I hope they replace all of the plugs, assuming it had been a while. ---
**Author:** ![dodge\_man](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/cab0a1/32.png) [@dodge\_man](https://community.cartalk.com/u/dodge_man)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2009, 3:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/broken-spark-plug/27205/4 "2009-03-06T03:46:47Z")
you are lucky i have a 1997 ford escort that this happened to and now it sets dead in the driveway messed up the valve causing it to smack the piston and busting a whole in the piston