General Panda 100hp NGK Upgrade Spark plugs?

[Joeuk2000]

Hi there

I’m thinking about changing the spark plugs on my Panda 100HP, the handbook recommends NGK DCP7E-N-10, not very expensive so cool.

NGK recommend the Iridium Spark plugs as an upgrade, DCP7EIX, only few quid more.

Is it worth upgrading to the better spark plugs? Will I really tell the difference, has anyone ever tried them?

Cheers

Joe

 

[highwayman71]

I fitted the Denso Iridium plugs a couple of weeks ago. Only difference I've noticed is that my wallet is lighter :-/ They should last longer than standard plugs though.

 

[AB100]

I fitted the Denso Iridium plugs a couple of weeks ago. Only difference I've noticed is that my wallet is lighter :-/ They should last longer than standard plugs though.

Same here. No difference except the cost and sense of self-satisfaction.

 

[Gavv8]

Pretty much everyone who has tried Iridium plugs have reported no improvements for significant extra cost.

 

[Joeuk2000]

Thanks ok.. Cool. I guess the original ones are for the spec of the car so they should do...

Where this came from is my local fiat dealer wanted to charge me £65 extra for fitting new spark plugs on top of a basic service... 'They are original fiat ones' I was told, 'I'm sure I can pick them up for a fiver each' I scoffed lol

 

[306maxi]

Iridium's do last longer and imho are a tiny bit better, jrkitching reported that his cars run that little bit better with them in and I concur.

 

[Goudrons]

It's personal choice.

I can see why they last longer.
Iridium is related to platinum and it's very hard stuff, the spark uses a tiny chip of metal from the tip everytime it fires, wearing the gap larger over time, so harder the tip the better the gap stays for longer.

They are meant to use less power to generate the spark and can therefore jump a larger gap, again extending life when the gaps do increase.

Alfa's TwinSpark engines use 8 (2 differnet plugs per cylinder) Platinum plugs and their service life is 65k, so they do work in that respect.

Questions are, are you keeping the car long enough to warrant them, does the extra cost/life outweigh the cost/life of standard plugs, will someone bin them at the next service because the book says they are due?

Me, I'd stick with standard NGK's but shop around for them, it's not going to break the bank changing them by the book!

 

[AB100]

It's personal choice.

I can see why they last longer.
Iridium is related to platinum and it's very hard stuff, the spark uses a tiny chip of metal from the tip everytime it fires, wearing the gap larger over time, so harder the tip the better the gap stays for longer.

They are meant to use less power to generate the spark and can therefore jump a larger gap, again extending life when the gaps do increase.

Alfa's TwinSpark engines use 8 (2 differnet plugs per cylinder) Platinum plugs and their service life is 65k, so they do work in that respect.

Questions are, are you keeping the car long enough to warrant them, does the extra cost/life outweigh the cost/life of standard plugs, will someone bin them at the next service because the book says they are due?

Me, I'd stick with standard NGK's but shop around for them, it's not going to break the bank changing them by the book!

I paid £31 from Amazon. Wanted to see if there was any difference. None was perceived. The fact that they'll last is OK. Not sure I'd buy them again though. We don't do that much mileage.

 

[Joeuk2000]

Thanks all much appreciated ?

 

[Joeuk2000]

I will be keeping the car a long time but think I'd like to do a routinish replacement of sparkies... So will get the normal ones!

 

[Gavv8]

Better to use normal ones and change them more often than pay more and leave them in forever.

 

[Gavv8]

Thanks ok.. Cool. I guess the original ones are for the spec of the car so they should do...

Where this came from is my local fiat dealer wanted to charge me £65 extra for fitting new spark plugs on top of a basic service... 'They are original fiat ones' I was told, 'I'm sure I can pick them up for a fiver each' I scoffed lol

Is that £65 including the plugs or just to fit them?...if its just fitting then they should be wearing a mask and striped jumper.

 

[Joeuk2000]

It was £65 to supply and fit, if I were to supply £40 to fit... I never laughed so loud down a phone before!!

 

[jrkitching]

Pretty much everyone who has tried Iridium plugs have reported no improvements for significant extra cost.

There is a slight improvement in both starting and running, but the real benefit is in their much longer life. The NGK Ir's are about twice the price of the OEM parts; the Denso's significantly more & IMO not worth the extra over the NGK Ir's.

The standard plugs will be utterly worn out by 12000miles. I'm now up to 33000 miles on the NGK Ir's in my 1.2 Panda & they are still working as well as the day they were fitted. I've run Ir's in other vehicles up to 80000 miles without issues.

They're well worth it if you're planning to keep the car for 30000+ miles. If you do your own maintenance, you'll save a bit of money and a bit of time. If you're paying main dealer rates for fitting, you'll save a lot more money.

Just make sure you put a dab of anti seize on the threads when fitting. It'll be a long while before they'll be coming out again.

 

[Goudrons]

£10 per plug to fit and you wanted to laugh.
I think my tourettes may have surfaced at that point.

There's only two words you needed and one of them was "off"!

In the poor old days when you could have a night out at the flicks with your squeeze, couple of pints and a fish supper for two on the way home and all for a farthing, there was a technique used to reset the plug gap.

A cheap tool made of wires of different thicknesses gauged the gap and a nip or tap of the plugs ground opened or closed it.
Plug cleaners that fired grit at the end weren't unheard of either, think I still have one somewhere.
You only binned a plug when you binned the motor!

Come to think of it, I think my '72 2 stoke is still on it's original plug!

 

[Gavv8]

£10 per plug to fit and you wanted to laugh.
I think my tourettes may have surfaced at that point.

There's only two words you needed and one of them was "off"!

In the poor old days when you could have a night out at the flicks with your squeeze, couple of pints and a fish supper for two on the way home and all for a farthing, there was a technique used to reset the plug gap.

A cheap tool made of wires of different thicknesses gauged the gap and a nip or tap of the plugs ground opened or closed it.
Plug cleaners that fired grit at the end weren't unheard of either, think I still have one somewhere.
You only binned a plug when you binned the motor!

Come to think of it, I think my '72 2 stoke is still on it's original plug!

I think that was about 1948.........