russianDude

On my 2008 RDX MID came up at 100K and states that spark plugs need to be replaced. Car drives great , same day when I bought it. I used to have 2001 Acura CL, I replaced spark plugs at 10 years 100K miles, and it was a big waste, mechanic said they looked like new and I felt no difference in performance.
So for those of you who replaced them at 100K miles, did plugs look good, did you feel any difference? I am thinking of dragging it out to 130-150K miles as I drive mostly highway, otherwise dealer wants $470 plus tax, which is a lot for 4 plugs

protoRDX

1. You have to replace your spark plugs at 100k miles no matter how good they look like.
2. You will likely not feel any significant difference unless you used regular gas instead of premium grade.
3. Yes,$470 +tax seems to be too much. You can order spark plugs online from Amazon. It should be around $60-70 for all 4 plugs. Than you can find a trusted garage and they should charge you no more than $150 for the job. Cause its about 1-1,5 hour max.

Save these money on Hondata heatshield intake gasket ($50) that will help you to fight against heat soaking. And the best time to install this gasket is when you change those spark plugs ))

protoRDX

Yeah and btw its time to change you drive belt as well, plus I would perform valves adjustment.

mrgold35

I did the spark plug change and valve adjustment at the 100,000 mile mark. I also did the heat shield gasket gasket and ETS intercooler at the same time. Hard to notice an improvement with just the spark plugs since I did the other stuff at the same time. I did the same service on my TSX and felt a bump in power and a slight increase in mpgs. Felt like I got back some lost hp with the fresh plugs. I purchased my NGK Spark Plug Laser Iridium SILKR8A-S for my RDX from Amazon for $12 each ($44 total).

Chances are I will not do another spark plug change on the TSX or RDX again. Might as well take care of it since it will be an "one and done" service. I might change my MDX plugs at the 75,000 mile mark since I felt such an improvement with the TSX.

russianDude

Drive belts need to be visually inspected. Valves only adjusted if noisy.

And "you have to replace plugs at 100k no matter what" is BS. Do you have any evidence for this statement other than glorified MID and owners manual

russianDude

On my TL mechanic showed me old plugs, they looked like new, he said could easily go another 50k miles. I think bottom line if there is no power loss, waiting another 20-30k miles is ok. I have not decided if i will keep it more than 2 years

bluecarbonfiber

did my plugs at 55k they were looking worn only noticed maybe a smidge increase in the mpg.. did you buy your vehicle used?? every plug i ever seen over 70k on them looked worn find it hard to believe yours looked new unless someone changed them before you got the vehicle..

XLR8R

The ECU adjusts ignition timing to account for spark plug performance. It measures the exhaust gas temp and other parameters, and adjusts accordingly. If you notice anything with new plugs, it may be slightly improved fuel economy.

protoRDX

1) Drive belts tend to stretch extensively with no visual damage. But its up to you. Of course you can ride a belt until it falls apart.
I have changed my drive belt on 70k miles. While it looked perfect it was stretched too much.

2) Valves adjustment. Same thing. If they are noisy it means they are already out of clearance limits. However its a good idea to adjust them on 100k miles even if valves are still within the limits.
Again, I've adjusted mine on 70k and they've already been slightly out.

3) Well, if you think someone's opinion is BS than no evidence needed.

And excuse me my french, но
1) скупой платит дважды
2) если вы сами все знаете, тогда зачем задавать вопросы?

russianDude

I bought this car new, premium gas only. Drive belts are checked by dealer/mechanic for excessive wear or stretching, that's when belt is recommended to be replaced. No one does it simply because of mileage. I asked dealer about it, and at 100k they inspect belts, and only recommend replacement if needed. My belt was already replaced at 70k because it was cracking up, but it's besides the point.

old plugs do not damage the engine unless they misfire or there is power loss / rough idle, it's not one of those things that you must do right away or else...

protoRDX

Then if you dont see increased gas consumption you may avoid replacing spark plugs right now. Spark plugs do not damage the engine as you said, its just a matter of performance.
Regarding drive belt, since its been changed on 70k you definitely dont need to change it now. As I said, my belt was not that bad when I changed it, but it was stretched.

dylyxcore

Even if it was missing, it wouldn't cause damage to your catalyst unless you made a road trip or drove it like that for months.

crxtype-r

maintenance is what its all about reguardless of what it looks like you want your car running top notch put the $ in it for maintenance . that's why honda rec's it's . and that's why there an engine manufacturers in the car business . . look at indy car last year not one engine failure during a race ! and they only ran honda motors! if that's not a testament to there engine quality than what is? curious to see the new honda F1 hybrid engine next year ! i change my plugs at 60k just to keep it running as best as possible and to prevent future issues and i'll replace them again after my work is done to have them fresh with a fresh tune . don't cheap out! that's how stuff breaks!!!!!!!!!!!!

Fredrick Houston

I agree... you most likely will not feel any difference but that's a good thing. Means your car is in good condition and you want it to maintain that condition. Hence the word, maintenance!!!

crxtype-r

right on !! couldn't of said it better