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Sparky

Spark plugs

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Sparky

My daughter complained that her little SUV wasn't running well.....her description made me think she lost spark on one plug and was only running on 5 cylinders. Just a guess by me of course......check out the plugs!!! They have 141,000 miles on em and no electrode left at all and a massive gap!

   Mike....

 

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benji756

i would say you got your moneys worth out of them!

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Terry M

Were those (spark plugs) hard to remove?    I had a 2004 F-150 with 70k miles , and half the plugs broke off on removal by the dealers shop.    I was told Ford has since corrected that problem on the newer engines...Lucky for me there was no extra charge for the tune-up...:)

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JimD

It's a wonder it ran at all.

 

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Ed Kennell

                                                                                              :text-yeahthat:

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Sparky
37 minutes ago, Terry M said:

Were those (spark plugs) hard to remove?    I had a 2004 F-150 with 70k miles , and half the plugs broke off on removal by the dealers shop.    I was told Ford has since corrected that problem on the newer engines...Lucky for me there was no extra charge for the tune-up...:)

Nope....they all backed right out.

 A snapped plug would have been a major headache since they are way deep down inside a hole.

  Mike.....

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SylvanLakeWH

Yikes!

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ohiofarmer

Running them that long can be hard on the coils, or so I have heard.

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squonk

Today's modern fuel injection and direct ignition systems will do that. They are so efficient you can go 150,000 plus with no issues as far as running problems. Couple that with many OEM's spec'd Iridium plugs, a car is almost maintenance free. The key word is ALMOST! Your average car owner doesn't want to be bothered with taking their vehicle in for routine stuff. And the car makers sell this point in their advertising. As a former Auto Tech I know the value of a well maintained vehicle. I don't do my own work anymore. I get beat up enough at work to want to crawl around a car getting my hands trapped in an engine compartment. I take my Toyota Tundra to a shop I trust. I tell them to change the hoses as I think it's time. I pick it up and they didn't change the hoses. I ask why and they tell me they are fine and Toyota hoses don't go bad.:confusion-confused:. 183,000 miles on it. This was 2 years ago and they are still on there, :)

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Ken B

So.... How does it run now?:scratchead: Former Auto Tech here as well... I only work on half of my vehicles...  I do all of my own work on my 70 Chevy pickup and my 2003 Jeep Grand Cherokee. I don't work on my wife's car. Hers is a new Subaru with a warranty, once the warranty is out she gets a new car. I don't even change the oil in her car, the dealer does it for free... My wife travels way too much for me to keep up with working on or maintaining her car.  There is a reason why people stretch their maintenance schedules. I believe it is because some (not all) shops really like to stick it to the customer. You go in to places like Firestone for a simple set of spark plugs and they are trying to sell you 2500 bucks worth of work. I hear the horror stories all of the time. (My brother in law has worked at Firestone for over 30 yrs...) Just the other day I had my Jeep in for new tires at Mavis Tires and the guy was telling me I desperately need new shocks. Just two yrs. ago I put in four new Monroe Sensatrac's and my Cherokee rides perfect. I didn't even want to purchase the tires once he told me this crap. Best bet is too find a local family owned business that has good references if you need work done. 

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Sparky

Not sure how its gonna run yet, only managed to swap the front 3 plugs and wires so far. Its a transverse mounted V-6 and the rear 3 plugs are completely covered by the intake manifold which I have read needs to be removed. Along with the intake manifold are throttle cables, clamps, hoses, wires..etc.....all in the way.

May have to use my local repair shop.

  Mike........

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squonk

Just go to HF for a cheap set of torches and some duct tape 

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ClassicTractorProfessor
4 hours ago, Ken B said:

Just the other day I had my Jeep in for new tires at Mavis Tires and the guy was telling me I desperately need new shocks. Just two yrs. ago I put in four new Monroe Sensatrac's and my Cherokee rides perfect. I didn't even want to purchase the tires once he told me this crap. Best bet is too find a local family owned business that has good references if you need work done. 

Couple years back I took a Dodge dually in for an alignment. Sat in the waiting room for about 3.5 hrs, finally went up and asked the owner of the shop what's taking so long. His reply was we are waiting on parts all four of your ball joints are shot...we are surprised you even made it in. I told him you know what you might be able to scam others like that but you aren't gonna get to this guy...I had just replaced upper and lower ball joints on both sides THE NIGHT BEFORE. So yes you have really got to watch some of these shops around as they will try to get to you and make a buck

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Coadster32
19 hours ago, Sparky said:

Not sure how its gonna run yet, only managed to swap the front 3 plugs and wires so far. Its a transverse mounted V-6 and the rear 3 plugs are completely covered by the intake manifold which I have read needs to be removed. Along with the intake manifold are throttle cables, clamps, hoses, wires..etc.....all in the way.

May have to use my local repair shop.

  Mike........

Could you get to them from the bottom side??

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Sparky
6 hours ago, Coadster32 said:

Could you get to them from the bottom side??

Nope...I looked every which way and they cant be reached...and everything I read on the web said the intake and all the associated stuff attached to it must come off.

  Mike.........

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Coadster32

I agree...You might consider a local shop. Darn it. At least it's not too often you end up at a local shop though.  

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CasualObserver

I'm a firm believer in the local shops... if it's in the 1-800-LET-NAPA (538-6272) network, even better. Never had a bad one of those guys. Had a family friend that ran a local shop way back and he said they have some pretty strict guidelines about being in their network, and they follow up on complaints aggressively.

 

It's also a very easy number to remember if you need emergency service while away from home!

 

(no professional affiliation with Napa here... just a very satisfied patron) :thumbs: 

 

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Sparky

I am using a local shop this Friday. I'm still expecting a pretty steep bill (and I have the remaining 3 wires and plugs already!).

  Mike.......

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oldredrider

At least now you know it won't need to be done again for another 141,000 miles.:D

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Coadster32

I'm gonna guess you're looking at 3-4hrs of labor, and a gasket. I'm thinking they might clean a little of the intake as well. Prob. $350-$400.

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cleat
On 12/12/2016 at 7:27 PM, Sparky said:

My daughter complained that her little SUV wasn't running well.....her description made me think she lost spark on one plug and was only running on 5 cylinders. Just a guess by me of course......check out the plugs!!! They have 141,000 miles on em and no electrode left at all and a massive gap!

   Mike....

 

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Wow, normally I change my plugs because I think it is time and they still look and work fine.

Well, at least you know why it was misfiring. I am surprised there were not startup issues as well.

 

My 2002 F-150 with 5.4L engine was fairly easy to do.

 

The next generation had the break off plug issues.

 

My 1998 Mercury sable with the 3L engine was the easiest I have ever seen with plenty of room front and back for all 6 plugs.

 

I sometimes think the engineers look for ways to make mechanics jobs harder with a lot of the new equipment out there.

 

Cleat

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squonk

I remember in the 80's on lots of V-8's the best way to get the plugs was to put it on a lift and either go thru the front wheel well flaps or raise it all the way and get them from the bottom. 

On 12/13/2016 at 11:44 AM, Professor1990 said:

Couple years back I took a Dodge dually in for an alignment. Sat in the waiting room for about 3.5 hrs, finally went up and asked the owner of the shop what's taking so long. His reply was we are waiting on parts all four of your ball joints are shot...we are surprised you even made it in. I told him you know what you might be able to scam others like that but you aren't gonna get to this guy...I had just replaced upper and lower ball joints on both sides THE NIGHT BEFORE. So yes you have really got to watch some of these shops around as they will try to get to you and make a buck

Years ago my Dad traveled alot. He stopped at a Sears for a free check up. They got him for every thing in the brake system, Pads Rotor, calipers, shoes. Everything but the master cyl. Lifetime warranty. A year later he gets another coupon and goes to the same Sears. They try to get him for the same stuff again. He says good it's all free and he whips out the Warranty. He made them do it all over again.:)  A few years later his brake light comes on. He stops at a Monroe Muffler. They want to do the exact same work, Everything but the master. He decides to get another car. He drops off the old car at my house so I can sell it for him. I tear it all down and nothing is wrong but that master cyl. I call the State and they send an inspector to my house. Show him all the paper work and he not only writes up the Monroe shop but nails the Sears as well :lol:

 

Edited by squonk
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cleat

That is sort of how I did the plugs in my old Windstar with the 3.8

 

Could not see the top back side of the engine as the firewall was shaped right around and over the engine.

 

Crawled up underneath and I could sit up between the engine and firewall.

 

Plug change was simple from this side. Front plugs could easily be done from under the hood.

 

Problem with a lot of the newer engines is how the plugs go down through the valve covers and a lot of other stuff is there as well.

 

 

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WHX??
On ‎12‎/‎14‎/‎2016 at 1:40 PM, Sparky said:

expecting a pretty steep bill (and I have the remaining 3 wires and plugs already!).

Kinda like the proverbial bringing your own eggs to the restaurant ain't it Sparky?? When my customers bring in a part for me to install my labor rate goes up immediately, when I find out they worked on it ..it doubles.

I know what you guys mean about hard to get at plugs tho lets see how many new cuss words we can come up with!  Wasn't there a car once where the engine had to unbolted & raised 3 inches to get at plugs?? I'll stick to my :wh:'s thank you!

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