3G TL (2004-2008)
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Spark plugs and ignition coil opinion

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Old 09-20-2020, 03:12 PM
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Spark plugs and ignition coil opinion

Hi guys,
my 08 TL just crossed the 100k mile mark. I thought I should check the spark plugs and see if they need to be replaced..I figured it’s an easy DIY.. spark plug in cylinder 4 pictured below. The ignition coil in cylinder 5 came out with a part that is attached on the spark plug side missing. You can probably spot this in the second picture. I could see this part stuck inside..since it was preventing me from getting to the spark plug, I couldn’t remove the plug to inspect. Also the coil came out with a layer of black stuff on it.

Spark plug and and ignition coil in cylinder 4 looks fine. What would you suggest? Will there be any benefit of replacing it?

i am worried about the black stuff that came out with ignition coil in cylinder 5. What are your thoughts on this? Do I need to get a new coil? Could this be an indication of something wrong in the engine?

The coil in cylinder 6 came out similar to that in cylinder 4.

Spark plug in cylinder 4. New vs old

Ignition coil in cylinder 4

Ignition coil in cylinder 5.
Old 09-20-2020, 04:03 PM
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If I had a #5 ignition coil, upon removal at 100K, that looked like that I'd replace it.
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Old 09-20-2020, 06:49 PM
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#5 coil looks dirty. Is it oil or burn marks? You can use needle nose pliers or long screwdriver to rip apart the boot that got stuck to the spark plug and then remove the plug.
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Old 09-20-2020, 07:56 PM
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Originally Posted by peter6
#5 coil looks dirty. Is it oil or burn marks? You can use needle nose pliers or long screwdriver to rip apart the boot that got stuck to the spark plug and then remove the plug.
Good question, it's slick to touch - so I think it must be oil? but not sure if there are also burn marks. Long nose pliers sounds like a good idea, will try that out. I will replace the coil if I can get the boot out.

Question about the spark plug- does it look like it should be replaced?
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Old 09-20-2020, 10:31 PM
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Spark plug probably will be fine. The question is do you want to replace all of them for peace of mind for another 100k, or do you want to eventually replace them somewhen in the future when car starts running poorly? I replaced mine when doing 105k service because it's cheap preventive maintenance.

Oil - leaking valve cover seals. Is there oil down the hole around the plug?
Burn marks - plug might be loose. If that is the case it should be fixed asap.

Don't buy cheap coil, or sooner or later that will be problem as well.
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Old 09-21-2020, 03:39 PM
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so plug 2 and 5 tend to loosen due to heat cycles since they are right next to the hot cats!

The boot melted off coil pack and onto plug. Use a flat head screwdriver and break up the boot. I like the long one with skinny tip. Press down on rubber gasket and you can cut it up. Use a pick/vaccum to get the pieces out before spark plug removal. Once all the stuff is out then remove the plug. I had the same happen on an accord and thought it was the end of the world. Took a minute to regroup and got a handy screwdriver, vaccum and pick set to get the boot out/off.

The plugs loosening can cause the burnt/soot marks on the coils, #2 and 5 esp.

The plug from #4 looks brand new. If it's an NGK Laser Iridium you are good to go for another 105K miles easily.

are the plugs wet? They will feel slippery even when new due to anti-seize coating applied to plugs from when NGK makes them! valve cover gaskets can be replace easily and so can spark plug tube seals if oil is present.
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tl3097flnkr (09-28-2020)
Old 09-28-2020, 02:11 AM
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I'd replace the spark plugs, but it I think it might be necessary to replace your valve cover gasket as well as your spark plug well gaskets.
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tl3097flnkr (09-28-2020)
Old 09-28-2020, 10:35 AM
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Thanks for all the responses. I am planning to replace all spark plugs and ignition coil in #5. Are there any drawbacks of replacing just one ignition coil with a new one? I am planning to use the same make and model of coil that came with the car. I saw a couple of DIY videos for valve cover gasket and spark plug well gasket and it seems to be fairly elaborate with removal of intake manifold and throttle body etc. so let's see how that goes.. I am guessing there is no point replacing the coil in #5 if I am not replacing the gaskets? Interestingly, I discovered the issue when I removed the spark plugs to look at their condition, no CEL yet.

Thanks for all the help, appreciate the inputs.
Old 09-28-2020, 03:45 PM
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NOpe, no issues replacing just the one,

I believe Hitachi is the OEM maker of the ignition coil, check on rockauto.com
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