jim_c

I've been curious about the spark plug change procedure so I started working on it today. This is just a test to check to see if the pic will post. This pic shows the little tabs on the cover that you have to move out of the way to get started. This is at the front of the engine. You lift the tabs out of the ay and you can lift the cover. There are a couple funky little clips at the end of the cover that are not shown in the pic. Click on the pic. You just have to move this cover up and out a bit so you can disconnect the wiring tabs at the coils.

jim_c

Once you move this cover you disconnect the coils. The wiring to the coils is obviously very critical so don't damage it. The little blue tabs can be moved with a small screwdriver then you pull the wiring apart so the coils can be removed.

jim_c

My car is a '10 and has 78,000 km so I have decided to change the plugs based on this evaluation I did today. I'll post some more pics after I resize them and describe what I've done so far. It looks like this is not a difficult job compared to most V6 engines. to be continued...

jim_c

I know the car does not need plugs yet; I think the recommendation is 5 years and 96,000 km or something like that. These Iridium plugs are great. I have changed them in our Camry at 6 years and 137,000 km. A friend o mine went 10 years without changing his plugs. Amazing compared to the old days, lol. One of my concerns is that very rarely the plug insulator can disintegrate and break away from the body when they get very old. Or they could become extremely difficult to remove if it's just left for such a long time. Plus I was simply curious to see how easy it is to do since I have not had a transverse V6 before. I know some of them can be a bear.

jim_c

Pics here, discussion below.

jim_c

These pics show the blue tab that you have to carefully disconnect from each coil. Then there's a little 10mm nut that holds the coil. Remove that and the coil comes right out. I would suggest that you work on one plug at a time and not swap the coils around, keep them in their original positions.

jim_c

These plugs have a long threaded section. You need a deep 16 mm socket to get the plug. Today I just worked on one plug but it was quick and easy on the front bank.

jim_c

The last pic shows a really good trick that you should try if you have not seen this before. Sometimes a plug is hard to fish out. And some times it's even trickier to reinstall the new one. THE WORST thing you can do is cross-thread a plug in an aluminum cylinder head! Be very careful if you are inexperienced with this. This trick works really well.
You use a short length of clear PVC hose to grip the plug. Just force the hose over the insulator for a short distance. When installing a plug you can place it down in the well and feel for the threads to mate with the threads in the head. You cannot get much torque because if the threads are cross threaded the hose will just slip. But you can start the plug and usually screw it all the way in if you have it positioned correctly. Then you just use a wrench to do the final tightening.

jim_c

Installing a plug.

jim_c

I hope you can see what I mean. Today I just checked one plug but I'm going to replace them all. At the back of the engine you have to remove the fender brace that goes across and is sort of in the way. Looks easy enough. The little blue tabs are readily visible and accessible at the back. There is no plastic cover like the grey cover at the front. I'll discuss this further when I finish this job. Now I have to go buy 6 plugs. Stock were NGK IR ILZKR7B 11
tbc

potmilkz

nice. i think the procedure is the same with all spark plugs though.. remove whatever is blocking it, get long socket wrench and unbolt it..

but on the serious note.. if you are unsure about doing this.. it is better to let the professional do it.. like what jim_c said.. it is easy to cross thread the block, if you do, you are fucked

jim_c

Apparently I was premature. With the spark plugs I mean.....
Upon further review, I have decided to delay the installation of new plugs. Went to the dealer to buy plugs. Found out they cost $25+ (incl.tax) = $150+/set. Yikes.
They suggested the plugs will last 160,000 km and this agrees with the service schedule for the TL. So given the price and given that I am a thrifty fellow of Scottish descent, I will put this off. I will however remove and inspect a plug from the back of the engine, just for the hell of it.

acupower

Buy them from Amazon. They are a lot cheaper there. Acura recommends Denso plugs for my SH-AWD but I think NGKs are also fully compatible. Anyways, here is a link to the plugs I purchased. They were about $10 a plug with free shipping:

acupower

It took me about an hour and a half to change mine. I was prepared though. I had 3 and 6 inch extensions, a spark plug socket, a 6 inch rubber tube and a small torque wrench.

Basic procedure is:
1. Start from the rear passenger side plug (this one is the most difficult). Carefully unplug and remove the coil pack.
2. Attach the socket to the 6 inch extension and position it on top of the plug.
3. Attach your wrench to the 6 inch extension and begin unscrewing. Remove the plug.
4. Put the rubber tube over the new plug and drop it into the hole. Turn carefully by hand until you feel that the new plug is threading correctly.
5. Use the 6 inch extension and the torque wrench to tighten.
6. IMPORTANT: CHECK YOUR SERVICE MANUAL FOR CORRECT TORQUE SPECIFICATION.
7. Repeat for the remaining 2 rear plugs.

If you successfully replaced the rear 3 plugs, you will have no issues with the front 3. The only difference for the front is that you need to remove couple of screws/clips that hold the plastic guide for the harness.

Tonyware

The plugs don't look that bad. I think a bit oily or have been there for too long and age begins to show, but far far far from gone bad.

I like your trick with the tube, I'll try that. It seems to be a very safe technique instead of throwing the plug in there and potentially bending it.

I like to add a touch of antiseize on the threads, just a touch.

Dealer sells for $25 each? LOL LOL LOL !!!!

pcloadletter

I changed the plugs in the J37 last week on the RL with the recommended NGKs with 90k miles. I was able to pull all of the Denso plugs without removing the strut tower brace. Although, I used two 3" extensions, one at a time to assist in clearance issues. I was amazed that the torque wrench fit without removing any parts. Apparently in Camaros, a plug change is a whole day affair.

The best part, I gained about 5MPG

jim_c

Thanks for the feedback.
I will check to see if the NGKs are available from the evil Amazon!
Yeah Tony, if you haven't tried the rubber hose trick I'm sure you will like it. On some of those old V8s it was difficult to get at some of the rear plugs, back in the day. I saw a video of a guy working on a Nissan V6 and it was a nightmare to get at the back plugs. The TL looks pretty sensible.
It's also a good idea to try to not let any dirt fall into the open spark plug hole when you remove the old plug, but since the coil covers the well, it shouldn't be an issue. And when reinstalling the coils, that little 10 mm nut does not need much torque. Easy does it.

deuce415

iTrader: (1)

I bought my NGK Laser Iridiums ILZKR7B11S plugs from RockAuto for about $11 per plug shipped. I haven't swapped them yet. I think I'll wait for my once a year oil change in 3 months.

jim_c

I took the suggestion from acupower above and found them on Amazon for about $10! (each of course) Thanks again.
Depressing to think the dealers would ask 2.5x as much!

jim_c

Hey, deuce415, my plugs have the same number but no S on the end.
What is the ID on your original plugs? Do you think there is any difference between the plugs for my 3.5L and the 3.7 you have?

deuce415

iTrader: (1)

It looks like you bought the Denso long life iridiums. I'm interested in knowing if you experience any changes in MPG after you put these in. Both Denso Long Life and NGK Laser Iridiums are OEM replacement, and have a 0.044 gap.

deuce415

iTrader: (1)

I haven't swapped any plugs yet, but I'll try to pull one out and take a look this weekend to compare the part numbers.

jim_c

I have not bought any new plugs yet but I am going to buy the NGKs on Amazon.

prepreludesh

Wow, spark plugs are getting pretty expensive these days, huh?

This is definitely a project I'm going to be doing on my own from now on. No need to go to the dealer and get a huge labor charge for something that is actually kind of fun. That'll just be money saved up for when I have to get the timing belt changed in the next 15,000 miles

acupower

I changed mine a month ago when the car was ~ 108,000 km. I instantly felt a noticeable improvement in throttle response and a little less idle engine noise. I haven't calculated an accurate fuel consumption since then so I don't know if there is an improvement.

My plan going forward is to change spark plugs every 60,000 km or 2-2.5 years. Some say this is unnecessary but I feel it's worth the expense to keep your TL running optimally.

jim_c

I don't mean to debate with anyone, but I seriously doubt that a change of plugs will affect performance by more than a very small amount. If you can feel a huge difference then you must have had really crappy plugs in the engine. You would be more likely to feel misfiring or detonation or a rough idle if the plugs were seriously fouled. I will do mine as part of regular maintenance well before the suggested 160,000km mark, but I don't really expect to feel or see any great noticeable difference. How would a change in plugs affect "engine noise"? Sorry dude, I don't mean to diss your post.

acupower

No worries, I can understand your skepticism. I thought the same before changing the plugs but since I bought the car used I decided to just go ahead and change them before the recommended mark. Also, double check that 160,000km maintenance interval. I was told by the Acura techs that for Canadian vehicles the recommended interval for spark plug changes is 100,000 km. Same as the interval for the timing belt.

Now, with regards to performance and engine noise. Of course, my observations are based on my own "feel" of the car. I don't have a solid proof such as dyno comparison. However, to me the engine sounds better at idle. Idle is smooth, the sound is uniform and there is no fluctuation in the sound's frequency. The engine sound has not drastically improved BUT the throttle response is definitely better. Anyways, change your plugs and let us know how your car behaves. cheers.

dip10

I'm at 78K on my 09SH and think about doing the plugs to improve the MPG as well. Which NGK plugs should I be looking for? The ILZKR7B11S?

jim_c

I have the fwd car, 3.5L.
Deuce above mentioned the same ID as mine BUT had an S at the end of the code. He has the 3.7L. If it is not in your owner's manual, you can probably look it up on the NGK website. You can maybe look it up at CTC also in their code book but they may not actually have the plugs.

morgan1819

I think the key to determining any performance improvements after a plug change, would be MPG.

If your MPG improves, then you are on to something...

dip10

just did the spark plug change today. took 45 mins and $80 from here
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/291166194987?...84.m1497.l2649
my car had the NGK plugs and not Denso.
Will report back if I gain any MPG. This is the main reason I did the change. I'm at 78K and only getting 16MPG in the city driving.

jim_c

Good work! Let us know if your mpg improves.
I'm not sure you can interpret much from the look of the threads there. Maybe running a bit rich, hard to say? Do you do much highway driving? Do you have any issues with oil consumption? It looks like the center electrode is fine which is the main thing.
I have the same mileage and I only had a tiny bit of oil stain on the exterior of the insulator, not on the threads, on the one plug I checked. I plan to do mine next fall at about 80,000 km.

LaCostaRacer

Unless you have a bad plug (as in not firing), I really doubt anybody will see a noticeable boost in MPG. You'll notice an improvement in performance though.


In looking at the plug photos, there are a lot of threads on those plugs. It's hard to understand how a plug like that could loosen and shoot out like I have heard on the 3G forum. My theory is that the loosening issues might happen with the replacement set of plugs where they are not tightened enough or worse yet cross-threaded.

The rubber hose is a good idea but could also be substituted with an extension too. Just use the extension to get plug in to where you can't turn anymore- looks like there are a lot of turns of the extension before it should tighten if you have the plug threaded properly.

I like to squirt a little WD40 on the introductory threads and then use the anti-seize on the middle threads of the plug. I then turn counter-clockwise a few revolutions before trying to thread the plug clockwise-seams to seat the plug in with no cross-threading issues.

Takehold66

Just got my NGK plugs from amazon for just under $60. Replaced them today in about an hour. Rear passenger was a bit tough but not bad. Removed rear cross bar for better access. Overall pretty straight forward. Applied a little anti seize to the threads and did one at a time. I have 57,000 on the car and it is a bit shy of being 5 years old(bought 7/30/09). I know it is early but I love doing the work on the car and needed a project. I also love saving money by doing everything myself. I changed out the rear wheel hub/bearings a few months ago and saved a ton of money. So for $60 I figured why not? Drove it around after and it feels great. A little smoother and more responsive as far as I can tell.

jim_c

Good work!
I just got my plugs from Amazon but I will wait a bit before installing.
These are good for 100,000 km usually and I'm at about 78,000.
I agree, it's great to save money and look after your stuff yourself.
I'm in Canada so after shipping etc. mine cost $15 ea. = $90.
Better than the $170 the dealer wanted!

Takehold66

No doubt. I am guessing with the parts markup and labor, the dealer would have charged around $250 for this job.

jim_c

Change of plans.
Well I had the plugs and I hit 80,000 km (50,000 mi.)
so I decided to go ahead and change them.
I have done lots of plug changes before but never on a transverse V6. Wow, this was easy!
I took the brace out (4 nuts, 4 bolts, 112 mm socket).
When you put the brace back in it's a good idea to start all the fasteners before tightening any of them down.
The rear plugs were very easy to get at.
This is a good reason to buy a TL! On some V6's it's a nightmare to change the plugs in the rear bank.
The fronts were very easy after moving that grey cover up and out of the way.
I used a 3/8 ratchet, a long 16 mm socket, a couple extensions, and a bit of PVC hose.
The job took me an hour working at a comfortable pace.
The old plugs looked OK but they had a fair bit of oxidized oil on the insulators. You're not supposed to adjust the gap on these plugs, but I did check them all.
So now I'm good for another 5 years.
With a bit of care and caution any competent diy er can do this job.


The pic shows the entire supply of tools needed, lol.

jim_c

that's all folks: