Hi, i want to change the spark plugs on my 1995, 1.3 GL Corolla. Does it really make much difference to reset the plug gap when you buy them new. They generally seem just a tad wider than the Toyota car manual recommends. Do most garages really bother doing this I wonder when they change the plugs ?
As it only takes a few seconds per plug why not?
How's about dirt on this spark plugs?
Regards,
Ralf
It only matters if you want them to be correct. They may not be correct out of the box. And if you bump one going in, you better recheck it as it may be off.
I do.
A lot of them don't bother doing it. I think that's shameful. You should do it. It only takes a minute and requires a couple dollars worth of tool.
--scott
recommends.
I ALWAYS check them before installation.
In my experience, Toyota OEM plugs come with a protective plastic sleeve around the electrode and the gap is right on, while aftermarket plugs that do not include a protective sleeve tend to be off. That said, I always check the gap because that is how I learned to change spark plugs. Be careful about bending platinum tipped spark plugs because you can damage the platinum coating when bending them. In fact, I believe there is a note on the spark plug package about no bending them.
The message from "Ray O" contains these words:
It's only a /coating/? How on earth do they justify such a high price for just plating them? I'd expect a bloody thick layer for the amount they cost.
Because IIRC, platinum is the most expensive metal in the world?
No it isn't. It is one of the most expensive though. But for such a small amount, it shouldn't cost too much.
The message from gazzafield contains these words:
Not by a long way, a little over a thousand dollars an ounce. You could probably get a couple of hundred solid plug-tips out of an ounce, but if the coating's so thin it can be damaged by adjusting the gap then someone's being ripped off.
No plating. A platinum plug has a platinum wire electrode and if it is a double platinum it will have a small platinum wire or button in the adjustable electrode as well. The amount you move that electrode is not going to hurt it unless you manage to break it off being hamfisted.
I don't bother trying to correct a tiny error, especially if it is a tiny systematic error on the wide side. But I do check. I've seen enough that are off (always on the narrow side, as if they had gotten bumped) to want to look.
I've also seen mass-market plugs that are consistent in gap but are a LOT off -- they are sold for a broad range of applications rather than a specific year and engine, and you are supposed to hand-gap them before installation if the default doesn't happen to be what you need.
--Joe
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