spark plugs

I think my service manual says replace mine [2003 Avalon, 37,000 miles]

i haven't done the 30,000 mile service yet

macr

Are they easy to get to? Just pull the old ones out and buy the same kind. That is what I do. Replace them before a smog check. Nevermind the mileage. If you are replacing them yourself, your cost is minimal.

Now I have a V-6 Highlander and I cannot get to half of them. I will figure that out someday....

Vito

The problem is he can not find the same kind. I did a quick search and the origional seem to be obsolete.

However it is only a few bucks more for one over the other.

That's ludicrous! Nobody changes plugs at 30K miles, especially iridium plugs.

However I know what you are saying because my maintenance manual says something like that as well but if you read the fine print it says that's required for the Emissions Control Warranty.

Thanks for the clarification. But he is going from the car manual. Oftentimes the factory could put in a different plug based on emissions, altitude, etc. He may luck out and the model of plug actually in the car is different than that mentioned in the handbook and may be in stock. In fact, due to appication variations, the plug type and gap may be more accurately described on a sticker under the hood.

It CAN matter if you get the other model plug.

I once owned a brand new 1985 Chevy Celebrity Eurosport -- the Eurosport was a trim package that included a "better" motor and some whistles and bells. Whatever, the car was a pile of crap that I regret to this day. In any case, a couple of years pass and I decide to change the spark plugs. That's when the trouble started.

The car was new enough that the parts catalogs had not caught up with it yet. I resisted buying parts at the dealership and went instead to the local parts store down the street. I got new plugs that had all of the same letters, except that a C was missing in the middle. "No big deal," the guy said, "these are right." Wrong. The car barely was able to get out of the driveway. I thought I must have broken some plug wires so I bought a new set. No joy. Turns out, the "better" engine was better because of software and spark plugs. Basically, tuning was the only difference. The missing C meant that the plugs were the hinh energy type, or something like that, and without that C, tuning went into the shithole.

Bottom line, be very carefull with your plugs.

Having said that, rolling up on 100k is about the right time to be considering new plugs. Do not be in a rush to replace them if you cannot find the right ones.

thanks, i'll have to do some research time shouldn't be a factor, for plugs[?]

marc

You don't need plugs for 70,000 miles, or so.

Hi,

Below is the Denso site to check out the plugs. From my own experience I change plugs probably sooner than later just for trying to maintain the best efficiency of the vehicle. I changed plugs on our 2002 Camry LE at 95K and noticed a little better difference. Many car companies say you can run your car between 5K - 7.5K before changing oil, but many owners prefer to change conventional oil between 3K -