Most of us have heard of this. Until today I had not seen this personally. I bought a 4-pack of NGK BPR6EIX from a supposedly reputable online dealer. I've installed A LOT of NGK Iridium IX plugs and these new ones just didn't look correct right out of the box. Under closer inspection, they aren't.
My photos show two different part numbers, one with a projected tip and one without, but you'll get the point. On a real Iridium IX the 3 black stripes on the porcelain insulator are bold and very precise. On the new plugs they are 3 different widths and look like they were drawn on with a Sharpie by an over-caffeinated clown.
The clincher is the poorly made ground electrode. A genuine one is very sharply cut. The electrode on the right is poorly stamped and has badly rounded edges. There is simply no way NGK made that. The center electrode doesn't have the proper tip shape, either.
Now I need a polite way of calling an online retailer a thief.
My photos show two different part numbers, one with a projected tip and one without, but you'll get the point. On a real Iridium IX the 3 black stripes on the porcelain insulator are bold and very precise. On the new plugs they are 3 different widths and look like they were drawn on with a Sharpie by an over-caffeinated clown.
The clincher is the poorly made ground electrode. A genuine one is very sharply cut. The electrode on the right is poorly stamped and has badly rounded edges. There is simply no way NGK made that. The center electrode doesn't have the proper tip shape, either.
Now I need a polite way of calling an online retailer a thief.