Sunday, November 21, 2010

How often am i supposed to change my spark plugs?

i have a 1998 chevy camaro

i just changed the plugs and wires yesterday.

so how many miles do i have til i need to again?

thanks ;)How often am i supposed to change my spark plugs?
It all depends upon the brand and type of spark plugs you just installed in your cylinder heads. Inexpensive non-platinum or iridium plugs last 25 - 30,000 miles. Platinum plugs are good for 50,000 miles while long lasting iridium plugs will go 75 - 100,000 miles.



A couple of small tips the next time you install spark plugs: Wipe a small amount of ';Never Seize'; compound on the threads of the plugs before installation. Wipe a liberal amount of Silicone ignition grease inside each spark plug boot before snapping them back on the plugs. This step seals out moisture and allows easy removal of the boots from the plugs anytime in the future. The Never Seize prevents plug and cylinder head thread damage during removal or installation. Any NAPA or Carquest store has both of these inexpensive products.



Please consider a fresh set of AC-Delco or MSD ignition wires every 50,000 miles. As spark plug wires age electrical OHMS of resistance goes up inside the core and electrical dielectric insulation on the outside of the wire goes down. Don't consider cheap box-store ignition wires. ACDelco distributors or any Chevrolet dealer has AC-Delco ignition wires. autopartswarehouse.com, partstrain.com and autopartsgiant.com. has MSD ignition wires.



In plain English it's more difficult for the electrical energy to pass through the wire as they age. The high voltage tends to leak through the outer insulation jacket as the wire gets older. High under-hood heat and vibration deteriorates ignition wires.How often am i supposed to change my spark plugs?
I think for your car its every 100k mi. Don't quote me on that. For earlier models, I think like '95 and older its every 60k mi.

However, my personal opinion, as the odometer keeps going the gap on the spark plug is changing ever so slightly. You might want to check the gap every 10k. I used to own a '91 ford escort when I was going to college, I was tight on money and needed for my car to last. It was a POS but it worked. I would change my spark plugs every 10k mi. It was only like $10 - $15.



Country Boy, if you don't know what your talking about, stop. Electrical wires can last for years and years, just look at all the residential and commercial wiring. The current flow through the wires doesn't change over time. Heat, direct sunlight and vibration are what cause the insulation on the wires to deteriorate. However, this has no effect on the current flow just the ability to insulate the wire from arcing and protect it from the extreme heat. The only thing that damages the wires are the movement of the wires as you move them out of the way to work on the car. You can possibly break the wire or snap the connectors that are inside the boot and connect the wires to the spark plugs. There is no electricity that leaks out since the rubber is an insulator.

And the anti-seize gel does not protect the threads from damage against the spark plug or however you put it. Yes its good to put it on but to prevent water from going into the threads and the extreme heat vaporizing it causing rust to form between the spark plug and the cylinder head. If the spark plug does seize and you don't know what you're doing then you could damage the threads on the cylinder head manifold, but that could be repaired as well.
factory recommends a length of time and mileage. a gm or chevy dealer can help you.

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