Spark plugs change on 4th gen V6
- Thread starter IK13
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earthrealm
Senior Member
changed one side of my plugs today - the right side/passenger..was pretty easy, considering this is my first plug change on a car ever!...thanks t4r.org really an amazing site!..will change out the other side tomorrow or next wk. attached are the pics of the 3 i removed plus one brand new one...i bought the truck used july 2012 at 113k miles...now its abt 120k miles..no details on spark plug change in the maintaince history....mileage is fair abt 170 to 210 miles b4 the tank needle hits the mid mark on a full tank..trip computer says 327miles when tank is full.
when i change out the other side..will reset the ecm and see if there is any noticeable change in mpg.
nb from the pics..can some1 confirm if these are the factory plugs the truck with?
when i change out the other side..will reset the ecm and see if there is any noticeable change in mpg.
nb from the pics..can some1 confirm if these are the factory plugs the truck with?
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ZebRuaj
New member
Reviving an old thread wondering about the condition of this spark plug. I pulled one to check the status...it looks good or am I wrong?
It doesn't look bad, but how many miles are on that plug?
And you should really be comparing all 6 to see if any cylinders are acting funny ... and with how cheap copper plugs are, if you're pulling them out to inspect, might as well swap in new ones since Toyota only rates them for 30k miles.
grave
Senior Member
Bumping this up as I am going to be swapping all six plugs in my '06 soon. It seems like Denso iridiums are the way to go, but I am seeing SK20R11 and SK20HR11 available on Amazon, but don't know enough about spark plugs to suss out any differences between the two other than weight (1.6oz vs. 2.1, respectively) and length (3.2" vs. 3.6, respectively). Is there a performance difference?
Then there are the IK20 and IKH20, how are these any different than each other or the SK's? They're all iridium.
Am I just overthinking all of this?
Then there are the IK20 and IKH20, how are these any different than each other or the SK's? They're all iridium.
Am I just overthinking all of this?
New here so I apologize for keeping this old thread alive. I just wanted to add another data point so someone may benefit in the future as I have from all of the others before me.
'05 V6 Limited with what I have to believe were the original plugs still installed at 148k. As others have found, NGK on the driver's side and Denso on the passenger side. The NGK gaps varied from .072-.075 from being in waaayy too long and the Denso plugs measured right at .072 for all three.
I ended up with Denso Iridium (SK20HR11) replacements as that was what was readily available. All were gapped to .043-.044. The sticker near the plugs didn't reference the use of dual electrode as some have indicated but did say to use long reach plugs.
Unfortunately, my gas mileage has dropped since the change from an all-around average of about 19 this winter to about 16.5mpg after two tanks. Now to figure that one out.
'05 V6 Limited with what I have to believe were the original plugs still installed at 148k. As others have found, NGK on the driver's side and Denso on the passenger side. The NGK gaps varied from .072-.075 from being in waaayy too long and the Denso plugs measured right at .072 for all three.
I ended up with Denso Iridium (SK20HR11) replacements as that was what was readily available. All were gapped to .043-.044. The sticker near the plugs didn't reference the use of dual electrode as some have indicated but did say to use long reach plugs.
Unfortunately, my gas mileage has dropped since the change from an all-around average of about 19 this winter to about 16.5mpg after two tanks. Now to figure that one out.
Bumbo
New member
I have a 2004 V6 and I just changed my plugs myself at 200k miles...
After much reading and deliberation I decided to return my iridium plugs and just get exactly what was called out for in the manual. My reading didn't give me the warm and fuzzy about an iridium "upgrade". Originally I wanted a longer life plug because I was concerned about having to change them again myself, but it was so easy that I am looking forward to doing it again myself in another 30k.
The used plugs have about 50k miles on them since the last change, here is a pict for reference. The tips are pretty used up... you can see the wear / angle of the electrode. Gap was good out of the box for the new ones.
It really wasn't a difficult task... really easy actually with the V6 as there was plenty of room and anything clearance items (like the intake and vacuum hoses on the driver side) were easy to move and replace.
The only tool I didn't have that I had to order was a magnetic spark plug socket. This one was literally perfect for the job. The swivel extension helped a lot and the magnet kept the plug in nice and secure for removal and installation. Well worth the money as it paid for itself on the first use.
GearWrench 80546
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0014ZVSVK/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
After much reading and deliberation I decided to return my iridium plugs and just get exactly what was called out for in the manual. My reading didn't give me the warm and fuzzy about an iridium "upgrade". Originally I wanted a longer life plug because I was concerned about having to change them again myself, but it was so easy that I am looking forward to doing it again myself in another 30k.
The used plugs have about 50k miles on them since the last change, here is a pict for reference. The tips are pretty used up... you can see the wear / angle of the electrode. Gap was good out of the box for the new ones.
It really wasn't a difficult task... really easy actually with the V6 as there was plenty of room and anything clearance items (like the intake and vacuum hoses on the driver side) were easy to move and replace.
The only tool I didn't have that I had to order was a magnetic spark plug socket. This one was literally perfect for the job. The swivel extension helped a lot and the magnet kept the plug in nice and secure for removal and installation. Well worth the money as it paid for itself on the first use.
GearWrench 80546
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0014ZVSVK/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1
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ZebRuaj
New member
The "H" is for the longer plugs, which you need. The IK series are regular Iridium plugs, the SK series are Iridium plugs rated for long life.
Personally, I just stick to the Denso K20HRU11 copper plugs. The V6 is a tank and doesn't need anything special. My OEM plugs made it 140k before I changed it out when I bought the truck. I was also able to source all 6 for about a $1/ea. Yes they're only rated for 30k, but can easily go further, and getting under the hood periodically allows me to visually inspect the motor. They're also super easy to swap out, so win/win.
Try putting back new OEM copper plugs to see if it makes a difference
ZebRuaj
New member
Quick google search came up with this thread. Hardware store sizing and OEM part # is listed in the responses.
There's no need to post in multiple threads when you could've just searched for it quicker.
Bumbo
New member
v6 (1GR-FE)
Service manual shows:
13 ft.lb for the spark plugs
66 in.lb for the ignition coils
For what it's worth on an older thread, my gas mileage came back up to where it was pre-plug change after about 5 or 6 tanks of gas.
ZebRuaj
New member
nghiS4
New member
Ngk 7877
Ok, had to revisit this post cuz some of the guys on one of the Facebook groups had me scared thinking I put in the wrong plugs last week, even though I had the same NGK 7787's I'd put in 70K miles ago with no issues whatsoever! I've been going through multiple sites the past hour & finally decided I should check NGK directly. So yes, 7877's are fine direct OEM replacements. Whoo...that was exhausting!
Ok, had to revisit this post cuz some of the guys on one of the Facebook groups had me scared thinking I put in the wrong plugs last week, even though I had the same NGK 7787's I'd put in 70K miles ago with no issues whatsoever! I've been going through multiple sites the past hour & finally decided I should check NGK directly. So yes, 7877's are fine direct OEM replacements. Whoo...that was exhausting!
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ZebRuaj
New member
I went with Denso's .. but yeah, it pays to do your own research. Don't trust everything you see on FB. I rank research, forum knowledge, then FB knowledge.
