Unhooked

Just curious what would happen if someone put the spark plug in the wrong socket, meaning trailing plug into leading socket?

I am guessing it would at least throw a CEL light correct? I had my plugs changed by the dealership but car is behaving a bit strange. NO CEL but strange engine power issues. Going to replace the coils and see if it goes away.

Grace_Excel

iTrader: (5)

Your engine will run rough, but if your plug wires were on backwards you will have a much bigger problem. You should check that your spark plugs are in the right places. All you have to do is unplug one of your wire and look at the tip of the spark plug. The leading end has a white tip and the trailing end has a blue tip. Simple, do that before you spend money replacing your coils(unless of course they have more than 35,000 miles in them).

mgoblue347

I was wondering if when replacing the spark plugs to OEM NGK plugs and wireset do the specific wires matter which order you place them in. On the wireset there are two sets each with 1,2 on it. Can these go to any plug as long as the Leading and Trailing plugs are in the proper place?

(Posted this in the wrong place early in case the admin is seeing I posted twice)

Thanks!

Carbon8

iTrader: (4)

No, Each plug needs togo in the correct slot, and each wire needs to go to the appropriate coil, I would recommend having a shop do this for you as its sounds like you wont be able to.

maskedferret

iTrader: (1)

Each wire is a different length to allow it to reach from its appropriate coil to its respective spark plug. There is a diagram in this thread that makes it clear which one goes where : https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-do-...6/#post4485308

If you're worried about crossing them up, then I suggest replacing one coil / wire pair at a time. You can compare the length of the old wire that you take out with your new set to ensure you put in the right one. This is of course assuming you're also replacing the wires; if not, then just replace one plug at a time.

mgoblue347

This is exactly the answer I was looking for. I did replace the wires to OEM NGK wires and they weren't the same type of wires that were in the car. I did do one at a time and figured it out. I took her into the shop just to have them double check my work and they told me I did it right.

Thanks for the help!

Grace_Excel

iTrader: (5)

LOL, which means you drove it there? Well, that alone tells that you didn't mix up the wire-to-plug installation; otherwise, you would have had a very bad result.

alphagemo

Ok, so I read just about every post on here and I am still having some major problems. I was originally changing my radiator cause it broke so I decided to do other stuff (lights, plugs, filters). Anyways, after removing the radiator and the components in the way i started on the spark plugs, removed the tire, jacked it up, all that. Started on the LR couldn't budge it, used extensions, joints, going back and forward, breaker bar, etc, no luck. It cracked the end a bit when it slipped at some point. But then I moved to the other 3 plugs did the same stuff and still no luck on any of them, they didn't crack this time. That was day 1, by day 6 I had installed new radiator, air filter and the old battery and I had tried wd40, power drill and an impact and not a single plug budged a mm. So I gave up on that and reinstalled my headlights with new lightbulbs and the bumper, all the bulbs worked except the main headlights, they flashed for a bit then went out but everything else was fine. I took my key out and took the headlights back out and changed just one bulb to see if the bulb was the problem, but didn't put the bumper on this time, then put my key in and found there was no power to the car at all even though the battery was still connected.

So here are the questions: Are there any other ways to get the spark plugs out? Will the car be able to run with the cracked LR spark plug (assuming I get the battery working) so I can get it somewhere for someone else to remove it? Does the bumper have to be attached for the car to work (stupid question I know, covering bases)? What could have made it so my battery stopped working after so short a time?

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Hey alpha, maybe try spraying plugs with PB Blaster and let it soak overnight.
It works way better than WD40.
Shorter is better, more torque if you can get your breaker bar with just the socket on them.
1/2" drive breaker bar with 1/2" drive socket?
Battery, maybe check the main fuse.
Did you set your old battery on the ground?
I heard that will drain a battery, don't know if it's true.

alphagemo

3/8 inch everything. Battery was in the back seat siting on rubber floor mats

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Try the PB Blaster. It might help. I don't know if there are 1/2 drive plug sockets. It might be worth investing in a 1/2 drive breaker bar.
I have a 1/2 to 3/8 extension, but I never had any be that hard to get off.
Thread stripping would be a concern, that's why I'd try the PB Blaster first.

mgoblue347

Yes I knew what I was doing in a sense that I took one plug off at a time and made sure the new ones went back to the same connector. My original question was whether or not the different length wires really mattered how they were plugged in to the spark plugs themself. The answer to that question was no it does not matter. The only real importance is the L/T are correct and the wire - plug installation is correct.

Thanks for everyone's help.

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Hey alphagemo,
did you get your plugs out?

alphagemo

I haven't been able to get to a store to get any pb blaster, but still no not yet.

alphagemo

Still won't come out, or even budge

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

That's too bad.
Maybe you should pay someone to do it, be sure they will be able to repair stripped threads just in case.

PeteInLongBeach

It would be VERY unusual for all 4 to be stuck (they usually get looser with use).
Please confirm: which way are you turning to loosen the plugs?
Seriously...

alphagemo

Honestly, I have tried both ways. But please, just for arguments sake tell me which way they should go

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Lefty loosie, tighty righty.
Counter-clockwise, worth repeating, no swivel, short as possible, maybe get a bigger breaker bar.

alphagemo

Yep yep, as I thought. I am just gonna pay someone to try and if they can't then I don't pay

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Br sure to bring it somewhere that can fix it if they strip it, and will stand behind it. Not paying won't help you if they make it worse.

sweatr

Not paying = Auto Lien. he he. Some one here on another post talked about using a tap and die set for a stripped plug, if you get that far. The PB Blaster is a great idea overnight. Some times people can get gorilla with it and over tork the plugs, kinda dumb but it happends. Good luck bud.

chromez

Thanks for this thread. Got it done in about 20 mins because I had all the tires off already for new tires. It made a noticeable difference in low end. When idleing it would end up very so often to give like a little gasp of air like it was trying to breath or A little puff not sure of the word I am trying to describe but once I changed them I got a very very smooth idle. They were just starting to look bad but replaced them anyway.

CHawk10

Just bought some NGK spark plugs after mine were done from flooding it yesterday :/. Which one goes on top and which on bottom? They are 2 seperate per rotor correct?

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

On each plug is a part number. One ends in T, one ends in L. On the housing right next to the spark plug holes is a big T and a big L. Match them up.

You can also use: Top vs Lower