On the 3rd generation with SOHC (GXE) will replacing the standard spark plugs improve performance or maintance scheduling? A few years ago, a service tech. said that putting the Pt plugs into the non-SE version was a waste of $ and also caused problems.

OnTheRoad.

 

i'm runnin on denso iridium plugs, there is a huge difference in power and gas mileage, supposedly its a lot better for your engine too, so i say use them even though its like $13 per plug, i love them, the acceleration is so much better and smoother

 

Check out the recommended mileage: if they work as promised, theyre cheaper, easier. I've had 1½ys NGK PFR5C-11 2271 Laser Platinum (25$ x 6) and they continue to work well on my VGE.

 

I am always wary of people who replace their old plugs w/ Iridium plugs and notice a huge difference. How much of the difference can be attributed to old vs new plugs, and how much due to iridium vs copper? Hard to say. I'd stick w/ NGK coppers, personally. If you really want Iridium, I'd just get NGK Iridium IX plugs, they are $6 each vs $13 for the Densos.

 

Waste of money NGK works fine

 

that's a lot of money for one spark plug. i could get all six for the price of one of that plugs. 16 dollar??? DAMN. are they supercharged or something?

 

copper - least resistance....wears out fastest
iridium - midway resistance between plat and copper...doesn't wear out as fast as copper
platnium - highest resistance....last longest

considering how easy it is to change plugs on the VG...stay w/ copper.

 

What about the DirectHits system? Has application for the VE. Is it worth it.

 

Is there a way to measure that x resistance (new vs. Old vs. copper vs. plat)? I'd zoom to total resistance, my VGE now 1000,x ohms

For me its the wear-out question: now my first platinum set, but going strong without sputter: now 2x mileage more than a copper set. In the end it comes cheaper (highly possible), the better. Dont know of any mpg difference.

Workload: 50% more than in my Stanza... and besides, I'd rather be photoShopping than copperpluggin.

 

copper plugs. $1.10 at local dealer. change every 15k miles (part of my spring tuneup).
platinum plugs.. $9 each. change every 60k miles. (every ~4 years)

I charge customers $35/hour for labor, and it takes 10 minutes to change a set of plugs.

so you have $1.10 x 6 x 4 for coppers + 40 min labor ($23)= $49.40 over four years.

Plats: $9 x 6 + 10 min labor ($5.83) = $59.83 over the same four year period.

so copper plugs cost less than the platinums in the long run, even though you do a bit more work on the car. I've swapped out brand new coppers and platinums on a customer's VE and noticed ZERO difference in power or driveability of the car.

As long as you stick with NGK plugs on our cars, they do very well. the engines get pretty finicky when you start going to stuff like Bosch or Denso.. mine didn't like them at all, so I went back to NGK copper and that's where I stay.

 

10 minutes = you're pro. For me it takes one hour minimum...

Isnt this robbery???????????:

...copper :
3€ x 6 = 18€ ... 7 swaps during 100.000km (according NGK)
- Total 126€ (six swaps, sputtering, 108€ =125$)

...platinum :
20€ x 6 = 120€ ... 1 swaps during 100.000km (according NGK)
- Total 120€ (=145$)

Summa summarum: 6 more free hours for photosHopping per 100k.

...last sound? *BOSCH*

 

how can it take an hour to unplug six wires, unscrew a plug, grab a new one out of the box, check the gap, screw it back in, then plug the wires back in?

that's 10 minutes a plug!
I have coilpacks to worry about and it doesn't even take that long!

 

same with me,

if i put bosch in the engine the engine would not run correct and bog down,

if i put ngk in the engine would run correct and not bog down,

so the vg and ve are pretty picky on plugs,

they only want ngk not any other plugs,

 

no...bosch just suck.

 

until you get a Toyota... The only thing my neighb's Lexus liked was Bosch.

 

Toyotas favor Densos...i guess NGk if needed.

 

Must be finding the hood latch? Ok, youre maybe right, its just feeling like an hour...

If theres a way to go around, then no plug swaps for me.

 

I second that. I had installed Bosch plats and over the course of 9 months their central electrode had burned out increasing the gap by 50-100%. Net result: wires sparking, cap shot, poor performance and sh!tty gas mileage. Put in a couple sets of NGK coppers and then NGK plats - one year the plats look like new. No difference in performance between NGK plats and coppers though.

 

i use the denso iridiums. i felt a decent difference (gas milage etc)because my last set of plugs was bacially electrodeless by the time i replaced them never run bosch platimium in these cars wether running nos or not, they just suck. if your looking for a good tune up then just use ngk copper plugs. if your not shoveling out cash to make your car faster then why would you burn cash on a high performance set of plugs.

 

Platinum and iridium plugs are not performance!!! They last longer creating illusion of savings or real savings if one has to go to the shop to change them. The regular coppers offer better performance - I am just too lazy to change them often enough so I am using platinums.

 

can we stop beating this dead horse now?

 

i've had bosch ever since i had my max and there is nothing wrong with them. the max goes strong and runs well.. i don't see what's the problem with them.

 

Thanks for the comments. Here in CA with a Fed. emission car, the SMOG check is best to pass on the first attempt (don't want to repay for another test $50 (smong only station) and get one the state list of polluters).

I like the idea of one plug change every 60,000 miles with Iridium plug. The Pt plug usually say 30,000. So at a lost on the posting that Pt plugs last the longest (Pt vs. Ir).

 

imagine how it would run with the right plugs

 

i should ban you now for not reading one bit of this thread you created.

PLAT PLUGS LASTS THE LONGEST! (not at 30K )
COPPER PLUGS ARE THE BEST CONDUCTOR OF ELECTRICITY!
IRIDIUM IS JUST BEST OF BOTH WORLDS!

 

Nissan manual has 30,000 mile interval for Pt plugs on SE. Toyota and others with Ir plugs have 60,000. Post has Pt plug as lasting longest. I think 60,000 is greater than 30,000.

How is resistance measured on a spark plug? The longest path of down the core is made of copper or steel on all the plugs. No manufacture uses an all Pt core -- too expensive. Not much a market for $1000 per plug.

The spark plug normally erodes with usage and fouling are reasons to service the plug. I can see Pt and Ir making the plug last longer on resisting erosion, but not no fouling unless the tips get so hot that it burns off.

 

- No platinum plugs available as SE was on drawing boards around -86. (Actual factual big boards with white sheet paper... only few computers were then available, AutoCad 2.6 (-88) could not even do rotate command in 2-D....)

- A peek into my horses mouth: after 15k my platinum was as clean as new. Never seen such before since the copper plugs came to market in the 80's... With this 15k usage copper would have been sooty like the other end of the horses.

 

when it comes to jap cars, the rules of thumb for spark plugs that has been held for decade is still held true today. you guys should always go with NGK brand. I couldn't believed you guys forked out a whooping $12/iridium plug . you should go here http://www.clubplug.net/ this guy is really cool, he's offering them for $6/NGK iridium plug. I brought it from him years back and they're terrific. just don't tell him what you're paying for these plugs in the states cuz he jacked up the price recently. I think I brought them for around $4.xx/pc back then.

 

This site is bs ... fo me: He charges 2.5 times more just for being outside US! Just guess what would be his shiPing, packaGing, hanDling, french and overSeas extras...

 

Friday night I was in a 400hp eclipse that was racing an sr20det 240sx that was stock internals and boost, and it was sporting either NGK iridiums when the plug melted/exploded and the ring and piston were messed up. The chick in the eclipse uses NGK copper and changes every synthetic oil change time and has never run into a problem. I'm sold on copper.

 

WTF does that have to do with ANYTHING Maxima related?

 

Oh, I thought this discussion was about plugs, my bad. In the title it asks whether or not he is waisting money on iridium, so I gave him my opinion and explained why, so get off my nuts kid.

 

LOL! As Matt said, what does have to do with maximas or even spark plugs?? There are so many varibles in this story it's not even funny. There's no way in hell you can accurately attribute the SR20DET's demise to JUST the sparkplugs. THAT'S what he's getting at. Also he knows about 20x more about cars than you, so I'd watch who you call "kid".

 

Basicly, what I meant was that a tuner I know uses copper plugs, and I personaly saw the melted end of the iridium plug. I know that matt knows loads more than me about cars, that's not up for debate.

 

Well exactly how do you know that the iridium plugs were the specific cause of the engine failure? Please be as specific as possible.

 

big difference between HP/tuner and daily driver requirements... so everyone has to go with what works for them.

how are you measuring resistance on these plugs? the coppers might have less internal resistance, but that big electrode makes it harder to produce a spark, especially when it gets old, eroded, and round. The purpose of the platinum/iridium plugs is to have a very hard tip that doesn't erode, that can be made much smaller and sharper than a copper tip, making it a LOT easier to produce a spark, last longer, and light off the fuel better and much more consistantly.

New coppers are just as good, and are better for hi-po applications, and ones where it's easy to get at the plugs. But since i can't get at the rear bank of plugs on my VG (villager/quest minivan) i'll stick with the iridiums for $5.85 at the local fleet store and put 'em in ONCE.
EK

 

i have some kind of hight dollar platinum spark plugs in my car now, they were in it when i bought it. i am gonna run the car hard, racing my friends when i start driving, is there a certain spark plug that can handle this and wont mess anythign up???