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I'd judge how difficult these things are to fit, if a simple 20 minute job then standard quality will do fine, if a nightmare of a job ie boxer Subarus then put something in that's going to last as long as possible.
Presumably we are talking NGK whatever the metal is supposed to be in the tip.
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Thanks gents for the plug comments.
I believe the OEM fit is NGK. Price on the spark plugs site mentioned is £60 for four. This is versus £8 for 4 traditional plugs by Bosch from "car parts for less" and is presumably in line with what my indie would routinely fit. I am sure he will fit whatever I want on my car and price accordingly.
I wanted to be able to have an informed discussion when I book it in as to what's best - iridium forever or new standard plugs every service. I am now tending towards the iridium option.
As for asking the Mazda dealer I have just rung them to ask what their advertised Motorlux Trust 5 service for cars over 5 years old entails (to see how it compares to the indie) and the service desk didn't actually know. They promised to call me back.....that was over an hour ago. What chance a sensible conversation about plugs on that basis!
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Well I take it all back re the Mazda dealer.
The service manager did call me back and he was excellent. He sounded about 60, was very non-corporate and knew what he was talking about, including suggesting I speak to him direct about what we do next year given the low mileage. Meanwhile he wants our current service business.
He had already looked at the online history and knew exactly what was due. First off plugs can be deferred until the next service. He discounted the current service quote in view of the car's age and good service history. So he can do the service for £220. This compares to £150 at the indie but the Mazda service does include the gear box oil which I like having done. So not that far apart and of course the Mazda fsh would be maintained.
I will book it in there as soon as we pick it up. As for where I get the plugs and any further service done next year that decision can wait. However I now feel reassured that a sensible discussion should be possible. Although my indie is very good I will probably go the Mazda route for the iridium plugs given the possibility of seizure when they have been in for so long.
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coo, an old school service manager, one or two still dotted about but an endangered species.
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Yep, that's Mazda for you - one dealer, excellent (talking about after sales here), another, absolute carp. Not sure whether they were like that before the tie up with Ford, but they are still highly variable in quality. The best one I've heard of is in the Norwich area and regularly wins awards. If you find yours is a good'un, then stick with them, it's well worth it.
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My Jazz's spark plugs are 7 years old. NGK iridums. Lots of diismantling to access them..
I am not doing them till 55k miles.. Car mpg on long runs is better than it ever has been after 44k miles. (approx 54mpg versus 52).and they should be replaced at 75k..
PIA job and £60...for no benefit.
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Just make sure you fit NGK plugs, iridium or not it doesn't matter.
I've fitted thousands of them, and I have never known one fail due to a manufacturing fault.
I've known problems with other makes, Bosch, Champion, AC but never with NGK.
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Although my indie is very good I will probably go the Mazda route for the iridium plugs given the possibility of seizure when they have been in for so long.
Americans seem to like putting anti-seize on the threads, though I believe NGK say they are plated so this shouldn't be necessary .
I've never bothered, and have never had a problem, but then I've never had a car where removing plugs was a non-trivial job. I take them out quite often, for various reasons.
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Although my indie is very good I will probably go the Mazda route for the iridium plugs given the possibility of seizure when they have been in for so long.
Americans seem to like putting anti-seize on the threads, though I believe NGK say they are plated so this shouldn't be necessary .
I've never bothered, and have never had a problem, but then I've never had a car where removing plugs was a non-trivial job. I take them out quite often, for various reasons.
Yes, NGK specifically say not to use anti-seize / copper grease. I've never known a plug to seize in place in any of my cars - not even with the Ford Zetec engines which use those horrible taper-seat plugs.
I think it's especially unlikely with modern engines that typically bury the plug under a coil pack that has substantial rubber sealing boots, which is itself under a plastic cover ... road spray doesn't get at the plugs easily anymore.
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If I was going to do it I'd use Aluslip (or whatever its called).
Less chance of electrochemical incompatability/corrosion.
I think some people also use nickel-based antiseize in that role, though I don't remember seeing any.
If you say plugs in modern engines tend to be better protected I believe you, but I'd bet they also tend to be a bigger PITA to remove.
Edited by edlithgow on 22/01/2020 at 15:40
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Can't see the point of expensive plugs if doing only a few miles a year. I see from my records I gave my 1980 TR7 new plugs in 1990 at 54,400 miles. Since then it has had five oil and filter changes, with mileage now at only 71,000 miles. Plugs cleaned and checked in 2008 at 64,000 miles. Robust English chain cam engine, runs sweetly, turns 40 this year.
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Robust English chain cam engine, runs sweetly, turns 40 this year.
A thought occurred to me. As Saab used its development of the Triumph slant-4 into the 90s, is it possible to borrow some of Saab's plumbing to graft a turbo onto the TR7, as an alternative to the usual Rover V8 transplant?
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If you say plugs in modern engines tend to be better protected I believe you, but I'd bet they also tend to be a bigger PITA to remove.
There's more gubbins to move out of the way before you can pull the plugs, but I've found they always come out easily enough. This is helped by the fact that cars now tend to use smaller, 10 or 12mm thread plugs to make room in the cylinder head for 4 valves / cylinder, and these simply can't be tightened as firmly as traditional plugs.
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Interesting you say that about "Americans seem to like putting anti-seize on the threads"
I used to service a lot of GM based V-8 motors which use 14 mm taper seat plugs and due to the plug location in a marine motor, under the large water cooled exhaust manifold, I used to use anti-seize on the taper, not the thread. to ease removing them next time around.
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Interesting you say that about "Americans seem to like putting anti-seize on the threads"
I used to service a lot of GM based V-8 motors which use 14 mm taper seat plugs and due to the plug location in a marine motor, under the large water cooled exhaust manifold, I used to use anti-seize on the taper, not the thread. to ease removing them next time around.
Not knocking it, just never found it necessary.
It could well be that with a wider experience of newer or different engines (V8's would be a lot commoner in US experience) I might have found it useful, paqrticularly in a marine context..
Here's a compendium of PITA American market plug changes. Big engines in a shrinking space seems to be the theme.
https://www.bobistheoilguy.com/forums/ubbthreads.php/topics/5334991/1
Americans do seem to tend to embrace the superfluous though. For example, power tools for the removal of "lug nuts" seem to be viewed as essential, with "power bleeders" for brakes not far behind.
Edited by edlithgow on 29/01/2020 at 15:00
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