Lots of people don't like them. Anyone here had a problem with them. What kind of problems?. I have used them without issues.
I have had trouble with Autolites though .
I have had trouble with Autolites though .
Why the hate for Champion plugs?
- Thread starter Chris142
- Start date
I was thinking about buying the one piece Champion plugs for my ford 4.6 3 valve, these don't fall apart when removing them. That's a big plus in my opinion.
Ford redesigned their own many years ago
Hate ? I've found the different brands, at least in the old days, worked good with the brand engine they were associated with, like Autolites work good in Ford products, AC in GM, Bosch in German junk, NGK in Datsun's and or what ever Japan made.
Champion made okay aircraft spark plugs and for lawn mowers and chain saws. Some times they worked okay in some cars and trucks and sometimes not. Was there ever a Mopar plug? Maybe the Champs work okay in them?
Champion made okay aircraft spark plugs and for lawn mowers and chain saws. Some times they worked okay in some cars and trucks and sometimes not. Was there ever a Mopar plug? Maybe the Champs work okay in them?
Nick1994
$100 site donor 2024
Champion coppers for my Jeep here. They’re cheap and easy to replace on it, so why not replace fairly often?
In my experience (YMMV) working with fellow hobbyists on spark plug issues for over 45 years now, assuming the correct mechanical dimensions (including extended tips etc.) are used, it has always been incorrect heat range and not the plug manufacturer themselves that has led to disappointment.
The situation got worse when import plugs started to be widely available for domestic cars. Some folks didn't realize when working with domestic plugs the heat increases numerically eg. an AC Delco R44TS is hotter than a R43TS and import plugs the heat decreases numerically eg. an NGK UR4 is hotter than a UR5. Wrong plug temperature can bite you both ways, if you use too cold of a plug it will foul - possibly leading the user to think "these plugs are garbage", if you use too hot of a plug it can, worst case, damage the engine - again the user might think "these plugs wrecked my engine".
If you are used to an AC plug in your GM engine eg. R44TS, as stated in the manual / service book etc. and want to try a Champion, the heat range does not match numerically and the owner's manual won't tell you what exact Champion to use, so the user might pick anything from an RV12YC to an RV17YC... that is a massive range in the tables and you have to rely on the cross tables being exactly convertible and they aren't always.
I have used AC, Champion, Autolite, NGK and Bosch (rarely but I have, no shade on Bosch, just not much availability in my applications) over the years and haven't noticed any systemic issues with any of these manufacturers. I have had plugs damaged in the box (side electrode smashed into the center electrode) and yes, I had one DOA plug just once, just bad luck and not a pervasive issue with the brand but yeah it did make me irritated momentarily with that brand. I will confess, I worry about counterfeit stuff today, this wasn't an issue 45 years ago of course, so that is also in the mix now. I was curious when NGK came out with the U-Gap plug, was it late 80s... early 90s(?) I tried those and thought they were fine but you had to be careful with the heat range as mentioned. I generally used Champion in my Mopar products (no guess work there, that was the plug specified in the manual with the precise heat range) and AC in my GM products. Today, the last couple old cars I have owned, I use Autolite (decent pricing I find) and so far so good. I have Autolite in the Impala right now, plugs are 2 years old, car runs a touch rich, old iron headed - carbed - point fired V8 and they are still working great, starts right away and they are staying clean on their own. When the Tacoma is due, I'll probably use OE Denso in the exact same part number that I pull out. That truck is a bear to change plugs on so I don't want to experiment with an alternate brand in case it doesn't work out.
The situation got worse when import plugs started to be widely available for domestic cars. Some folks didn't realize when working with domestic plugs the heat increases numerically eg. an AC Delco R44TS is hotter than a R43TS and import plugs the heat decreases numerically eg. an NGK UR4 is hotter than a UR5. Wrong plug temperature can bite you both ways, if you use too cold of a plug it will foul - possibly leading the user to think "these plugs are garbage", if you use too hot of a plug it can, worst case, damage the engine - again the user might think "these plugs wrecked my engine".
If you are used to an AC plug in your GM engine eg. R44TS, as stated in the manual / service book etc. and want to try a Champion, the heat range does not match numerically and the owner's manual won't tell you what exact Champion to use, so the user might pick anything from an RV12YC to an RV17YC... that is a massive range in the tables and you have to rely on the cross tables being exactly convertible and they aren't always.
I have used AC, Champion, Autolite, NGK and Bosch (rarely but I have, no shade on Bosch, just not much availability in my applications) over the years and haven't noticed any systemic issues with any of these manufacturers. I have had plugs damaged in the box (side electrode smashed into the center electrode) and yes, I had one DOA plug just once, just bad luck and not a pervasive issue with the brand but yeah it did make me irritated momentarily with that brand. I will confess, I worry about counterfeit stuff today, this wasn't an issue 45 years ago of course, so that is also in the mix now. I was curious when NGK came out with the U-Gap plug, was it late 80s... early 90s(?) I tried those and thought they were fine but you had to be careful with the heat range as mentioned. I generally used Champion in my Mopar products (no guess work there, that was the plug specified in the manual with the precise heat range) and AC in my GM products. Today, the last couple old cars I have owned, I use Autolite (decent pricing I find) and so far so good. I have Autolite in the Impala right now, plugs are 2 years old, car runs a touch rich, old iron headed - carbed - point fired V8 and they are still working great, starts right away and they are staying clean on their own. When the Tacoma is due, I'll probably use OE Denso in the exact same part number that I pull out. That truck is a bear to change plugs on so I don't want to experiment with an alternate brand in case it doesn't work out.
As I recall, the Champion plugs were widely rumored to have frequently miscut threads. That sort of talk began in the early 1990's. A couple of the people that warned me of them were pro mechanics. I used Champion plugs from the 1970's to about the early 1990's and had no problems. I went to Autolite for many years, mostly because their platinum plugs were a bit cheaper than many. I did eventually get one bad Autolite (threading) that caused a big problem. I then went with NGK, Nippon Denso and Bosch, depending on the vehicle. In more recent years, most of the bad-mouthing that I happen to hear is about Autolite's.
I had always used champion plugs in my small engines. When I got my Harley Sportster, I changed oil and filter and plugs. The guys I rode with told me Harley OEM plugs were made by Champion, but just buy the Champions and not the plug with Harley on it. So, I did and it worked fine. When I hit 100K in the Hyundai Santa Fe (2012) I put in Champion Iridium. Worked fine also.
Champion spark plugs are the spec'd plugs for over a million OMC/ Evinrude/ Johnson outboards since the beginning. Never had one let me down nor heard about it in the marine world. I recently installed a pair of champion igniters on a over $250,000,000 jet. Very uncommon to get one of those to fail. Champions never been the #1 ignition brand however I'm 100% confident in their products.
I heard the Ford ones are spot welded together and not a true one piece? Let me know if this is wrong.
GON
$150 Site Donor 2025
I replaced the updated Ford OEM plugs in y 2007 F350 5.4 3V with a Champion plug. The Champion solved a misfire in cylinder #5. I suspect the reason is the Champion had a better seat than the revised OEM plug. It should be noted the Champion plug for the 3v 5.4L Ford requires a larger sized spark plug socket- implying a heftier design.
Back in the day when most vehicles had points and carbs, just about any brand plug would foul and stop firing. Modern ignitions have made that a thing of the past. But if you still have ignition wires, and old style coils, when they start to fail the plugs quit doin their thing. Over the years I've had plugs quit firing. But the ones that did, were usually on the old side. Nothing I would say was brand specific tho. I've run Champion plugs in my Harleys for years and never had one go bad. And those are made by Champion. They're not made to last forever, but they last a long time.,,
You change spark plugs so seldom these days, and it is often a task to get at some of them. You might as well take no chances, and go with the best available. NGK Iridiums.
In many but not all shops, there is a master book on car parts/plugs/brakes and so on that has the reccomended part for the auto or truck you are working on................many shops use that book so if there is a question they can show the customer the part number the factory says to use,,,,,,,stops a lot of guess work and fussing...................idk if thats still used................
What problems have you had with Autolite plugs?
