Changed the plugs..Very easy

[JIMXEOD]

Excuse my ignorance, but this is my fist attempt at changing plugs. Thanks to the helpful posts here, my front and rear diff and transfer case fluid change was a success!

I'm about to change the plugs on my '03 V6 and I believe I have all the necessary tools. The passenger side seems easy enough after you disconnect the air filter box, but access to the driver's side plugs seems a little more difficult at first glance. From ToolMan's post, it sounded like all you needed to remove was one bracket w/ the 2 12mm bolts. But the plastic engine cover and various hoses also seem to be in the way. Are you really able to change out the driver side plugs by removing just the one bracket, or are there additional items that need to be disconnected or removed? It just seemed a little cramped to me. Thanks!

Take the engine cover off, it is two simple 10mm cap nuts. You actually do not have to remove the one bracket. I took out the top bolt, and loosened the bottom so that it swung down out of the way as posted above. The hoses I removed at one end, and pulled them out of the way. Pretty straightforward. You can actually work around the hoses, but they are simple to remove if needed.

 

[ALLEGRO]

Are there additional issues with replacing plugs on the V8?

 

[bak3rme]

wow , i didnt know the dealership cost that much to change spark plugs, anyhow i did this about a month ago, if its not cold out , i suggest doing it yourself, even if it is the first time. b/c its simple, just follow the write-ups posted here or on internet and you should do fine, and save yourself money too, and while the intake manifold is off, you might as well do a TB clean and MAF sensor clean, then u can really see some gain in gas mileage. and both of thsoe cleaning writeups are posted here on the website, very cheap and easy too

 

[eliask08]

Doing the NGK Iridiums this week

I have had my 6 new NGK iridiums ($75 CDN) sitting for two weeks, as I did not have the time and was worried a tad about the drivers side. Seeing that everyone before this post has had success, I will attempt this on Sunday evening. There are mentions of gapping as well, but NGK frowns as this as they say improperly gapped iridiums will not impact performance of the plug (so leave them alone!), and that there is a big risk of damaging the electrode if you attempt a gap. Is this true? I am at 85000km (52000 miles), and don't believe the previous owner has replaced these.

 

[DaveinCleveland]

Changed the plugs in my 03 at 130k. The gas milage got better by 3 mpg by the computer over 50 mi.

 

[737AMT]

This is an older thread, but I guess it's time to bring it back to the top. So do I use anti-seize on OEM replacement plugs or not? Also, what about replacing the coils? What's the recommendation on those? 2004 4runner, V-6, 155,000 miles, purchased recently, previous owner says he replaced plugs but not sure how long ago. On my F-150, it's recommended that the coils and spark plugs be replaced at the same time. I've seen no mention of replacing coils, just R&R for spark plug changes.

Thanks

 

[Jason1991]

I am curious as well about changing the coils or the wires.
I have a 2004 v6 4x4 with 140,000 miles.
Thanks for any help!

 

[Billf6531]

Replace the coils or wiring when they fail. I haven't heard of any failures. A drop of synthetic oil on the threads and some dielectric grease near the bottom of the plug boot to keep out moisture is all I've ever done.

 

[Jason1991]

Thanks a lot. I haven't changed plugs on a car since my first car when I was a teenager.... 20 years ago.... I'm gona change the plugs this weekend.
Thanks again

 

[oesterj1195]

180k on original plugs

I just changed the plugs on my 05 4runner after purchasing it on craigslist a few months ago. It had 180k miles on the original plugs. Denso and NGK on opposite sides. I replaced with NGK iridium and noticed absolutely no difference in performance. I see a lot of people worrying about going over 30k miles on plugs. I don't know if I would sweat it.