Read my spark plugs

[gtx3076]

This is my 2nd Texas summer on these stock heat plugs and about 29k miles. I mostly run E30 but I switch to 93 during the winter. I don’t think they look bad, but I have a set of step colders I can swap in. I think they look a little burnt, but considering I’m completely stock I think they look pretty good.

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[gtx3076]

I did more research on what “burnt” is and it seems like if the porcelain behind the threads is brown and there is white blistering on the electrode that seems to qualify as burnt. I think mine are good.


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[Old Mike Emerson]

Those look pretty good. I change out plugs every two years, I check them every so often, but two years is the max for me.

 

[Dash]

They're in great shape

 

[gtx3076]

I'm running stock heats because I'm a stubborn SOB, but I this is at lease some anecdotal evidence that running stock plugs on an E30 tune (a revision below Dizzy's most aggressive E30 tune we decided was probably not safe to run) is not unreasonable. I'm driving in 100+ degree weather so my boost temps are that much worse for it.

My gap on all 4 plugs had widened to about .028-.029 so I dropped them to about .025-.026. Not that I was having issues, I just felt like I had to do something after having taken the time to pull them out.

 

[SteveS]

Spark plug heat range has nothing to do with ambient air temperature. Those plugs look perfect. Off-white to light tan insulator, no tip erosion. Dropping heat ranges could actually cause you to start having problems.

 

[gtx3076]

Spark plug heat range has nothing to do with ambient air temperature. Those plugs look perfect. Off-white to light tan insulator, no tip erosion. Dropping heat ranges could actually cause you to start having problems.

Higher boost, excessive ambient temps and an inefficient stock intercooler make for some high charge temperatures. I think it’s worth consideration.

Many tuners, mine included recommend step colders for tuning. After previous experience, I felt like stock plugs would be fine especially since I’m running ethanol most of the time.

 

[SteveS]

Heat range has to do with the spark plug's ability to conduct heat away from the tip. The primary determinants of this are the combustion temperature and the engine speed (which gives less time for temperature recovery and more heat pulses per unit time.) The difference in ambient air temperature between 25 degrees C and 38 degrees C is insignificant compared to the working temperature range of the spark plug between 500 degrees C and 950 degrees C.

Too cold a plug and you will get fouling and insufficient ignition problems. Too hot a plug and you will get preignition.

Here's a good tutorial from Denso. https://www.denso.com/global/en/pro...e-parts-and-accessories/plug/basic/heatrange/
NGK also has a good tutorial on their website.

Everybody seems to be all about running "step colder" plugs as if it's somehow proof that your car is better. But there are plenty of threads about it where performance has suffered because of the colder plugs, and going back to stock fixes it. I think even tuner recommendations need to be taken with a grain of salt because they all seem to just summarily advise to buy step colder plugs (maybe from them) without necessarily having checked whether the recommendation is correct. What you have done, pulling the plugs and looking at them, as well as seeing if the performance is as expected, is the right way of going about it.

 

[M-Sport fan]

^^^THANK YOU!

If the tuners' tune is that radical, that it requires a full step colder plugs to function properly (even if that is really the case), then I would also consider it an unsafe tune for me to run on the factory snail/setup, for longevity's sake, besides the hard start conditions/potential fouling they might bring on.

Just NOT worth it to me (albeit it is to some/many it seems) for the few extra ponies gained by cranking up the timing/advance/boost to the point that factory heat range plugs would result in pre-ignition (on a factory setup).

 

[Poofies]

Those sparklplugs look perfect. I would replace them since I already had pulled them out but I wouldn’t fault anyone for reinstalling. I have done a lot of reading on step colder plugs and am currently running a strat tune and will be relaxing my plugs today. I also have a hybrid on order and will likely be switching tuners to Adam for it and will go with his recommendation though I will pull them to check on them after a few thousand miles or if I’m experiencing any issues.

 

[M-Sport fan]

Those sparklplugs look perfect. I would replace them since I already had pulled them out but I wouldn’t fault anyone for reinstalling.

THIS!

They are enough of a time consuming (and looking over my shoulder as I work, chance of a hood up/working on the car fine by my draconian HOA) job (for ME) that I will be replacing them every time I take them out of the head.

 

[gtx3076]

I pulled them just to take a look at them to make sure all was well. It's good to know they're holding up in Texas heat on an aggressive tune. I average 70-80mph for 80 miles daily.

 

[Sam4]

OK...."EF, OH, EM, OH, SEE, OH". Yep, can read 'em fine - fomoco NGK's. Unless you done major modifications - beyond the rear motor mount - stock heat range is correct.
You'll begin to notice extended cranking times before ignition, dead spot acceleration, other nuances, that tell you you've got the wrong damn plugs in there.
In the old NGK parlance - the entire car world (hyperbole) ran on a "6" as in "BP6ES" , except toyota - they ran on a hotter "5" (BP5ES, actually BP5EA-L) Honda CVCC? B6EB, VW water cooled? (bosch-equiv 7 range). Then wider gaps, then crazy tips. But for COLD plugs, mazda rotarys, a couple of fiats at "7 - 9", and exotics...

 

[LilPartyBox]

For comparison, I thought it might be relevant to post the 1 step colder NGKs I just pulled out this weekend. These went in on 11/3/2018 and have seen have seen about 25k miles. I'm fully (99%) bolted running 93 octane on a strat single log tune. This is the longest I've waited to change plugs & have noticed a dramatic drop in fuel economy. But the filthy Cobb air filter cone I also replaced contributed to that as well...

NGK Iridium Spark Plugs LTR7IX-11 --- 25,860 mile --- 1 step colder --- gapped by Tune+

 

[SteveS]

Hard to tell exactly because of your lighting, but those look like they fall on the OK side of Good.

 

[gtx3076]

For comparison, I thought it might be relevant to post the 1 step colder NGKs I just pulled out this weekend. These went in on 11/3/2018 and have seen have seen about 25k miles. I'm fully (99%) bolted running 93 octane on a strat single log tune. This is the longest I've waited to change plugs & have noticed a dramatic drop in fuel economy. But the filthy Cobb air filter cone I also replaced contributed to that as well...

NGK Iridium Spark Plugs LTR7IX-11 --- 25,860 mile --- 1 step colder --- gapped by Tune+

View attachment 42555

Looks like a bit of carbon build up around the threads but the electrode looks clean. If they were mine I would just clean them off with a dry rag and put them back in.