How often do you change spark plugs?
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How often do you change spark plugs?
I have a 2000 coupe, 33k miles, and I drive it only for fun. When should I change my spark plugs? I'm having some routine maintenance done soon and could add this to the list. She's running fine right now. Thanks!
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Haven't done it yet, but I only have 25K on the car now. If I ever get my headers, I will do it then. Otherwise, probably not for a long time.
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From: Irvine CA
Originally Posted by JDs00PewterCoupe
Haven't done it yet, but I only have 25K on the car now. If I ever get my headers, I will do it then. Otherwise, probably not for a long time.
I had my car smogged this year and the guy there said that plugs on the C5 will last you a good 50-60K miles without changing. I was concerned if I needed to change them before smogging (I changed the engine oil the night before) to have my chances of passing the test better.
He said that there is no need and they are good to last for a while since it is hard to get to them (due to the exhaust manifold).If you are changing to LT headers, that's the perfect time to change the plugs.
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From: Manassas Park VA
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Whenever I need a good 2 hours away from the wife and kids 
Then there is the oil change...
The underside scrub...
Cleaning the inside of the rims...
Engine detail...
Well...you get the picture
Peace
Willfulone
Then there is the oil change...
The underside scrub...
Cleaning the inside of the rims...
Engine detail...
Well...you get the picture
Peace
Willfulone
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Originally Posted by TT_Vert
i only have 29k on my car and ive changed my plugs 3 times. i change em at least once a year. They're cheap and easy to get at.
Dave
Dave
Except that last one
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Originally Posted by JDs00PewterCoupe
Haven't done it yet, but I only have 25K on the car now. If I ever get my headers, I will do it then. Otherwise, probably not for a long time.
but I am at 43000 miles
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From: Garland TX
Originally Posted by TT_Vert
i only have 29k on my car and ive changed my plugs 3 times. i change em at least once a year. They're cheap and easy to get at.
Dave
Dave
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From: Streamwood illinois
Originally Posted by Willfulone
Except that last one
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From: Guelph, Ontario
I got my car with 32k on it and almost right away had it dyno tuned. We immediately noticed it was getting 7 degrees of KR, so I pulled a plug and it looked horrible! The platinum was gone, so the gap was too high. I immediately put in some copper NGKs and it went to 0 degrees of KR. FWIW, most of the other 7 plugs were also missing the platinum pucks.
So the OEM plugs are not good for even 30k!
Plug swaps in the C5 only take 30-40min, so you might as well just go with NGK TR55 coppers, and change them once or even twice a year. That's my plan.
So the OEM plugs are not good for even 30k!
Plug swaps in the C5 only take 30-40min, so you might as well just go with NGK TR55 coppers, and change them once or even twice a year. That's my plan.
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From: Wilmington NC
Originally Posted by Blue Lion
I have a 2000 coupe, 33k miles, and I drive it only for fun. When should I change my spark plugs? I'm having some routine maintenance done soon and could add this to the list. She's running fine right now. Thanks!
There is a good chance that the plugs, in your 2000, if original, are in pretty sad shape. In my opinion Delco did a very poor job in joining a small platinum "puck" to the boitom electrode. This is what made the plugs platinum but it has been my experience that a lot of the plugs you see pulled no longer have this puck. This causes a wide gap and brings the plug's life back to conventional (whch means 36K miles is a lot). Take a look at the picture below (borrowed from another forum member) The top plug is missing the platinum puck.
I had 4 of the 8 missing when I pulled my plugs. I switched to iridium plugs which are the latest greatest. The metal is so tough they can go to a smaller profile which takes up less volume in the combustion chamber. This means more exposed spark and less intrusion.
I used the TR55IX plugs by NGK. www.sparkplugs.com
