Jim_1979 Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 Eugh... how manky!! I assume by the look of them, they were in dire need of a change!? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamieP Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 Look ok to me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim_1979 Posted July 27, 2008 Author Share Posted July 27, 2008 Is that the norm then? Manky as nora? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Posted July 27, 2008 Share Posted July 27, 2008 They look rather fouled up to me, do you have an overfuel issue? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim_1979 Posted July 27, 2008 Author Share Posted July 27, 2008 Dunno mate! lol. Should I invest in a new O2 sensor? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest tony8 Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 those are iriduim plugs. imo much better then ones you are fitting. on my SLK thoses plug dont need changing for 60k miles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim_1979 Posted July 28, 2008 Author Share Posted July 28, 2008 Yeah... But the new plugs only cost about £12. Also, I have only covered approx 500miles max in the last 2 to 3 months in the car. I also intend to change them whenever I do an oil change, so for me.... they'll do fine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pabs Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 I'd have thought you'd need to look more closely at the gap and contacts on the plugs to decide if they are knackered or not - the black around the thread surely has no impact on the way they work?!? - they are like that because they are used - just like any other engine component that you remove from the engine. Well - just my opinion anyway. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edge Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 They look ok in the pic and as said a much more expensive plug than the ones going back in. Why change your plugs every oil change? do you only change the oil every 30 - 60 k miles? Only wasting your money that could be better spent on beer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 At high BPU levels (1.25 bar) I found iridiums only last about 8k miles. The copper ones about 5k. The copper are far cheaper in the long run and I've never heard of people having problems using them on a *correctly* working BPU or single. Iridiums should not be gapped, coppers need to be gapped dependant on the grade and maximum boost level run. I did 36k miles at BPU (and driven hard too) so have plenty of real world experience of these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terminator Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 (edited) The advantage, as I see it, with coppers is you are forced into looking at your plugs more frequently. With Iridums there is the temptation to ignore the plugs for tens of thousands of miles. In my new engine, I shall only run copper plugs. Your plugs are probably never getting very hot if you have only covered 500 miles in eight to 12 weeks. Edited July 28, 2008 by Terminator (see edit history) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Wilson Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 If it were my car I'd put the old ones back, I'd much rather have a slightly elderly iridium tip than a new copper one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terminator Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 If it were my car I'd put the old ones back, I'd much rather have a slightly elderly iridium tip than a new copper one. Care to elaborate Chris. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 (edited) If it were my car I'd put the old ones back, I'd much rather have a slightly elderly iridium tip than a new copper one. You always say that Chris, but have never explained it adequately for us mortals (at least to my knowledge). No offence intended at all Chris and I'm sure your shoulders are large enough What I don't see is why the iridiums are recommended when such a huge number of us run the coppers with no issues what so ever, be it stock, BPU or single. Edited July 28, 2008 by Homer updated to elaborate (see edit history) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scooter Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 Care to elaborate Chris. phil see here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Homer Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 phil see here oh, good spot, missed that one FYI, here's the direct link to Chris's post: http://www.mkivsupra.net/vbb/showpost.php?p=1986066&postcount=193 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Wilson Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 I have elaborated somewhere, but most people disagreed with me, so I shut the *&^% up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Wilson Posted July 28, 2008 Share Posted July 28, 2008 I am not being specific about brands and their foibles, just stating that the much wider heat range and fine precious metal tips of platinum and other precious metal plugs resist fouling FAR better than the relatively narrow heat range of copper tipped plugs. So when you foul up your el cheapo copper tipped plugs with some "safe mapping" to get you running, or to drive to the dyno (or worse still, whilst you "just run it on low boost whilst deciding who can map it") they will stay fouled. They will give weird on boost misfires et cetera. Those with platinum tipped plugs will still maybe see some fouling, but the nature of these beasts means the fine electrode burns off carbon and other deposits far far far better than copper and the plugs self clean to a large extent. A precious tipped plug will withstand running outside the higher end of its heat range without the tip failing far more reliably than a copper electrode, too, so you have some safety margin in there, which can be a Godsend, but obviously a far from ideal way to abuse a plug. Since the introduction of precious metal tipped plugs the need to warm up race engines on "warm" plugs and quickly change to "cold" plugs is all but redundant as the precious metal tips will burn off the contaminants that build on cold starts themselves. I have had umpteen experiences of turbo engines exhibiting weird, random or even supposedly impossible to cure misfires directly attributable to copper plugs being subject to less than optimum combustion conditions at some time in their lives, and never recovering. It's VERY rare for this to happen to the more expensive and much wider range precious metal tipped plugs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim_1979 Posted July 28, 2008 Author Share Posted July 28, 2008 I'd have thought you'd need to look more closely at the gap and contacts on the plugs to decide if they are knackered or not - the black around the thread surely has no impact on the way they work?!? - they are like that because they are used - just like any other engine component that you remove from the engine. Well - just my opinion anyway. I didn't know when they were last changed so I thought it should be done. Also it was to possibly cure a high boost hesitation issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
supra_si Posted July 29, 2008 Share Posted July 29, 2008 myplugs looked the same to be honet when i whipped them out, i was unsure about when the last guy changed them so was all reassured when i took them out. ive put in ngk-r platinums for now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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