Bosch Platinum+4 Spark Plugs

[Falcon_LS]

I think at the end of the day, it boils down to your car, your business. IMHO, OE isn't always the holy grail it's hyped up to be - think of the nylon timing chain tensioners, or all-plastic intake manifolds Ford used at one point, which turned into a class action lawsuit as one example, or the Multec injectors GM used on the Vortec 7400 454 big block in the 90s. Even Mercedes-Benz wasn't immune with their balance shaft issues in their M272 engines that also turned into a lawsuit. So I apologize for not buying the whole "they had a reason" thing.

Reminds me of the airline industry/lobbyists in a way - if the Government is covering your airfare, they'll put you on a "flag carrier". I've been in that situation multiple times where the so called "flag carrier" does not happen to cover my country of departure and I'm put on a "Star Alliance" Lufthansa or "SkyTeam" KLM flight (including the connecting flight) with United or Delta printed on the boarding pass. If you were to buy that exact same ticket from KLM, you would pay $1,150 but the Government instead pays $2,342 for a Delta "flag carrier" ticket and you're not even in Economy Comfort for that rate. Sure, they had a "reason", but that "reason" may not always be what you think. Just my

.

 

[02SE]

Originally Posted by PandaBear
From what I heard Bosch and Honda/Toyota usually don't mix well. Maybe not because of quality issue but rather calibration. That said, my FIL's Camry had Bosch +4 in there and it seems to be ok. If it is cheap enough on an engine that's easy to replace I'd not mind giving it a try.



Heard from who? Who says they knew anything?

The +4's I tried for 70k were in a Toyota. As I mentioned it had a waste-spark ignition system, so the plugs fired twice as often as they would have with a conventional ignition system. Based on their performance, I'd have no issue recommending them.

Having said that, I usually use NGK plugs, but I can usually get those cheaper than the +4's.

The racing machines I've worked/consulted on for the last 16 years might go through as many as 128 (144 at Indy) plugs per race weekend. What plugs go in those? The majority use Autolite.

 

[David1]

Originally Posted by partspro
We had bosch +4's on an end cap when I worked for AAP. We had plenty of issues with them, mainly engine misses. None of the team members would try to sell them!! I don't know if our catalog was calling for the wrong plug, it's possible. After defecting so many, you just quit selling them.


Yea at my work we have them on a endcap behind the counter.. and none of the other team members like bosch spark plugs. However Im a World Pac guy and lots of the team members do not like to use World Pac b/c it takes longer and its harder to sell the product b/c you need special numbers.

Now whats strange is and not 1 peson has addressed this yet is in the World Pac Catalog it list 3 brand name plugs.. 1 NGK 2 DENSO and 3 Bosch +4 and it lists
them as OEM / OES Spec.

Im probably just going to get NGK Laser Plats it just sucks that they only last 60K miles.

 

[nthach]

Originally Posted by David1


Im probably just going to get NGK Laser Plats it just sucks that they only last 60K miles.

I'd get the Laser Iridiums - not much more and you can leave them in for 100K+.

One plug I've been impressed with is the Denso Platinum TT as an upgrade plug for cars that had copper(really NiCu) as OE - the ground electrode is based off Denso's Super Ignition Plug(which is seeing OEM use on Toyota's D4-S engines) but it uses a titanium alloy instead.

I'm kicking myself in the foot for not using Autolite Iridium XPs in a friend's Explorer, that was a painful job to do. But I'm using NGK's G-Power in that.

 

[Trav]

Certainly I do and I even use them in cars I own if they require a multi ground. When I change plugs I am very careful when selecting the new plugs especially if the engine has been tuned or uses forced induction that has been bumped or not stock, with those the book is no longer valid and cold plain jane copper plugs go in for a time then removed to look at the burn.

At that point I know which direction to go and finally when the optimal heat range is found use a fine wire iridium. Keeping in mind the OE plugs are a middle range for average use (some countries offer 3 ranges depending on operating conditions in their manuals) I try to tune the heat range depending on what I am looking at to that engine but generally getting the correct plug for the engine is what its all about.

In 47 years I can only recall having one legitimately bad plug (that does not include cracked insulators someone else installed) and that was an AC Delco back in the mid 70's, it quit totally after a few hundred miles and was not cracked. That one in how many thousands (no idea but its a lot) and that includes all makes and even the usual claimed bad suspects E3, Split Fire, Fire Ring and a few others that I have thrown in OPE engines just for a "lets try it" prove to me anyway there is no "bad plug" just the wrong plug.

There is one other point that is being overlooked in this thread and that is the possibility that the insulator may be prone to cracking, this could be an issue from poorly fitting cheap dime store sockets or tightening at an angle. Some insulators are definitely sturdier than others.

 

[David1]

Originally Posted by nthach
Originally Posted by David1


Im probably just going to get NGK Laser Plats it just sucks that they only last 60K miles.

I'd get the Laser Iridiums - not much more and you can leave them in for 100K+.

One plug I've been impressed with is the Denso Platinum TT as an upgrade plug for cars that had copper(really NiCu) as OE - the ground electrode is based off Denso's Super Ignition Plug(which is seeing OEM use on Toyota's D4-S engines) but it uses a titanium alloy instead.

I'm kicking myself in the foot for not using Autolite Iridium XPs in a friend's Explorer, that was a painful job to do. But I'm using NGK's G-Power in that.


NGK don't make a laser iridium for my car... basically that laser thing only means double.. like laser platinum is just double platinum and laser iridium is just double iridium..

I dunno why ngk calls it laser... like the ngk Iridium XI is regular iridium and laser means double. is all.

Anyways i didn't use Bosch.... I got the original ngk laser plats aka double plats.

and like i said ngk dont make laser iridium for my car.. However Denso sells Double Iridium for my car.... but like i siad i just got the OE NGK Laser Plat plug

 

[R18Civic]

I've run mine in a 3800 V6 for 40K miles. No complaints

 

[nthach]

Originally Posted by David1
[
NGK don't make a laser iridium for my car... basically that laser thing only means double.. like laser platinum is just double platinum and laser iridium is just double iridium..


The Laser series refers to NGK laser welding a Pt/Ir tip to the center electrodes and a Pt disc on the ground. Both NGK and Denso use this laser welding technique. Only the Iridium IX/G-Power series is different(different center electrode and regular ground strap electrode).

 

[Y_K]

Originally Posted by Linctex
I don't have any association with final finishes or radar cross section anyway.

If I told you I was on the F-22 program, would you be impressed?

Man, you talk too much. Russkies and Chicom pros are locking you down as we speak.

Just for the reference: I am my own uncle and the Pope of Rome

 

[Wolf359]

Originally Posted by Y_K
Just for the reference: I am my own uncle and the Pope of Rome


Well as John Dryden said "There is a pleasure in being mad which none but madmen know."

 

[Y_K]

Originally Posted by Wolf359
Originally Posted by Y_K
Just for the reference: I am my own uncle and the Pope of Rome


Well as John Dryden said "There is a pleasure in being mad which none but madmen know."


'The Chaos is come again' - Othello