Peugeot 306 1998 R Reg Oil on Sparks and Spluttering

[Antifaith]

Hi, I've had this R reg 306 LX for 3 months, I drove down to London and back in one journey last week (about 200 miles) and now the whole car is falling apart

The engine was shaking and misfiring, so I checked the spark plugs - the second one from the left was completely black and the end was melted, there was also some oil on it

I replaced this plug and the ignition cables (just to be thorough) which seemed to fix the problem, for about 15 min - when I checked this new plug - it was black and oily again

I did an oil + oil filter change as it needed one anyway, but when under the car noticed the exhaust was blowing from the middle

- I've covered up two holes in the exhaust pipe with gun gum, which stopped the blowing in the middle, but the car splutters constantly, shakes loads when idle and there's a smell of petrol when standing next to it

There's also a significant loss of power - which is extremely frustrating considering I'm driving it to work and back every day (22 mile each way )

Any ideas? It's worth mentioning there's a leak on the left hand side of the engine which I've been told was the head gasket, but was a common leak and nothing to worry about

Thanks for any help!

[Agent]

If your head gasket has gone, the compression could well be low enough to cause problems like these, but they could also be separate. It's hard to say without physically checking it.

If the plug is oily and black due to oil, you have oil getting into the combustion chamber somehow. The most obvious being the oil seals on the piston.
The smell of petrol is probably coming from the chamber filling of fuel and not being ignited.

[Antifaith]

Ok I'll check the oil seals tonight, I guess the best bet is to take it in to a garage, was hoping not to spend a fortune though - thanks for the reply

[Agent]

Ok I'll check the oil seals tonight, I guess the best bet is to take it in to a garage, was hoping not to spend a fortune though - thanks for the reply

Checking and changing the oil seals on the pistons will require engine disassembly.

Unless you're armed with manuals, the right tools, and are not in a urgent need for the car; Don't do it.

This isn't a DIY first time job if you're asking for advice on an forum

[Antifaith]

lol ok