Come on dude, AutoLites? NGK, NGK, NGK, NGK.

Learn how to do some internet shopping. Use or any other reputable search engine, plug in the part #'s for the plugs you want, shop around (i.e. find the best price), purchase.


Use this chart for NGK part numbers, and for reference as far as what is what and the difference between the plugs, read back a few pages, the answer is in the pages of this thread.

 

anyone ever used ngk platium g plugs. i got them at auto zone.

 

Ok... i have decided to go for the coppers on my 2002 3.5L
because its supposed to be dirt cheap (2$ a peice)... and 30k intervals is completly fine by me

i did a search and found that the LFR5A-11 seems to be the only Cu plug for the 3.5 thats made by NGK...(dont want any other brand)

but the LFR5A-11 are going for 4-5$ a peice...

where are the 2$ plugs that everyone seems to be buying?...

 

That would be 30k intervals alright, but at 2-3 hours per depending on your skill level - if you aren't currently aware, on 2k2/3 you'll need to take the valve cover off to get to the rear banks.

 

you mean the intake manifold

 

well... i dont mind it ... honestly... ill do it once... iv read the picture tutorial a few times.... and im going to allocate a whole day to do it...

and 30k miles to me is once every 2 years.... if that even.... i can live with that...

like sooner said... its the intake manifold....



any answer about the pricing on the plugs though?

 

Yep, sorry, and thanks for the correction.

 

2-3 hours per change????? Holy shiznat. Maybe because I'm running standalone and have less junk to fart around with, but I've had to get to the rear bank of plugs at least 25 times in the last 2 months, between changing plugs and popping coils. It takes me about 15 minutes to change all 6 plugs and have the car running.

I can get my SR20 plugs (BKR5E-11) for about $2 a pop, the LFR5A-11s are a little more, I'd say $4 at advance.

Both my cars get new plugs every 10k or so. Maybe every 3 oil changes. Bear in mind, one car is mostly for racing and I'd rather have fresh copper plugs in there all the time than some platinums that have been in there forever.

 

so i guess the cheapest NGK plugs for the 3.5 are the lfr5a-11 @ $4.xx at advance auto right?


the 3.0 plugs wont work in the 3.5 right ?

 

the 3.0 plugs, I think are the same as the SR20 plugs, BKR5E-11. The 3.5 plugs are longer.

 

Intake manifold has to come off to remove the plugs from the rear bank on a 5.5 gen. Front plugs are easy out and back in.

 

So? Intake manifold = 5 12mm bolts. I said all 6 plugs. VQ35

 

http://www.greghome.com/Greg%27s%20G...eplacement.htm

 

Video of you removing the intake and changing all 6 plugs on a 2k2/3 Maxima VQ35 and replacing the intake in 15 minutes?

 

i guess you arent counting the IM removal and installation. cause the whole job cant be done in 15.

 

I have been replacing coils but all my plugs look ok on my car the car has 65000km on it and runs great other then the coils I always use up here Sunoco 94 octane especially with our Canadian winters it works great I did have octane PING the odd time with 91 Octane!

 

. . . . . . Larger cooling jackets.

 

I think the reason my job is so easy is because I'm kinda cheating. I'm running standalone and I have no vacuum crap or rear bracket to remove. Once the plastic cover is off, I just got 5 bolts and the Manifold is completely off. The Brake booster line stays connected, the CAI stays connected, and my PCV valve runs to an external filter. I just have to move the manifold and CAI to the side and I'm there.

I'll post a video if you want but I don't know if I have enough flash memory on the camera to last 15 minutes.

 

Perhaps not, but I have been amazed to see how little wear there was on the electrode after almost 75K miles. The gap was dang near spec. I'm sticking with the Platinums even though they are more expensive just to avoid performance degradation.

 

I'm pretty sure there is only one right answer, NGK Laser Platinum, they provide the best performance when paired with high octane fuel, 91.

 

I finally changed the spark plugs in my 2000; it was still running good but one of the coil (original) was starting to go bad. As the luck would have it, it was the back driver side which is quite pain to remove. I had replaced one of the front coil few years ago.

Oh, the car has only 140780 miles on the clock. I need to post the pictures of the OEM spark plugs. I was shocked to see that the platinum wire was no where to be seen and the gap was enormous but the car still ran well when the coil was not giving me trouble. After putting all new coils and new NGK Irridiums, the car runs as good as it did before. Maxima sure has some hell of an ignition system.

Is there anybody else who has managed to get that many miles on the original spark plugs? How about only two coils going bad in that time frame too?

- Vikas

 

Only 2 coils for 140K, that sounds very lucky.

Post pics, will help a few of us. How much did the coil pack cost you?

 

I bought all 6 when the first one went bad. I purchased them on ebay for $250 on 10/11/2006.

I have to be honest and I have to tell you that I handed in my man-card and had my mechanic replaced them for me as I was not able to get the back coil out. I could not get good grip on the coil and I did not have the correct tool to extract it. I also did not want to crack the plastic portion because the car was driveable even with the marginal coil. So I buttoned her up and drove to my mechanic. He only charged me an hour for replacing all 5 coils and 6 plugs which was more than fair. Since I was with him, I knew the job was done right.

I should have removed the throttle cable bracket and I might have been able to get the grip on the coil but all in all I have no regrets for spending $65 to have my mechanic change them. Even he was astonished to see the plug conditions. Couple of front had a tiny bit of oil on the threads but the rear ones were all nice and dry; even the one with the bad coil. Anybody wants to make me an offer on the 4 good coils? They only have 140K miles on them and they are as good as new :-)

- Vikas

 

My ruler says that the gap is eroded to about 3mm. The original one is 1.1mm.

Even after seeing this, there would be some folks who would claim that they get 5 extra horsepower by using "SnakeOil" brand sparkplugs. Neither logic nor evidence work for them.

- Vikas

 

This is still about spark plugs right? I'm 'rockin' the NKG Iridium. Why? They cost the most, name sounds the coolest, and it's one of the least abundant elements on Earth. Gold is 4x more abundant and platinum 10x. I like having the rare ****! And she runs like a f'n champion.

 

Nice noob post.

 

thats the dumbest thing ive ever read. just because it cost the most doesnt mean its the best

B

 

C'mon fellas...not trying to be a d*%k here but you'd think that between the 2 of you with over 3000 combined posts you'd have picked up on MY sarcasm. I'm well aware that cost of something doesn't translate into 'best'. Those were jokes, I posted to tell you all what I have, NKG Iridium. Settle down on the Noob nonsense already...I'm sure you were new here at one time. And hopefully not as stupid as you two seem to think I am.

Low let's get back to some Maxima lovin already!

 

I know I'm gonna sound like a d1ck, but I tried to express this in the 4th gen forums and was laughed out. Apparently it was over their heads, I believe you guys will trust me.

Buy a set of Moroso indexing washers ($15) and aim you plug gaps towards the exhaust valves. The VQ heads have a quench area cast into the head. These heads were designed to have the plug gap face the exhaust valves and I have had great results following through with this process. It takes a little more time, but if you have the plugs out, now is the time.

You can benefit from this or just make fun of me and tell me to install an electric supercharger or a sprint booster.

 

I don't want to make fun of you but look at the gap of the spark plug that I took out at 140K. Who would have thought that ignition system can handle 3x recommended gap? Given that, I just can't see any rational reason as to why indexing would help if 3X gap does not faze the ignition.

 

does anyone have any info on Champion Spark plugs?

B

 

hahahaha I'd love to see the guy replace all 6 in 15 minutes and have it running.
If you had all the tools set out and a checklist, MAYBE.
You could have all of them out in 15 if you were good.

Forgive me, i'll spend a couple more minutes on making sure everything's aligned so dont strip plug holes. Plus battery disconnect for 10 sec to reset ECU.

I replaced all 6 of mine last summer w/Bosch Platinum +4
A friend told me they'd fry the piston rings, but i don't precede to have the car that much longer nor did he have any information at all on the plugs.
They've run great the whole time and installation's about an hour.

 

No way in H**l is someone by themselves able to change the plugs in 15 mins on an 02/03, now the 00/01 I'm not sure. Even for the best of us its 2- 2.5 hour job with some even taken over 3.

 

Apparently it is over their heads. Plug indexing can be very beneficial and is a common practice in our two stroke racing engines. I wouldn't take the time out to do it for my road car unless there some other reasons beyond what I know with the Nissan motor.

 

finally!! Somebody needs to update the how-to's and faq's and r2d2's because all links prior to this one are broken.

I just read through this entire thread and it reminded me why i got frustrated with this forum when i was in the 3rd gen... dudes, please, if you do not add critical or interesting or useful information to the discussion, please don't hit submit. jeeeebus! and read the entire thread before asking the same gd question that was answered two pages prior.

sorry, i don't post much [ever], but my rant above is precisely the reason...

cheers! and thanks again, maxima.org

 

Every engine will run with new plugs placed at any angle. Some engines run better with the plugs indexed, and the plugs last longer. The VQ is one of those engines.
All I was trying to point out is, if you are obsessive like me, even putting in something as simple as plugs to blueprint will gain something, if even 1hp, (I think more)

I don't have exact proof of the VQ intake flow pattern into the combustion chamber, or the possible fact that the piston blasts the charge into the gap opening when indexed.
Your engine will run either way, indexing takes an extra 10-15 minutes at most. If you index and can honestly tell me you can't feel a difference, I'll eat a few of those washers. I'm all about most possible power, and every little bit helps. I won't be offended if you make fun of me.

 

Gap doesn't faze the ignition? Was that a serious comment or just your lack of knowledge and immense amount of ignorance?

 

It is a serious comment; why don't you address it?

All I am saying is that my car had been running beautifully even with the 3X gap and it means that ignition can handle even 3X gap. Certainly, it needs lot more voltage to jump 3X gap but ignition is capable of providing the necessary voltage.

Before the era of coil-on-plug or electronic ignition, the gap erosion was serious issue. I doubt if engine with 70s style point ignition would even run if the gap went over 50%.

- Vikas

 

I build two stroke racing engines and been around racing for my whole life (Gokarts and stock cars). My dad and I have been working on cars for more decades. So don't try and school the teacher.
Maybe so it runs fine with a tremendous gap.. The bottom line is, it will run better with the correct gap that spark plugs were made for. Chances for mis fire or the plug not firing at all is great even at lets say .60 thou (which is huge). Its most likely misfiring on occasion and you prolly don't even notice it. I don't care. The facts are the facts. Your loss.

Enjoy

End of story.

 

do you know anything about Champion Spark plugs?

B