OE spark plug question

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Do I have to replace spark plugs with OE parts?

Nickel alloy electrode wears fast. The other car has the same type COP ignition and OE parts are platinum. Platinum electrode wears longer. If I decide to run platinum plugs I will still change them at manufacturers 32,000 miles intervals.
 
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Sometimes you can get away with different spark plugs, sometimes you can't. Look for a TSB that may call for a different plug than the exact OEM plug.

I remember back when I had my Saturn ION, double platinum plugs were OE, and the manual said to only use that kind of double platinum plug. I order new ones from a dealer, and I was sent iridium plugs.

Toyota did this as well. At one time, the 1MZ-FE engine took some weird dual electrode plugs, but eventually, they were superceded by a simple single electrode iridium plug.
 
Originally Posted By: jorton
If I decide to run platinum plugs I will still change them at manufacturers 32,000 miles intervals.


Then just run the OEM plugs. That completely defeats the purpose of running a platinum plug.
 
If they are easy to change go OEM, replacing plugs on a 4 cylinder is a cake walk, if its a hard to reach v6, go with laser iridium of the same manufacture. NGK Laser Iridium would probably work great in your engine.
 
It depends. I tried different plugs and sometimes it is better and sometimes it is worse. For easy to change 4 cylinders I throw whatever I feel like and they usually works well, but for hard to change V6s, I'd not play around and use only OEM, so I don't need to worry about doing it again.
 
Doesn't fuel economy go down when electrodes are worn? At 26,000 miles I see worn electrodes with the naked eye. This Patriot gets 24mpg highway, and it's underpowered. 3000 pounds is too heavy for 2.0l. I think I can improve performance by running a longer wearing spark plug.
 
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Hello, You cannot improve performance with a longer lasting plug. It doesn't work that way.
The only thing which MIGHT help is if the spark itself could be made bigger.

Years back there were "Thunderbolt" ignition coils which simply upped the secondary voltage.
My very first car had such a system. There were DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE stickers under the hood but I couldn't see anything different.
I called the previous owner and he said the mod worked so well he transferred it to his new car.

I jumped the ballast resistor (it had burnt out) in an old Toyota I had. The upped voltage burnt points faster but it did improve the performance noticeably.

Now-a-days stick with stock. Kira
 
If you're going to change out plugs at the short OE interval, then don't waste money on a double platinum or iridium plug.

If you are entertaining extending the service interval, then by all means, run a double platinum or iridium plug (the correct for application plug that it is).
 
Stick with oem brand, but feel free to upgrade electrode material. If you have waste spark ignition you will need double platinum or double iridium.

Sometimes when switching brands, there is something lost in the translation resulting in a hotter or colder plug. This can cause a miss or detonation.
 
Since no auto mfgr actually MAKES spark plugs, No one can prove they are the best. Harley plugs are a classic example. They're made by Champion, who also sells a plug that looks exactly the same, without the Harley name on it for less $$$. With the way cars are made these days, computers control every aspect of ignition. A super duper factory trained tech could not tell just from driving a particular car ,what plugs are installed in it.Use whatever brand you want, as long as the plug mfgr says it's for your vehicle. And change them every 50-100k miles.,,
 
Originally Posted By: 901Memphis
If they are easy to change go OEM, replacing plugs on a 4 cylinder is a cake walk, if its a hard to reach v6, go with laser iridium of the same manufacture. NGK Laser Iridium would probably work great in your engine.
+1 on Ir with COP - much less misfiring. and you can go 80K on the plugs easy.
 
I just use OE but I have not had or worked on a car that has required short 30k mile changes in awhile, back when plugs were copper.
 
Most all plugs are Copper - including Pt and Ir plugs. Typically, standard economy GND wire and center conductors are Inconel alloy (or similar) at the firing electrode tip(s) only.
 
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Originally Posted By: asand1
Stick with oem brand, but feel free to upgrade electrode material. If you have waste spark ignition you will need double platinum or double iridium.

Sometimes when switching brands, there is something lost in the translation resulting in a hotter or colder plug. This can cause a miss or detonation.

GOOD answer. Wrong heat range can ruin spark plug boots.
 
Originally Posted By: Kira
Hello, You cannot improve performance with a longer lasting plug. It doesn't work that way.
The only thing which MIGHT help is if the spark itself could be made bigger.

Years back there were "Thunderbolt" ignition coils which simply upped the secondary voltage.
My very first car had such a system. There were DANGER HIGH VOLTAGE stickers under the hood but I couldn't see anything different.
I called the previous owner and he said the mod worked so well he transferred it to his new car.

I jumped the ballast resistor (it had burnt out) in an old Toyota I had. The upped voltage burnt points faster but it did improve the performance noticeably.

Now-a-days stick with stock. Kira

I was also able to make my grandmother's 1993 Buick Roadmaster perform better with an Accel brand ignition coil connected to the stock distributor.

Unfortunately, with waste spark and coil on plug ignitions, I am not sure how well performance coils work.
 
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