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is it only the iridium plugs that are?
how come spark plugs are so spendy now?
- Thread starter The motor guy
- Start date
What are the prices of sparkplugs in your area?
Last year I paid about $9 - $10 apiece for Denso iridium plugs for a Camry.
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that's about right. I think the ones for my echo trimmers are cheap still. Like $2.50ea
They're going for about $20 each now at Auto Zone places. I bought from Rock Auto to save a few dollars.
Imho, $10-15 per good Iridium plug is cheap considering their lifespan. Dealers on other hand may try extorting $40-70 a plug in some cases.
When I started driving in the mid 1960s, plain old Champions or AC plugs were 50 cents each on sale. Minimum wage then was about $1.50 an hour. You can make over $15 an hour at McDonalds these days. Ten times more. So, if we apply 10 times to the cheap standard plug of the past, that would be $5 each. And those plugs would last, at best, 10K miles.
I realize a lot has changed. Fuels, computer controlled fuel injection, ignition systems. But an iridium plug lasting 100K miles at $12 seems cheap. Especially since 6 and 8 cylinder engines have been mostly replaced by 4 and 6 cylinder engines.
So, based on overall cost, not price per plug, spark plugs are cheap.
I realize a lot has changed. Fuels, computer controlled fuel injection, ignition systems. But an iridium plug lasting 100K miles at $12 seems cheap. Especially since 6 and 8 cylinder engines have been mostly replaced by 4 and 6 cylinder engines.
So, based on overall cost, not price per plug, spark plugs are cheap.
I traded in a 2015 Corvette at 45,000 miles with its original plugs, and the engine was still running as strong and smooth as when it had 0 miles.
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I started buying more stuff at brick a d mortar stores. Actually cheaper than online
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I wish it was the same near me; the opposite. Local stores are often much higher in costs than online.
Because the conflict minerals used to make them are all going into the EV batteries.
Everything has gone up.
Exotic metals.
Buying OE instead of Autolites or Champions, which are both just fine in my experience.
Changing plugs instead of cleaning and regapping.
Turbocharged and direct injection which supposedly wears out spark plugs quicker, meaning more frequent changes, and increased costs.
Gimmicky spark plugs.
I remember when you used to be able to go to WalMart and buy spark plugs.
Exotic metals.
Buying OE instead of Autolites or Champions, which are both just fine in my experience.
Changing plugs instead of cleaning and regapping.
Turbocharged and direct injection which supposedly wears out spark plugs quicker, meaning more frequent changes, and increased costs.
Gimmicky spark plugs.
I remember when you used to be able to go to WalMart and buy spark plugs.
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They don't sell spark plugs anymore? Wasn't that long ago I recall them on the shelf. Would occassionally see someone from the automotive department come over and grab some. Was probably a high theft item
NKG Iridiums for my BMW 3 series F30 late (N20) are now approaching $30 from reputable sources. Possibly the only benefit of a 4 banger vs. a 6 banger. Replace every 60K miles. Been around this price for a while now. Been holding off DIY service with considerable anxiety as I read about all the counterfeits out there.
SammyChevelleTypeS3
$50 site donor 2023
Sad but likely TRUE in some stores. I notice one can shop different Walmarts and you will find certain items under lock and key. Then at another Walmart just 15 miles away , the same items are not locked up. I have gotten lately to where any automotive products I buy that I want to be sure (well as sure as one can be?) that I am not sold knock off or junk parts , I been getting mine from dealership or NAPA only.- Joined
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It seems like they have a ton of isles allocated to motor oil and oil filters and that's about it. Idk, they move stuff around all the time and every walmart arranged differently for some reason. Makes no sense.
I want to say it was 5 or more years ago that Walmart did a reset in the Automotive section and removed almost all of their spark plug offerings save a few for OPE stuff.
I speculate once the market shifted more towards the more expensive Iridium plugs, that they now became a more susceptible item for theft. I can remember times of seeing people do the switcheroo of swapping Platinum and Copper plug packaging to get the Platinum's for Copper plug pricing.
I speculate once the market shifted more towards the more expensive Iridium plugs, that they now became a more susceptible item for theft. I can remember times of seeing people do the switcheroo of swapping Platinum and Copper plug packaging to get the Platinum's for Copper plug pricing.
