How to: Installing 3rd gen spark plugs

[AntleredRuin]

From the FSM (embellished and cleaned up a bit)...

Coil 5 connects to plug 2
Coil 3 connects to plug 6
Coil 1 connects to plug 4

I know I'm replying to a 6 year old post on this thread, but the question still stands.

Obviously the wires have to be run from the proper coil pack to the proper plug, etc. But is how they are 'loomed' important too? Could having the wrong wires near each other at the wrong places cause a misfire? I've heard that having wires touch metal (normally on older vehicles) could cause misfires. This picture just seems to specifically focus on that.

 

[gamefreakgc]

I'm just going to add a couple of pics to the thread for good measure.

My truck started having a high RPM miss that I would notice most when it would downshift on the interstate with the cruise on. At first I was afraid the transmission was starting to slip, but after playing around with it with OD off I could tell it was just a miss.

So the truck had about 200k miles on it at the time, and I knew it hadn't been very well maintained. I already had a set of plugs and wires in the garage but hadn't had it home in months to be able to change them.

When I finally got back to FL and pulled the plugs, this is what I found. Original plugs with 200k miles on them. :toilet:

Judging by the photos, the NGK's did better than the DENSO!

 

[gamefreakgc]

I know I'm replying to a 6 year old post on this thread, but the question still stands.

Obviously the wires have to be run from the proper coil pack to the proper plug, etc. But is how they are 'loomed' important too? Could having the wrong wires near each other at the wrong places cause a misfire? I've heard that having wires touch metal (normally on older vehicles) could cause misfires. This picture just seems to specifically focus on that.

I was also told never to cross the spark plug wires. But Toyota specifically shows to intentially cross the wires. So who knows. Every time I need to pull the wires off I put them on differently now and there's no difference. More importantly, you don't want the wires to rub on anything, that WILL make them fail over time.

 

[jeremyc74]

I know I'm replying to a 6 year old post on this thread, but the question still stands.

Obviously the wires have to be run from the proper coil pack to the proper plug, etc. But is how they are 'loomed' important too? Could having the wrong wires near each other at the wrong places cause a misfire? I've heard that having wires touch metal (normally on older vehicles) could cause misfires. This picture just seems to specifically focus on that.

The important part is to maintain separation between them while they're parallel to each other. When you're dealing with high voltage like this, wires that are close together in parallel runs can induce voltage (noise) into each other, and "cross-talk". The factory holders maintain spacing between the wires, and control where they actually touch each other. Ideally you'd want to cross the wires at a 90 degree angle, but that wouldn't be very practical.

Wires have gotten a lot better over the years, so all this probably is more a "best practices" type thing, at least while the wires are new. As they start to break down over time it might be more of an issue.

 

[jeremyc74]

Judging by the photos, the NGK's did better than the DENSO!

Yeah, there was a slight difference. If they were changed at a reasonable interval it probably wouldn't be as noticeable.

 

[TheDurk]

Yeah, there was a slight difference. If they were changed at a reasonable interval it probably wouldn't be as noticeable.

True. It may also be that the direction of the electron flow made one side wear more than the other, as the flow is in opposite directions on each head. You should have installed new Densos and NGKs reversed from the factory layout and run those another 200k so we can have an answer on this.

 

[jeremyc74]

True. It may also be that the direction of the electron flow made one side wear more than the other, as the flow is in opposite directions on each head. You should have installed new Densos and NGKs reversed from the factory layout and run those another 200k so we can have an answer on this.

I think I'm sticking to 100k mile intervals on the plugs from here on out. :music:

 

[cmtul]

Lots of great info. It'll come in hand when I have to do the next tune up on the ole girl.

 

[aryuary]

Nice writeup, but do you guys really not know how to change a sparkplug?

 

[zcruiser]

Nice writeup, but do you guys really not know how to change a sparkplug?

If you read the write-up then you would have read that your question was asked, and answered back in December of 2009.

Nice writeup, but do you guys really not know how to change a sparkplug?

 

[Niteghost]

Anyone have a write up thread like this with live pictures? The pictures from this thread are dead.

 

[zcruiser]

Anyone have a write up thread like this with live pictures? The pictures from this thread are dead.

Hmmmm... I can see them but then I'm the OP.

Can you tell me what URL is dead? I thought I had them on Photobucket.

 

[TheDurk]

Hmmmm... I can see them but then I'm the OP.

Can you tell me what URL is dead? I thought I had them on Photobucket.

I can see them fine.

 

[ThomasGS4]

I too can see them just fine. :noidea:

 

[Niteghost]

Hmm, ok I will try on a different computer. Thanks for the heads up guys!

 

[CC Silver]

Bummer - the poll is closed.

I would have voted YES , and I can see the pictures from my phone.

I have done mine , and all in all it was pretty simple.
However, I suspect a lot of that was due to me finding threads like this that allow you to see what is involved before you jump in to it, and hopefully avoid pitfalls that after the fact someone says oh, I could have told you that ...:ybrick:

At any rate, my .02.
And post 15 if my memory serves me !:eyebrows:

Britt

 

[Niteghost]

How often should one change the coil packs? Should this be something I do when I do this service on my 02 w/ 152k? Or since I'm not having a misfire just do the plugs

 

[TheDurk]

How often should one change the coil packs? Should this be something I do when I do this service on my 02 w/ 152k? Or since I'm not having a misfire just do the plugs

Most Toyota coil packs, unlike Hyundai or Audi, to name two, will outlive the truck they are in. You CAN replace just the coil boots, which are much cheaper and will eliminate many coil issues. I did mine at 150k, but there is no specific recommendation. I don't think Toyota sells them, but Denso does. Wait until you have a misfire to do the pack, and then only swap the bad one. Use those $$ elsewhere.

 

[Niteghost]

Most Toyota coil packs, unlike Hyundai or Audi, to name two, will outlive the truck they are in. You CAN replace just the coil boots, which are much cheaper and will eliminate many coil issues. I did mine at 150k, but there is no specific recommendation. I don't think Toyota sells them, but Denso does. Wait until you have a misfire to do the pack, and then only swap the bad one. Use those $$ elsewhere.

Perfect! Yeah I was pricing the coils out and it's like $300-$400 for those, thanks for the pro tip.

 

[tystaco]

So I am getting ready to do plugs on my new 2000 limited and bought the NGK's in this forum, but I have a question on the gapping. Is the gap on a double plug a summation of the two gaps? Or should I have .043 between each side? All 6 of the plugs I got are between .024 and .028. Do I bend them out?