How often do you change spark plugs?

[Chris142]

Please allow a "mini-highjack" question.

I bought a low mileage 2005 Ranger. It has 100K plugs. I just broke 50,000 miles on this 16 year old vehicle.

Would you change 'em? Please, everybody chime in. I'm considering it.

pull an easy to get to one. See how it looks

 

[TiGeo]

My car which is tuned is 10k to avoid misfires. Plugs are so cheap and no reason to push it. FCP Euro lifetime replacement makes it basically free if I combine shipping with my other consumables.

 

[FLNative]

If you “remove them, take a look.....” why put the old plugs back in?
Sure, you can “see how well the engine is running” and if the plugs look good, you’ll know the new plugs you’re installing will easily go 80-100k miles.

I take the trouble to remove them is for sure will replace them with new ones .. Only exception that ever put the old ones back in is on my Motorcycle where is totally easy access to both of them and the Iridium plugs looked like new ..

 

[wagsrk08]

Changed my 2012 Toyota Tacoma 2.7L 4x4 SR5 spark plugs (DENSO SK20HR11) last month for the 1st time @ 98,500 miles. Owners Manual recommends @ 120,000mi. Funny, can't tell the difference performance wise from new to old plugs? Better piece of mind though.

 

[doublebase]

Every 100k mikes and when you take those plugs out they’ll probably still look good. I’ve seen them with over 180,000 and they still look “good”.

 

[350Rocket]

In my 84 Oldsmobile (76 350 olds engine) I remove and inspect them every few years. Replace whenever they look like they need it. I used to drive it a lot of miles a year (long highway commute). Maybe 20k miles a year and they lasted well over 40k before even considering replacement. Now it's a few miles commute to work, so we'll see. I haven't changed them in years. Only about 5k a year now but the short trips could be harder on them.

My work truck I have to remove them and clean out the valve seal deposits. It burns a bit of oil. I will change them instead of cleaning when they have more than 30k miles or look too dirty to be worth cleaning. I didn't buy anything special, just cheap NGK since they get dirtied up so fast. I might consider better plugs in the 76 olds 350 since it doesn't burn any real amount of oil.

 

[mightymousetech]

My 135 is tuned, so required every 30k km. The 328 will get them every 100k km.

 

[FordMan59]

Over the past 30 years I've used platinum (usually Bosch) and run them 100-125K miles. I've changed several sets at well over 100K and couldn't tell a difference in performance or mpg with the new ones. I bought a '16 Nissan in Feb. 2019 and is my first car with iridium plugs so I guess I'll see how they hold up and whether I like them or platinum best.

 

[DZcreet]

My 015 Optima recently hit 27,000miles, because I had this set of NGK Laser Iridium spark plugs that were gifted to me for the 2.4L Theta II engines I put them during my last oil change. I know the stock denso long life Iridium plugs are well liked but after the plug swap on my engine my MPG both city and highway increased. My city is 23mpg most of the time and the highway gets into the mid 30's if I have it on cruz control at 65 for at least 3 or more exits. At a time of nearly $6.xx gallon gasoline it comes in handy.

I used Royal Purple HPS 5w-20 during my last oil change when I put the ngk's in. I don't know how much the Royal Purple HPS oil attributed to the mpg increase I have.

I plan on changing the coils at 30k miles or in the winter.

 

[Jump1]

So long as it runs good don't bother even looking till 100k. Changed iridiums in my soul at 100k and old ones looked absolutely brandy new.

 

[Stonemason Jason]

Every 50 to 60k, I use iridium plugs, they are good for 100k but I prefer earlier changes it gives me a chance to check other things out in the process, I put about 5k a month on my car using the interstate alone.

 

[dubber09]

Iridium or Ruthenium every 75K km, thou plugs are rated for 100K miles.

 

[Rmay635703]

I hate changing plugs that are embedded in a deep hole in the engine cover with the insta break coil studs, dumb as it sounds I bring in the car on plugs but coils I will do myself.

I greatly preferred the out in the open plugs of older engines

 

[Ifixyawata]

I do 100k.

 

[Accent Abuser]

My Kia is at 50k miles now, the manual says change at 100k miles.
I know that some folks change it earlier, some just follow the book.
What do you guys think?

Every 50k for me cause I'm anal about maintenance, I recently switched to NGK iridium IX which are cheaper but claim to have only a 60k lifespan. Laser iridium should be good for 100k+.

 

[wlk]

Copper, platinum at 30k and Iridiums at 50k. Cheap easy maintenance to keep everything running properly

 

[vavavroom]

I generally pull the spark plugs every 10k miles for inspection. I change them as needed or at the recommended interval, whichever happens first.

 

[mclasser]

It depends on the application and other owners' experiences. My Elantra, for example, is known to have garbage factory plugs (and coils). I changed them all at only 33k miles. The plugs, specifically, didn't look so hot and likely would have misfired or caused a crappy driving experience well before the 100k mile specified change interval.

 

[Bullet]

2006 tacoma V6 with 125K miles and plugs have never been changed.
2007 FJ Cruiser with 150K mile and never been changed.

 

[barkingspider]

Standard plugs I change at 30k miles. Platinum about 50k-60k. Iridium 80k-100k depending on what the owners manual recommends