Replacing spark plugs
Yes replacing spark plugs is a great do it yourself auto repair. Although keep in mind that some engines make this more difficult than others. In the automobile maintenance video below you will see how quickly this repair can be done in the driveway on many vehicles. Before you jump in remember that spark plug replacement is not required as often on modern-day engines thanks to precious metals like platinum and iridium. The parts cost more but are serviced much less. In fact some auto repair shops claim that these plugs are putting them out of business. I wrote an article on my blog about how spark plug maintenance effects both consumers and businesses alike. Check the owner's manual that came with the automobile for exact maintenance intervals on specific models and then move heaven and earth if necessary to stick to it! In many cases spark plugs will last for up to 60k for platinum and 100k for Iridium tipped.
The Haynes repair manual video below also provides some good tips for replacing spark plugs. A tip that I would like to add to the procedure would be to mark each spark plug with the cylinder number It was removed from. This way you can lay all of the spark plugs next to each other and compare their condition. It's nice to know what hole an odd looking one came out of for diagnostic reasons.
If one looks highly different than the others this may be an indication of a problem with that particular cylinder. All of the plugs should have nice even wear with a grayish color. If you have dark black deposits this would be an indication of a running rich condition. Many things can cause a rich condition. One of the common things I see would be a leaky injector dripping gas not calculated by the computer. A clogged air filter can cause rich fuel mixtures as well. If a spark plug has a white ashy deposit or an extremely worn electrode or ground strap, this would be an indication of a lean condition. One of the most common causes of a lean condition is a vacuum leak. So save the old plugs and examine them closely for insight on your engines overall health. Spark plug replacement videoReplacing spark plugs my opinionSome of these replacement parts promise better performance or fuel economy. These statements should be backed up with testing data but its rarely included in the advertising. The following is just my own personal opinion on the subject. I have tried many different brands and types and never noticed any difference in fuel economy or engine performance.
Installing the factory recommended parts ensures that the temperature range of the spark plug and also the required maintenance intervals of the components remains the same as the factory intended. There is nothing wrong with experimenting but be prepared for possible surprises such as reduced performance or increased fuel consumption. If this happens be ready to install brand new factory recommended plugs.
In the how to video they show a situation where a check engine light was set due to required maintenance of the spark plugs. They also showed how to repair the problem and reset the engine light. The automotive scan tool they used was the Actron. This little tool is inexpensive and does a great job of resetting the check engine light and reading codes. This is why it is one of the most popular automotive scanners at the time of this writing. You can click on the link to the right to read reviews both good and bad about the Actron 9550. Keep in mind that this tool does have on screen code definitions and you will not have to look them up in the supplied manual. The actron 9550 scan tool can read the data stream for diagnosis purposes as well. But even if you just want to read and erase codes it is hard to beat this little auto scanner. Warning:If you have a Ford Triton V8 with high miles replacing spark plugs is a whole different ball game. I posted some information about the technical service bulletin about replacing Ford triton V8 spark plugs.
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On the flip side of this is a vehicle with an illuminated check engine light and a code stored for a cylinder misfire. Just like anything isolated incidents of part failure are possible. If a cylinder starts to misfire due to a bad spark plug it might have to be replaced before its scheduled maintenance time.