Bought this car second hand, they apparently put iridium spark plugs in, but i want to know if I should be concerned with the buildup and rusty appearance it's developed. For all I know this spark plug could be from 10 years ago.
Do I need to replace the plugs, and is that actually rust? Does this mean I have an issue with my head gasket?
Edit: Thanks guys! I'll be ordering some new plugs soon.
26 Comments
Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafe · 17 pts · 132d
Keep in mind 10 years (or longer) is a common timeframe for plugs these days.
My 2006 vehicle - yes, 20 years old - has a 100k replacement cycle. I've put plugs in twice.
Also that color looks spot on, and the electrode looks pretty worn, so it's probably due.
spicehoarder@lemmy.zip · 7 pts · 132d
Awesome! Thanks for the insight, I hope to keep my car running for 20+ years. :)
Onomatopoeia@lemmy.cafe · 1 pts · 131d
Today's cars it's largely possible, except for the ones with crappy chassis and body manufacturing (rust, nominally strong-enough components, etc) - American and European cars, especially the cheap models.
SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 131d
It's iridium, the electrodes are small wire.
empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 7 pts · 132d
It looks pretty normal, just high mileage tbh. Some brown deposits naturally happen from minor amounts of engine oil being burned over time, fuel contaminants, and air contaminants. No white or thick black deposits which would indicate worse issues (white is coolant usually, thick black is high oil consumption).
Look up the OE gap for your engine and compare it. Iridium fine-wires generally don't wear until the iridium is all gone so they're probably fine... Be extremely careful, the fine wire is easy to destroy-use no force with feeler gauges.
Fecundpossum@lemmy.world · 6 pts · 132d
I live by a code. It states: “whatever you have exposed while maintaining or repairing your vehicle, if you can afford to replace it, replace it”
For instance, I did pads and rotors on my truck at 65k. I’ve already got out a torque wrench and an impact. Why not do the wheel bearings too? I know they’ll shit the bed sometime in the next 20k and it’s like 5 more bolts and a couple hundred bucks to prevent a headache later on.
Plugs are cheap. I can’t even fathom removing a spark plug and not replacing it. It’s already out. Toss it.
Mpatch@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 132d
This is not good advice. I mean, it is if the bearings are guaranteed to fail. But it's like "I'm going to put new crank bearings because I drained the engine oil. It's only a few more bolts" disturbing the alignment of the tie rods and struts and ball joints. That will never go back together just right, probably end up cutting a rubber boot or two so in a month that ball joint is gona be trash too. Fuck might as well just turn a rotor and pad slap into a full front end rebuild. At that point. It's only 5 bolts.
SolacefromSilence@fedia.io · 7 pts · 132d
That's why I don't change my oil, new engine every 3k miles
huquad@lemmy.ml · 1 pts · 132d
Bet it runs like a top!
Fecundpossum@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 131d
Obviously some common sense is involved, life experience. Obviously I’m only swapping out parts that a lifetime of wrenching on my own vehicles has taught me to.
And yes. At somewhere between 80-120k you WILL need new ball joints, tie rod ends, sway bar links, etc. and an alignment to finish it off.
Do you maintain your vehicle? Or just run it to fail?
Mpatch@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 131d
My first truck failed at 448,000km. My second truck has 590,000km currently. Without doing any of that extra bullshit.
SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca · 3 pts · 131d
While the plugs are out, scope into the combustion chamber with a fiber optic camera. That will tell you a lot.
The way to check the head gasket integrity is to test the coolant for impurities using a chemical coolant test.
Mac@mander.xyz · 3 pts · 131d
They look good. I wouldn't even replace these, tbh.
SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 131d
You cannot tell if a plug is firing properly by looking at it.
seathru@quokk.au · 3 pts · 132d
Looks good. That rusty red/orange color is likely just from fuel additives.
LadyMeow@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 3 pts · 132d
I think the plug color mostly looks ok, though hopefully others will chime in. I would replace though, that gap looks a little gnarly, it’s cheap enough and like you said, they might be ancient.
Rhaedas@fedia.io · 7 pts · 132d
Any iridium plugs I've always used were pregapped for the vehicle, and regapping wasn't recommended (I assume because of the metal). I agree, if OP isn't sure what's there, start over with new, then maybe in 10k miles look and see what changes. If it looks like that, then there's something not right, something getting into the mixture, burning the wrong temp, or not burning fully.
empireOfLove2@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 6 pts · 132d
Gap might not be that bad, most modern ignition systems run gaps of 60-80thou. Hotter longer spark gets a better flame front for more complete combustion, which they design in for fuel eco, and modern coils have high enough spark energy that jumping the gap is not an issue.
Unless OP is having a drivability issue I'd brush them off with a nylon brush and send it.
LadyMeow@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 1 pts · 132d
Maybe it just looks rough because I can zoom it in so much, hahahaha.
Mpatch@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 132d
Just put it back in and wait for the P0300 to pop up. The car will tell you when it's time lol.
Montagge@lemmy.zip · 1 pts · 132d
If the gap is good I'd out it back in. Have you put many miles on it since you bought it?
blimthepixie@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 1 pts · 132d
The electrode looks worn. See the new plug pic
LadyMeow@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 6 pts · 132d
Note that the picture does not look like an iridium plug, the electrodes are quite a bit different.
OP appears to gave an iridium.
Mac@mander.xyz · 3 pts · 131d
Iridium plugs have tiny electrodes.
SaveTheTuaHawk@lemmy.ca · 1 pts · 131d
Lemmy is the worst possible place to come for auto advice.
BandanaBug@piefed.social · 1 pts · 40d
I disagree and you're the reason