100,000 mile spark plugs

Status
Not open for further replies.
D

Dave Sherman

Joined
Jan 3, 2006
Messages
2,291
Location
Ohio
Changed the spark plugs on the Honda today. Pretty uneventful, it was much easier than I expected. The coil packs slipped off with no trouble and old plugs came out without a fight. Not bad for 100,919 miles. Looked like the outer electrodes had eroded a bit, but the gap was still in spec.
IMG_0654.jpg
 
Last edited:
I'm still running the oem's at 125k. Fuel mileage hasn't dropped but I have noticed idle not as smooth. I've got some Denso ITV16's to go in soon.
 
Originally Posted By: satinsilver
From all reports they easily go 105k. Why some push them to 120k, 130k+ is beyond me though.


I dont get why you say that? I am at 120k miles and the car still runs perfect, great gas mileage too. I will be replacing the plugs eventually but why change them out if they are not causing any problems?
 
They used to sieze in place. These days I think the makers are putting anti-sieze on them, so they might come out nicely now.

Also, I'm not sure how many misfires it will take to damage a catalytic convertor. Given how it already has 100k+ on it, and was only "required" to go 80k or 150k (Fed/CA emissions? I forget the exact lifespan) I'm not sure one wants to find out.
 
They look good, very similar looking to the OEM 01 Civic plugs I replaced at ~107k mi. I replaced them with NGK Iridium IX's and they are now getting close to 100k miles again. Even as other things are getting a bit long in the tooth on the vehicle, the engine is still picken em off with the NGK's.

Thanks for the pic.
 
You should have taken a comparison photo with the new replacement one. Frankly, I do not see the erosion in this picture.
 
My daughter ran her '06 Corolla about 160k miles before she had the plugs replaced. How can you fault that ownership experience?Totally flabbergasted by this soulless appliance. I want to hate it for its cross engined, wrong wheel drive-ness. But I have to respect the car for its durability. Also, I can change the oil and filter in my driveway with just a 14mm socket and a drain pan.
 
Last fall I bought my 2003 8.1L 2500 Suburban used. It appeared to have the original plugs and wires. Ran fine unless at full throttle, then it would mis-fire. Plugs didn't look that bad however when I replaced them. Runs great with new plugs and wires.
 
I didn't replace the ones in my son's X3 until 115k miles(the recommended interval is 100k). The CBS system in my wife's 328i called for a plug change at 56k. Go figure...
 
A friend of mine ran his Nissan 1.8 petrol with the oem copper plugs. For 180.000 km of city driving before one of them eventually lost a ground electrode(not sure of the English word) unfortunately it got stuck in a inletvalve not allowing the valve to close. Instead of 4 new plugs he needed a new cyllinderhead.

He said it had bin running well till it happened. But I doubt it.
 
@shDK:

because of the EPA (emissions mandate), North American automobiles have been on the longest running spark plugs (emissions warranty, amongst other things) since mid 90s: first they were on platinum plugs, then moved to iridium.

No new automobiles sold in NA nowadays came with copper plugs anymore...

Q.
 
I wouldn't be surprised if sometime in the very near future someone comes up with spark plugs that never need changing.

At the same time, it wouldn't surprise me to find out there are quite a few people on the road today who have over 200k on their cars and have never changed the plugs (and the engine is still running smoothly also) They would have to be full iridium plugs (both ground and electrode that is, not just the electrode like most iridiums)
 
Originally Posted By: Patman
I wouldn't be surprised if sometime in the very near future someone comes up with spark plugs that never need changing.

At the same time, it wouldn't surprise me to find out there are quite a few people on the road today who have over 200k on their cars and have never changed the plugs (and the engine is still running smoothly also) They would have to be full iridium plugs (both ground and electrode that is, not just the electrode like most iridiums)


A week ago, my wife and I visited her sister and her sister's husband. They took us out to eat and we went there in their 2007 Toyota Sequoia. On the way there, they ask me why I thought that their gas mileage had dropped from 17 to 14.5 mpg. I ask them about the maintenance that the Sequoia has received and they told me that all they had ever done to it was have the timing belts replaced every 100K miles. They bought it brand new and currently have 275K miles on it....with original spark plugs. I mentioned that they should probably have new plugs installed, but the conversation went from that to the fact that they might get rid of it, so there are still probably no plans to install new plugs.
They thing ran fine with no CEL codes.
 
NGK (and the ACDelco rebrands they also make) Iridium plugs truly are top notch. Even over 100K they still look good usually and their anti seize plating really works.

I cringe working in the parts biz when folks being cheap swap them out for some Ought-to-lights just to save a buck.
 
The plugs in my truck came out like new at 90k. I'm never changing them in a GM product again until I get a miss fire code. Mine looked like they could have went 150k or 200k without much trouble.


Right after I changed them the ignition control module went, just goes to show that sometimes your better off leaving stuff alone.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

y_p_w
  • Locked
Why call standard spark plugs “copper plugs”?
2
Replies
21
Views
5K
UG_Passat
The Critic
  • Locked
Spark Plug Wear Patterns
Replies
10
Views
5K
tom slick
W
  • Locked
Changed out GM plugs 169,000 miles pics
Replies
18
Views
4K
mjoekingz28
Q
Spark plug diagnosis - what are all those hard tiny white balls?
2
Replies
20
Views
2K
slybunda
W
  • Locked
Your favorite spark plug gap?
2
Replies
28
Views
23K
antiqueshell
Back
Top Bottom