10-16-2022, 07:17 PM
|
#1
|
Junior Member
|
|
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Richmond, VA
Posts: 28
|
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Richmond, VA
Posts: 28
|
Spark plug wear
Just changed spark plugs on 99 SR5, 5VZ 325,000mi and noticed that the left bank of plugs (wire side) had worn much more than the right bank (coil side).
Plugs were NGK Platinum and had been in the vehicle for a little over 60k of hard miles. (Plenty of towing including 2 cross country trips pulling around 6k. [Proper coolers, air bags and WD hitch] Plenty of mountains at 4k+, WOT for several minutes at a time.) Right bank were only .005 over new plugs (Iridium) going in but Left bank was almont double the gap. The skinny part of the electrode was almost (if not entirely) worn away. Wires, and boots were also NGK and same change interval as plugs. The only codes I had were misfires which occured on damp mornings until the engine warmed up a little. Same codes/issue that prompted the change 60k ago.
I'm curious what would cause such different wear side to side. Is this normal for the wire side of the shared coil or is it a symptom of something else? I'm not exceptionally worried, and am not looking to spark the great plug preference debate, but am curious if anyone else has seen something similar.
__________________
‘99 SR5 Auto, V6, 4x4
|
|
Reply With Quote
|
10-16-2022, 08:25 PM
|
#2
|
|
Member
|
|
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Berwick, Maine USA
Posts: 374
Real Name: Mike
|
|
Member
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Berwick, Maine USA
Posts: 374
Real Name: Mike
|
Yes, I have replaced hundreds of 3.4L plugs and this seems to be pretty normal. I have also found the factory plugs to be different types on both banks. Denso on LH side, NGK on RH side.
__________________
98 SR5 4X4 5spd, desert dune metallic, Toytech Eibach 3" lift, 1" body lift, RAD Rubber Designs splash guards, 4XInnovations bumpers, Doug Thorely Headers, Magna-flow converter, JBA muffler & tail pipe, RCI skid plate, SPC UCA's & rear LCA's, front sway bar links on rear, gen II rear links on front, Tundra brakes, '02 headlights, tail lights & sidemarkers, BFG 255/85R16 Mud Terrain T/A's 241,000 miles.
|
|
Reply With Quote
|
10-17-2022, 12:19 AM
|
#3
|
|
Elite Member
|
|
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 5,154
Real Name: C8H18 Mike
|
|
Elite Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 5,154
Real Name: C8H18 Mike
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by MaineRunna
Yes, I have replaced hundreds of 3.4L plugs and this seems to be pretty normal. I have also found the factory plugs to be different types on both banks. Denso on LH side, NGK on RH side.
|
The difference in plugs between heads is fabled to be based on the factory assembling the heads at the time. Obviously there is little advantage to following this practice today.
Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk
__________________
.
1999 Toyota 4Runner SR5 Sport 4WD, V6 5-Speed e-Locker-> 4WD 4runner Journal Thread
1999 Toyota 4Runner SR5 Un-Sported 2WD, V6 Auto -> 2WD 4runner Journal Thread
1959 Chevy 3100 1/2 Ton Pickup EVERYTHING done 'cept paint and body
.
|
|
Reply With Quote
|
10-17-2022, 12:45 AM
|
#4
|
Member
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Calorado
Posts: 441
|
|
Member
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: Calorado
Posts: 441
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by pdspen
Just changed spark plugs on 99 SR5, 5VZ 325,000mi and noticed that the left bank of plugs (wire side) had worn much more than the right bank (coil side).
Plugs were NGK Platinum and had been in the vehicle for a little over 60k of hard miles. (Plenty of towing including 2 cross country trips pulling around 6k. [Proper coolers, air bags and WD hitch] Plenty of mountains at 4k+, WOT for several minutes at a time.) Right bank were only .005 over new plugs (Iridium) going in but Left bank was almont double the gap. The skinny part of the electrode was almost (if not entirely) worn away. Wires, and boots were also NGK and same change interval as plugs. The only codes I had were misfires which occured on damp mornings until the engine warmed up a little. Same codes/issue that prompted the change 60k ago.
I'm curious what would cause such different wear side to side. Is this normal for the wire side of the shared coil or is it a symptom of something else? I'm not exceptionally worried, and am not looking to spark the great plug preference debate, but am curious if anyone else has seen something similar.
|
Its because of the wasted spark system used
|
|
Reply With Quote
|
10-17-2022, 12:59 AM
|
#5
|
|
Elite Member
|
|
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 5,154
Real Name: C8H18 Mike
|
|
Elite Member
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 5,154
Real Name: C8H18 Mike
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by clearock
Its because of the wasted spark system used
|
Kinda accurate... cheap plugs will wear faster/inconsistently in a waste spark system.
Waste Spark Ignitions - NGK Spark Plugs
Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk
__________________
.
1999 Toyota 4Runner SR5 Sport 4WD, V6 5-Speed e-Locker-> 4WD 4runner Journal Thread
1999 Toyota 4Runner SR5 Un-Sported 2WD, V6 Auto -> 2WD 4runner Journal Thread
1959 Chevy 3100 1/2 Ton Pickup EVERYTHING done 'cept paint and body
.
|
|
Reply With Quote
|
10-17-2022, 08:30 AM
|
#6
|
|
Member
|
|
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Lewis Center, OH
Posts: 513
|
|
Member
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: Lewis Center, OH
Posts: 513
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by clearock
Its because of the wasted spark system used
|
Good call....
__________________
2000 T4R SR5 V6 (Retired) & 2005 T4R Limited V6
2002 & 2017 XLE Camry
2004 Honda Accord
2017 Tundra Limited DC 5.7L TRD 4WD
2024 Honda Pioneer 700-2 Deluxe
|
|
Reply With Quote
|
10-17-2022, 10:00 AM
|
#8
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: Hot Springs, AR
Posts: 4,410
Real Name: Patrick
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: Hot Springs, AR
Posts: 4,410
Real Name: Patrick
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by pdspen
Just changed spark plugs on 99 SR5, 5VZ 325,000mi and noticed that the left bank of plugs (wire side) had worn much more than the right bank (coil side).
Plugs were NGK Platinum and had been in the vehicle for a little over 60k of hard miles. (Plenty of towing including 2 cross country trips pulling around 6k. [Proper coolers, air bags and WD hitch] Plenty of mountains at 4k+, WOT for several minutes at a time.) Right bank were only .005 over new plugs (Iridium) going in but Left bank was almont double the gap. The skinny part of the electrode was almost (if not entirely) worn away. Wires, and boots were also NGK and same change interval as plugs. The only codes I had were misfires which occured on damp mornings until the engine warmed up a little. Same codes/issue that prompted the change 60k ago.
I'm curious what would cause such different wear side to side. Is this normal for the wire side of the shared coil or is it a symptom of something else? I'm not exceptionally worried, and am not looking to spark the great plug preference debate, but am curious if anyone else has seen something similar.
|
Recommended factory service interval for dual electrode spark plugs is 30k miles so I would expect to see a lot of wear since you went twice the recommended service interval.
__________________
2000 SR5 V6 Manual 4WD https://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-g...biography.html
2000 Limited V6 Auto E-Locker Sold 3/2022
|
|
Reply With Quote
|
10-17-2022, 08:08 PM
|
#9
|
Junior Member
|
|
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Richmond, VA
Posts: 28
|
|
Junior Member
Join Date: Sep 2019
Location: Richmond, VA
Posts: 28
|
Thank you MaineRunna, good to know this sounds normal.
And for the record I don’t think those plugs owed me anything for the mileage they were run, just thought the difference between banks was odd.
__________________
‘99 SR5 Auto, V6, 4x4
|
|
Reply With Quote
|
10-17-2022, 11:26 PM
|
#10
|
Member
|
|
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Texas
Posts: 426
|
|
Member
Join Date: Sep 2020
Location: Texas
Posts: 426
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by Bad Luck
Recommended factory service interval for dual electrode spark plugs is 30k miles so I would expect to see a lot of wear since you went twice the recommended service interval.
|
Doesn't that assume standard copper plugs though? Platinums should last a little longer.
Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk
__________________
1997 SR5, 3.4L, Manual
|
|
Reply With Quote
|
10-18-2022, 08:58 AM
|
#11
|
Senior Member
|
|
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: Hot Springs, AR
Posts: 4,410
Real Name: Patrick
|
|
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2019
Location: Hot Springs, AR
Posts: 4,410
Real Name: Patrick
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by texadelphia
Doesn't that assume standard copper plugs though? Platinums should last a little longer.
Sent from my moto g(7) power using Tapatalk
|
Platinums will last longer, but not twice as long.
__________________
2000 SR5 V6 Manual 4WD https://www.toyota-4runner.org/3rd-g...biography.html
2000 Limited V6 Auto E-Locker Sold 3/2022
|
|
Reply With Quote
|
10-18-2022, 11:38 AM
|
#13
|
Elite Member
|
|
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Stouchsburg PA
Posts: 5,323
|
|
Elite Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Stouchsburg PA
Posts: 5,323
|
I have the 6EK-11 double platinums in my Saturn. I’ll tell you what the erosion is like. The regular EK’s wore down .005-.008 in 50k miles.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
|
|
Reply With Quote
|
10-18-2022, 01:35 PM
|
#14
|
Member
|
|
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Alpine, UT
Posts: 31
|
|
Member
Join Date: Apr 2011
Location: Alpine, UT
Posts: 31
|
Wasted spark, as others have mentioned.
Because the plug is making the jump one way in one bank and the other way in the other, you will see the cathode wear more in one bank and the anode wear more in the other. This is typical, and you'll typically see this as the tip wearing a lot more in one bank than the other (doesn't impact ignition in a meaningful fashion).
I ran NGK Iridiums for 100,000 miles - put them in at 190 and replaced them at 290. Didn't look factory new, but damn close, and no issues at all.
Platinums will wear 2x as fast, the replacement interval is ideally going to be 25k-50k.
|
|
Reply With Quote
|
10-18-2022, 01:59 PM
|
#15
|
Elite Member
|
|
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Stouchsburg PA
Posts: 5,323
|
|
Elite Member
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Stouchsburg PA
Posts: 5,323
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by ryandc
Wasted spark, as others have mentioned.
Because the plug is making the jump one way in one bank and the other way in the other, you will see the cathode wear more in one bank and the anode wear more in the other. This is typical, and you'll typically see this as the tip wearing a lot more in one bank than the other (doesn't impact ignition in a meaningful fashion).
I ran NGK Iridiums for 100,000 miles - put them in at 190 and replaced them at 290. Didn't look factory new, but damn close, and no issues at all.
Platinums will wear 2x as fast, the replacement interval is ideally going to be 25k-50k.
|
Very good point!!!!
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
|
|
Reply With Quote
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is On
|
|
|
|