first off, you should have changed 4 plugs.

Second, Water is not normal at all. Plugs should be dry and caked with burnt carbon. should be brown/blackish. some oil residue can be found occasionally.

 

Sorry I meant four... and 2 were dry like you said... two had oil on them but the oil was frothy. I understand it could be condensation mixing with oil as I did start the car for about 30sec to move it prior to the change.

 

I did this a couple of days ago, and I must say...night and day difference in performance as well as gas mileage.. Thanks for the write up and all the input fellas, it was simple to follow. Cheers

 

I wouldn't be to worried about it.

 

I bought a set the other day from Advanced Auto Parts, still need to find time to do it though...


BTW, use BIG30 as a coupon code while checking out on advancedautoparts.com to get $30 off a set of 4. $12.5 each, what a deal.

 

Dam! that **** actually worked, I am picking up my set in store tomorrow.

 

Just FYI, I used code VISA ($50 off orders >$150) online at advanced auto and got the intermotor coils and ngk plugs for ~$153 with free shipping. Then another $30 on amazon for the wires. Got here in 2 days. Just trying to pass along some savings.

 

Advanced Auto, decent deal but be advised, the $30 discount ends 25MAY. To receive the additional $50 coupon, your purchase must be $100 (excluding the discount) and elect to receive emails. If you choose not to receive emails you will not get the coupon which is only good for 1 month 6JUN-6JUL.

 

Just did this again, crazy how dirty the plugs can get after only 10k miles. Car is purring like a champ now

 

Thanks to this DIY I saved over $300! My dealership in KS was going to charge $398 to change the spark plugs in my 2006. I ordered the NGK Laser Iridium Spark Plug 2(RE9B-T) 2(RE7C-L) for $20 x 4 and ordered the Magnetic Spark Plug Socket - 13/16 inch for $15 and the anti-seize tube. Total of $100 with a $20 discount at Advanced Auto so the whole thing came to $83.

My husband just changed the plugs (it has 40k miles) and I am hoping to see better gas mileage as I have only been getting about 16.5! However, I was hoping it would help with the slow crank when I start it, but that's still the same . After all I have read, I am thinking I may have a compression issue.

 

Thanks for the DIY. With this and the one for the coils, I saved $600+!

 

Just finished changing out my plugs. Was a piece of cake! Thanks for putting all of this together, it was really nice knowing exactly what I would need before getting started.

 

Many thanks to the OP, and those who have contributed to this thread. I would not try it without the guidance.

I will be trying this for the first time tomorrow. I have 2 questions:
1) I have the correct size spark plug socket, but it's not magnetic. How critical is it that the socket be magnetic? Since I'm not reaching downward to install the plugs (the pictures make it look more like a horizontal reach) is this really an issue?

2) I saw on NGK's site today that they recommend that you *dont* use anti-seize on the plugs. Something about people being misled into over-tightening because of the anti-seize, and that when their spark plugs have silver/metallic looking threads, they are already treated with something. Here is a link to their PDF about this. In light of this, should I really use the anti-seize?

 

It does not have to be magnetic, however, most spark plug sockets have a rubber ring inside that holds onto the tail of the spark plug for removal and installation. It is true, from factory, that the NGK Spark Plug's threads are applied with a small amout of anti-seize, but what harm would it do if you apply a small amout of it? I don't think any, it will only make it easier for you to remove the plugs next time.

 

Great DIY - thanks for all the helpful tips.


Changed plugs today at around 27,500 miles. Started noticing some idling issues in the last few weeks, but otherwise car was performing well and no changes in gas mileage. Plugs didn't look too bad considering the mileage, however, the feel of the car after putting in the new plugs is significantly better. Idling and revs are super smooth now. Probably change coils and wires later this year, but right now no indication for the need.

 

would any body recommend new sparks plugs wires and coils off ebay?????

 

i wouldn't

 

i pulled my plugs yest all four were black the two top ones were filled with oil and smelled like gas i sprayed some staring fluid and it started but died after 2 3 second couldnt get it to start after that need help!!!!! it is due for a spark plug wire coil change its at 89k they were changed at around 47k any help????

 

Coils

 

Just changed plugs and wires, car started fine and warned up, shut it off waiting 15 minutes went to restart it and idle is all crazy and car will now just stall no matter what, any ideas? I'm sitting here right now trying to fix this.

 

Did you do them 1 at a time to be sure they got put back on correctly? Also make sure the leads are on there tight you should hear a click when attaching them.

 

Had a friend helping me he insisted on just taking them all off first so that is what we did. Question, the wires themselves are the same between each other meaning it doesn't matter which wire is which technically? Like a wire that goes on the Leading could technically be used on a Trailing? So back to the job, we take all the wires off and match them up length wise with the new ones and move them to the side and proceed to take the plugs out. They come out pretty easy and we put the new ones in the correct spots, Trailing into Trailing and Leading into Leading. We put some anti seize stuff onto the threads and all goes in nice after torquing the plugs back in and then proceed to put the wires on. Put them all back on nicey nice and go to start the car after reconnecting the battery and she starts right up and seemed to idle good, let it idle for another 10 minutes or so letting it get up to temperature. Shut it off and started to clean up around the garage in order to pull the car out and take it for a ride. Go to start it again and all hell breaks loose. Idle is sputtering all over the place and dropping way down and stalling the car, restart it over and over and just shuts right off unless I keep reving it. Let it cool off and go to restart it again and it seems to be staying at a stable idle, I gave it gas and brought the rpm's up to about 6k--7k and took foot off pedal, on the decel it dropped way down and goes to stall with lights flickering but then would even out and stay idling, took it for a ride around the block and it seemed when I came to a stop it would want to stall or almost stall. Took it back shut it off and let it sit. Read on the club here about resetting the ECU which I proceeded to do, put ignition to on and pumped the brake pedal 20 something times and then started it again and went for a longer ride, this time it seemed a little better idling, still a little funky though, also noticed possibly a slight power decrease but not 100% on that. Brought it back again and let it sit for a bit, started it again and took it for a little longer of a ride, idle seemed pretty good. So I parked it and plan on starting tomorrow this time it will be a cold start as all the other starts were warm starts and I'll see how it is.

I am pretty sure all the spark plugs went into the correct spots and all the wires in the right order. Is it normal for the idle to bug out like that after a plug and wire change? Or should I have reset the ECU right off the bat after the new plugs and wires were on? A few months ago I successfully did a ignition coil change which went great and car ran better afterwards just FYI.

Any help would be appreciated.

 

Well you said you already reset everything anyway since you had the battery cable off.

The leads can technically be used on any of the spots but the length they are is determined by what spot they should be going on. Do you have the wires like the attached picture?

It is pretty easy to get the spark plugs in the right spot because there are big letters cast into the block. You can also just remember it is Trailing = Top and Leading = Lower.

 

Just read a post about there being no difference in the wires themselves just as long as each wire coming off of the ignition coils are going to the correct spark plug. So please disregard that from my previous post. Another question though, worst case if a couple plugs were put in the wrong spot, like a trailing was put into a leading, what would be the result of that? Would the car even run?

 

Yes they are in that configuration. And also really sure the plugs themselves are in the correct spots as well. What's the story with the ECU reset? Or NVRAM? Is that the same thing? Does that have to be done or unplugging the battery do the same thing? Also I just realized I unhooked the positive terminal instead of the negative, but I don't think that makes a difference.