$30 Spark Plugs = :(

[BlkZoomZoom]

Yep! I heard that!

over the internet?

 

[aMaff]

ok, I read it. But I'm all about learning to do stuff, so I can do it myself the next time...

 

[GNO]

That's where the local meets come in handy. I started a local car club several years ago. We occassionally get together for Mod & Maintenance days. Great time for learning how to do the stuff. . . or get free labor. A lot of the knowledge obtained from doing your own maintenance on one car can be carried over to other cars, so it doesn't have to be make/model specific.

5 years ago, I was uncomfortable changing brake pads. In the last two years, I've done 3 pad changes, 2 rotor changes, and installed a big brake kit. Other things I've done in the past two years include 3 engine swaps, 2 engine rebuilds, 4 header(s) installs, and 3 lowering spring/strut installs. Hard to imagine that I was "afraid" to change my pads 5 years ago. Doing it on my own has save me and my friends a lot of $.

 

[aMaff]

lol, yep. I was the same way, and I'm about to start racking up some of those too in the near future lol

 

[Pro5Monkey]

Took the P5 to Firestone to replace the driver side low beam bulb and to change the air filter. We enquired about replacing the plugs: owners manual says 60000 miles while they said 100000, according to them the recommended NGK plugs are $30 apiece!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Needless to say they were not purchased, is Firestone correct??

$30 dollar spark plugs, ehhhh? I've got some killer imported air for your tires if anyone is interested. It's mixed with 70% Helium, so it makes your car lighter. I'm running a special right now. I'll remove your old air and fill with the good stuff for $1.00/psi (cheers)

BTW, Firestone has never been correct

 

[Protephile]

5 years ago, I was uncomfortable changing brake pads. In the last two years, I've done 3 pad changes, 2 rotor changes, and installed a big brake kit. Other things I've done in the past two years include 3 engine swaps, 2 engine rebuilds, 4 header(s) installs, and 3 lowering spring/strut installs. Hard to imagine that I was "afraid" to change my pads 5 years ago. Doing it on my own has save me and my friends a lot of $.

Amen to learning how to do it yourself.

 

[i12drivemyMP5]

Amen to learning how to do it yourself.

Ditto. Never had the extra money, not that lazy, no patience waiting on other people to do something I could do myself, nobody else cares about your s*** more than you, half ass by others just to get paid doesn't cut it, all them good reasons..................Lot more satisfaction out of a job well done that you did vs. living with what you paid someone else to do.

 

[goldstar]

Tools and Supplies Needed to Change Spark Plugs

3/8" drive torque wrench and ratchet
3" long extension attached to a 10 mm socket to remove and install the coil packs
6" long extension attached to a 5/8" spark plug socket to remove and install the plugs
spark plug wire gauge
NGK BKR5E-11 spark plugs (if you're using OEM plugs)
Permatex (or other) Anti-Seize Lubricant
Permatex (or other) Dielectric Tune-Up Grease

If you buy your plugs from Mazdastuff or your local dealer, they will have the proper gap: 1-1.1 mm (.040"-.043").
Coat the plug threads with anti seize before installation. Before installing the boots, coat the inside with dielectric grease to prevent sticking and possible boot damage on subsequent removals. Tighten the plugs to the FSM setting of 11-16 ft/lbs (15-22 N/m). The coil pack bolts have an FSM recommended torque setting of 69.5-95.4 in/lbs (7.9-10.7 N/m) which works out to 6-8 ft/lbs. When I change plugs, since this is too close to the lower limit of my torque wrench for any reasonable accuracy, I just snug up the bolts with my ratchet. When you're used to it, the whole job takes about 15 minutes.

For the inexperienced, it's a good first project for learning to work on your car.

 

[GNO]

Tools and Supplies Needed to Change Spark Plugs

3/8" drive torque wrench and ratchet
3" long extension attached to a 10 mm socket to remove and install the coil packs
6" long extension attached to a 5/8" spark plug socket to remove and install the plugs
spark plug wire gauge
NGK BKR5E-11 spark plugs (if you're using OEM plugs)
Permatex (or other) Anti-Seize Lubricant
Permatex (or other) Dielectric Tune-Up Grease

If you buy your plugs from Mazdastuff or your local dealer, they will have the proper gap: 1-1.1 mm (.040"-.043").
Coat the plug threads with anti seize before installation. Before installing the boots, coat the inside with dielectric grease to prevent sticking and possible boot damage on subsequent removals. Tighten the plugs to the FSM setting of 11-16 ft/lbs (15-22 N/m). The coil pack bolts have an FSM recommended torque setting of 69.5-95.4 in/lbs (7.9-10.7 N/m) which works out to 6-8 ft/lbs. When I change plugs, since this is too close to the lower limit of my torque wrench for any reasonable accuracy, I just snug up the bolts with my ratchet. When you're used to it, the whole job takes about 15 minutes.

For the inexperienced, it's a good first project for learning to work on your car.

If you get irridiums, you won't have to gap. . . they're supposed to be pre-gapped and if you do gap you risk breaking the tip of the electrode. Whoops, there goes $5. I gap them anyway. I use irridium on my other car, not for performance but for longevity.

 

[SkinnyJoint]

If you get irridiums, you won't have to gap. . . they're supposed to be pre-gapped and if you do gap you risk breaking the tip of the electrode. Whoops, there goes $5. I gap them anyway. I use irridium on my other car, not for performance but for longevity.

alot of the plugs are pre gapped but **** that i always double check my s***. and its pretty hard to break off part of the electrode

 

[GNO]

alot of the plugs are pre gapped but **** that i always double check my s***. and its pretty hard to break off part of the electrode

Have you ever seen the center electrode on an NGK irridium plug? It's about the size of 0.5mm lead for a mechanical pencil.

 

[SkinnyJoint]

Have you ever seen the center electrode on an NGK irridium plug? It's about the size of 0.5mm lead for a mechanical pencil.

not on the irridiums, i just use stock ngks