Technical 2008 1.4 16v 500 spark plugs

[Steve Honest]

Hi CHaps


I wanted to ask advice on replacing spark plugs, Ive done about 30k miles on this set of plugs , i dont know how old they were when i bought the car but seller said he had done a major service and the car has always driven and started nicely.

How long on this model engine between plug changes?
and is their a better plug i can fit than the OEM plug? Irriduim ? Platinum etc?

thanks in advance for your kind help

Steve

 

[jrkitching]

How long on this model engine between plug changes?

OEM plugs, 12k. The OEM plugs are rubbish and from my own personal experience, they're past their best after half that.

and is their a better plug i can fit than the OEM plug? Irriduim ? Platinum etc?

You can get a direct Iridium replacement - NGK DCPR7EIX. I'd highly recommend you make the change; I've run 60k+ miles on a set without issues.

 

[Steve Honest]

Hiya

Did you notice any performance or reliability improvements (other than the longer life ) on these plugs?
cheers

Steve

 

[jrkitching]

Did you notice any performance or reliability improvements (other than the longer life ) on these plugs?

I doubt you'll notice any performance improvement.

I found that, after the OEM plugs had done about 6k, I was getting the occasional smoky start when cold; it sometimes took a fraction of a second longer to fire up that it did when they were new. This was most noticeable if you stopped the engine shortly after starting, when next started.

Fitting iridiums cured the occasional spluttery starting issue. Also the iridiums put less stress on the coil packs (they run with a slightly smaller gap), so you could say that I've seen a reliability improvement as a result of the coil issues I haven't had .

Personally I think they're well worth the extra money (they'll likely never need doing again for the life of the car); just don't expect to see any miracle changes.