change spark plugs?

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i have a 2008 Caliber, Certified, Mint, Runs like new. has 18,500 miles on engine. Owner Manual says change spark plug after 30k or 4 yrs. Should I do this now, even though it's running great? i get 30 mpg. Advice. plugs are easy to change,cheap enough
 
No. No need to. 4 cyl engines are super easy, and if the FSM says 30k, I wouldnt worry.

Id be more interested in baselining other things like oil, ATF, coolant, etc.
 
Originally Posted By: Caliberguy
i have a 2008 Caliber, Certified, Mint, Runs like new. has 18,500 miles on engine. Owner Manual says change spark plug after 30k or 4 yrs. Should I do this now, even though it's running great? i get 30 mpg. Advice. plugs are easy to change,cheap enough


At 18.5K the only thing I'd be thinking of changing is oil/filter if it hasn't been done in the past 5K...
 
NO! Never mess with a good running ignition unless you way over the wear out limit. Ignitions are always looking for an excuse to start misfiring and leaking to GND. Now does that calibre have Inconel steel + Cu core champions? or I would guess minimum dual platinum plugs for the mitsu/hyundai/mercedes world engine?
 
I've got the older style 2.4. I was suprised that it had copper core plugs in it that had significant gap erosion at around 20,000 miles (I assume they were the OE plugs. We bought the car with 4,000 miles)

But again, totally different (older design and high boost turbocharged) engine
 
Lots of plugs are COPPER CORE. CORE. NOT THE TIP which is what wears. Standard plugs the TIP is nickel. Then you have copper CORE with platinum tip. Longer wearing tip metal. Then you have copper CORE with iridium tip. Even longer wearing tip metal. I put Autolite IRIDIUM TIPPED with COPPER CORE in my 2009 5.7 Dodge hemi. I took out copper core with nickel tip NGKs.
 
caliber comes with NGK copper cores. I will replace at 30k miles with autolite platinums or copper cores. i won't mess with this now as it is running freat. thanks everyone
 
I couldn't care less if my plugs are copper cored or not.
As long as the heat range is correct, and the internal resistance is appropriate [usually 5k ohm], I don't care how they achieve this.

Civilians love copper cored plugs, though.

Compare any internal resistance to the gap that must be jumped, and you'll see how silly it is.
 
While there might not be a lot of wear, some people change more often so that removal is easier since the plug hasn't been in there as long. I change mine once per year using regular ngk plugs. but then again I put more miles on than most people.
 
Originally Posted By: mechtech2
I couldn't care less if my plugs are copper cored or not.
...
Civilians love copper cored plugs, though.

...
Maybe advertisers love cooper core plugs more
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But, the Cu is for heat conductivity NOT electrical conductivity(alloys also providing Tc compatibilty with ceramic). Also, Most civilians dont know their plug wires are just carbon dust in fibreglass
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If they have plug wires - those are disappearing fast these days.
 
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You should at least take them off to check them. Removing them once in a while should prevent them from seizing to the engine. Also make sure oil isn't leaking into the tube. Then again you could upset your like new engine.
 
Advertisers always need something "cool" to put on the box - like "Pennzoil with Z-7" or "Crest with Fluorostan" (a Tin Fluoride salt). Now they have Ir plugs - but at least the small wire Ir center electrodes are something REAL to crow about!
 
Originally Posted By: morris
TO: ARCOgraphite i bet these cats dont know what a solid wire is.
I sure most think wires have wire in them. Really maybe solids for some race ignition and mags but a good resistor wire is best on any computer car with a regular coil.
 
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