New spark plugs = speeding ticket

Catfish

Member
So I'm about to turn 49k on my '07 SR5 V6...there was no record of the 30k service being done, thus the original spark plugs were still installed. I got 6 NGK ILFR6T-11 plugs at NAPA for $7.49 each. Finally got around to installing them today...not too bad. The driver's side is pretty tight, but I came out with only a few nicks and scrapes on the knuckles.

So I finish up and take her for a test drive on some back roads around my neighborhood....find a deserted road, punch it...red and blue lights. Crap! Granted, the cop knocked it down to 40mph in a 30-zone, but still...yeah. On the plus side, I was so nervous about screwing up the plug change, that I hadn't even cracked a beer yet. Normally, that's the first thing on the supply list when I'm working in the garage. So I guess it could have been worse....

And the original plugs with 49k on them? See below. Glad I replaced them!

IMG_5436.jpg~original
 
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Oh geeze, that's unfortunate. I thought spark plugs are supposed to be changed every 90,000-100,000 miles?
 
Your "old" plugs look like brand new!... Run 500 miles on your new plugs and then pull one and snap a picture, it will look exactly like those.
 
According to the owner's manual and service maintenance schedule, the V6 plugs are supposed to be changed every 30k miles. The plugs in the V8 are 100k plugs. Not sure why there's a difference between the two. The truck doesn't seem to drive any differently with the new plugs (granted, I drove a mile or two last night), but I'm hoping that they'll increase the mpg a little bit. Plus, I'm about to take a 4,000-5,000 mile road trip, so I figured it'd be a good time to do a little maintenance.
 
Yeah, the speeding ticket was pure stupidity on my part. Oh well.

As for the plugs, according to the warranty service maintenance paperwork, they're supposed to be changed every 30k. Plus, it was kinda fun to do.
 
Plugs look perfect to me. I would have run them until I saw a reduction in MPG, engine miss or starting problems.

Good Luck
 
YoTa makes his $ off service dept.

I think the 30k recommendation is BS especially if you drive ON ROAD at the posted limit. It's designed to get you to come into service dept, so the owners of the stealership can make 35-185% margin on your service call.

If you are punching the gas and doing a lot of off roading then maybe 20 k would even be appropriate.?.

Yes, it is fun to change plugs.

Did my 2nd gens plugs at 100k, they looked the same as your plugs. No MPG improvement told me it was a premature change.

Think about it logically its a Japanese precision engineered part.

95% of single vehicle roadway mortality occurs when the vehicle is traveling above posted limit.

Civil Engineers, whom I have a lot of respect for, get paid a LOT of $$$ to design roads that are "safe" at certain speeds.
 
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95% of single vehicle roadway mortality occurs when the vehicle is traveling above posted limit.

and 99% of people travel just above the speedlimit...

I'd say the ethonol accounts for the loss in gas mileage. it sucks, but it's what they do to conserve the "good" stuff.
 
Sounds like I could have saved the money and gone another 50k miles on the original plugs. Oh well. At least now I have the peace of mind knowing that it's done. And it'll make the warranty people happy if there's ever an issue, I suppose.

Plus, now I have a few extra plugs to throw in the tool kit that lives in the truck. :)
 

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