Spark Plug Advise

[VOATMJ1]

I am having new plugs put my 2000 EX (56,000 miles on factory plugs) Monday and I told him that I wanted Motorcraft Double Platinum plugs, and he told me that he uses Autolite Double Platinum and that they were both identical. Is this true? Anyone have any insight on Autolite vs. Motorcraft?

 

[Bill Kemp]

I have always felt they were interchangeable. No difference far as I know.

 

[ExplorerDMB]

Autolite is a pretty good company and run fine in Fords. Just don't buy Champion. I put motorcraft in mine, but that's just me.

-Drew

 

[jayhawkexplorer]

For a while, they were the same company (Autolite and Motorcraft) but I can't remember if they still are. Autolite should be fine though.

 

[adarkang]

I put Motorcraft double platinum's in mine a week ago and I seem to be getting 1.5 MPG better. I waited til about 80,000 miles to change mine.

 

[VOATMJ1]

I appreciate the responses back. I feel better about the plugs my mechanic will be putting in now. Thanks!

 

[Lazzman]

WARNING... WARNING... when going to a mechanic to get your plugs changed they love to do a nifty little trick, especially the Ford Dealers. They pull your wires off hard, grasping them in the middle rather than at the boot. This causes the conducters in the wire to snap, leading to the need for new Motorcraft plug wires at $175. I was warned about this but was an ass anyway and had the plugs replaced, when I picked up the truck the check engine light came on. I returned it the next day to the dealer and they said I needed new plug wires- what a bunch of crap.

I did not need new plug wires, but even If I were going to drop $175 I would have bought some nice 8.5mm Jacobs ceramic or Nology Hot wires.

I am still steaming over this screw job. :fire:

 

[sc012v]

Just a tid-bit of info about plugs. Many people buy platinum plugs thinking they will give more performance. They actually are a inferior conductor compared to regular copper plugs.

Platinums are placed in engines from the factory to uphold Fed mandates on emissions standards.

My moto- buy copper, change them often. Platinums are for soccer moms and grandmas.

 

[Rage1973]

Ok Since we are talking about Spark Plugs, I have recently changed my plugs, with the Bosch Platinum+4. Ok so what does everyone think, are the motorcraft plugs a better plug for my X? Just looking for some advice, for future maintenance.

Laterz
Rage

 

[sc012v]

Ok Since we are talking about Spark Plugs, I have recently changed my plugs, with the Bosch Platinum+4. Ok so what does everyone think, are the motorcraft plugs a better plug for my X? Just looking for some advice, for future maintenance.

Laterz
Rage

I don't know how well they work in other engines, but in Mustangs the +4's cause poor idle and hesitation. Many people buy them and end up returning them.

I know many tuners in the Mustang realm swear to only use copper Motorcrafts. They've seen too much lost power on the Dyno from "fancy" plugs and other brands. Motorcrafts are just consistant.

 

[gijoecam]

Copper will provide a better spark initially, but their performance will deteriorate much more rapidly as the copper disappears. Copper plugs are great for racers that change them regularly, but you'll never see 100k+ miles on copper plugs without some SERIOUS gap issues.

Platinum plugs are far, far superior in the life and performance department. Iridium are the next step up from Platinum. Starting next year, all GM vehicles will come equipped with Iridium plugs, and will be guaranteed for 150,000 miles.

-Joe

 

[jayhawkexplorer]

Ok Since we are talking about Spark Plugs, I have recently changed my plugs, with the Bosch Platinum+4. Ok so what does everyone think, are the motorcraft plugs a better plug for my X? Just looking for some advice, for future maintenance.

Laterz
Rage

This might start an argument but people are really divided on Bosch plugs. From what I learned working at O'Reilly Auto Parts, Bosch is pretty lousy in Fords and GMs and its alright in Chryslers. Here's the cliff notes on each plug brand from what I always heard:

Motorcraft: most people don't like them that much, but I'm fine with them and put double platinum ones in mine at 95,000 miles.

AC Delco: high quality replacement plug for all GM and for many other vehicles as well

NGK: the most popular plug we sold, people love them and lots of mechanics swear by them in any vehicle, American or Japanese.

Bosch: good in German cars, that's about it. A lot of people buy them based on the name but have lousy luck with them, especially in Fords.

Autolite: cheap, reliable, good plug for American vehicles

Champion: a good plug with an undeserved bad rep, they go in every small engine there is almost, and Chrysler uses them from the factory so they can't be all bad.

 

[sc012v]

Copper will provide a better spark initially, but their performance will deteriorate much more rapidly as the copper disappears. Copper plugs are great for racers that change them regularly, but you'll never see 100k+ miles on copper plugs without some SERIOUS gap issues.

Platinum plugs are far, far superior in the life and performance department. Iridium are the next step up from Platinum. Starting next year, all GM vehicles will come equipped with Iridium plugs, and will be guaranteed for 150,000 miles.

-Joe

Thus my suggestion... change them often.

But I have to take great exception with your comment about platinum plugs being "far, far superior in ... performance" If you don't maintain you car, then yes there may be more performance in platinums at 100k miles. BUT platinum is actually a lousy conductor. It conducts as poorly as tin. But copper is among the best in common metals in conductivity.

I generally remove platinum plugs well before 100k miles in my vehicles and use coppers and change them at 15k miles in the stang and 20k miles in my others. They are cheap, easy to change.

I guess I've seen too much proof on the dyno on the power, or lack of, spark plugs can make.

 

[gijoecam]

True that copper has 1/10 the electrical resistance that platinum has, but if .00000009 ohm-meters of electrical resistivity is enough to prevent a 75,000 volt spark from jumping a .050" gap, you've got bigger problems.

I'm not saying you're wrong or anything. I just feel that the durability of the platinums is a fair trade-off for the *slight* performance increase of the copper plugs for the average user. If the ultimate in performance is absolutely necessary, then by all means, use copper and change them often.

FWIW, iridium seems to be the best of both worlds: Half the resistance of Pt, a little more than twice the resistance of Cu, and twice the usable lifespan of either one. Everything on an automobile is a compromise between function, cost, and lifespan. Pt is an excellent compromise.

If platinums are so miserable, why has everyone and their brother installed them at the factory for the last 10 years? If Iridiums were so horrible, why would the General be changing all their plugs to Ir and setting their maintenance interval for 150,000 miles? They can't be all-bad.

Also, in case anyone's curious, the numbers I compared were the electrical resistivity values from www.efunda.com

-Joe

 

[sc012v]

If platinums are so miserable, why has everyone and their brother installed them at the factory for the last 10 years? If Iridiums were so horrible, why would the General be changing all their plugs to Ir and setting their maintenance interval for 150,000 miles? They can't be all-bad.

They are installed to adhere to the Fed requirement starting in 96 for emission compliance for 100k miles. Iridium are definitely a leap in the balance of durability and power. I have not issue with them other than their high cost.

But platinums are a compromise, IMO. Basicly used to satisify the Feds.

 

[VOATMJ1]

WARNING... WARNING... when going to a mechanic to get your plugs changed they love to do a nifty little trick, especially the Ford Dealers. They pull your wires off hard, grasping them in the middle rather than at the boot. This causes the conducters in the wire to snap, leading to the need for new Motorcraft plug wires at $175. I was warned about this but was an ass anyway and had the plugs replaced, when I picked up the truck the check engine light came on. I returned it the next day to the dealer and they said I needed new plug wires- what a bunch of crap.

I did not need new plug wires, but even If I were going to drop $175 I would have bought some nice 8.5mm Jacobs ceramic or Nology Hot wires.

I am still steaming over this screw job. :fire:

My Mechanic did destroy the factory wires getting them off, but he said that after 50,000 miles, the factory wires needed to changed anyway so he was not careful, and just yanked them off. He installed Borg-Warner Select plug wires, supposedly the same ones used and endorsed by Nascar. I have to admit, that the wires ARE thicker than my old stock factory ones, and my mechanic stated that they would last 100,000 miles, along with the Autolite double platinum plugs he installed. He acutally put it in writing, any plug and or wire failure, he would replace up to 100,000 miles!! Never heard of the Borg-Warner wires, but they seem good when I looked them up on the internet, plus, my mechanic only uses high quality parts. His rep is on the line.

 

[carlover]

i talked to a good friend of mine today about spark plugs. hes been a ford mechanic for 35 years. he agrees about the bosch's not performing well in fords. i just changed mine today with autolite platinums. ive never had great luck with any bosch spark plugs especially in my race cars...