This is the strangest thing I have ever heard of happening with an automobile. I changed the spark plugs in my girlfriends galant last year, maybe 8,9 months ago. Well, yesterday she was driving along and heard a huge explosion! Everyone in the neighborhood she was driving through came out of their houses and asked if she was ok and everything. They looked under the hood and the third plug had been shot up into the liner of the hood! She called AAA and they came and looked at it. He thought the plug looked ok so he screwed it back in. He checked the other plugs and they were all loose as well so he tightened them. They started the car right up and she drove away. Unbelievable. I didn't know spark plugs could unwind themselves and I sure as hell couldn't have imagined nothing would be wrong if one got shot out of the head. Well, to make this Maxima related, I am going to check my plugs since I put them in as well.

 

Hmm, maybe they werent tightened to the spec torque or something. Thats really strange. Maybe the timing was also off and was detonating, which put more force on the plug
At least everything is still fine.

 

I think the plug was never tightened to begin with. If the plug actually ripped out of the block and stripped itself in the process, you wouldn't be able to put the plug back in.

 

I know I tightened them down so they must have just turned their way out. Very strange. I think that since they weren't the OEM plugs they may be slightly smaller in diameter so they didn't stay tight. They will be replaced with the OEM though this weekend.

 

time to hit the gym big man..

 

I was riding in a old Isuzu Trooper that had a plug come out. But, it just worked loose, it didnt shoot out into the hood.

 

Well I had a heavy duty system in my car. The system would vibrate the plugs loose. The car would run like ****, especially while idle.

I put a good amount of torque on them and they came out a few times. Finally I waited until the motor was really cold and I over torqued them. It was almost to the point where I thought I was going to strip the threads in the block. But they stayed in after that.


I think they weren't fully torqued and it must of popped out. Didn't she notice that the car was running like ****?

 

I'll eat my can of spinach before the next time.

 

Nothing against women in general, but when it comes to cars... Actually she said it was running just fine and then all of a sudden BOOM!

 

how tight are the spark plugs supposed to be? I mean, my dad told me it has to to be snugged, but not otally tight...

 

I would NEVER overtorque plugs. Overtorquing + plugs + aluminum heads = a very expensive repair.

 

I always tightened them up pretty good, but not gorilla-tight. Now that I have a torque wrench, I go by what the manual says. I'll have to doublecheck.

 

ive seen it happen before and yur girlfriend is lucky she didnt get a dent in her hood it happened to our mechanics car back home he just started the car andPOW the plug was out of the hole man that was somewhat funny at the time

 

I would never do a VTC repair unless I replaced all the gaskets and valve guide seals.....but some seam to want to be lazy.

 

at least I did the work myself and didn't pour brake fluid all over my friends and then toast my rear brake pads a few weeks after do a rear disc swap

 

 

she wasn't the one who didn't tighten the plugs sufficiently was she?

 

Snap!

 

AMEN! Women do know something about cars... well, I do.

 

if u strip it, there's a whole lot more your going to have to deal with. it's not like you can go to the parts department and buys some more "thread"

kafene.

 

 

that's one of the wierdest thing i've heard. most cars would run fine even if loose, i'd think. and about the unscrewing? before hearing your story, i would have said "no", because i would think there was enough friction from the spark plug cables that it would keep the plug from turning.

btw, good "save" w/ the maxima relating statement at the end.

kafene.

 

how much should we really torque the plugs?? 20 lbs sound good??