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Author Topic: Astra H plugs  (Read 4760 times)

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terry paget

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Astra H plugs
« on: 12 October 2019, 17:05:40 »

Astra H 1.6 petrol manual 103000 miles
This car runs jolly well. I am experiencing a slight hesitation on rapidly opening the throttle at low revs. I suspect old, maybe original, plugs and reckon they are worth changing. Any comments?
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Doctor Gollum

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Re: Astra H plugs
« Reply #1 on: 12 October 2019, 17:12:06 »

They're due ;)
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Re: Astra H plugs
« Reply #2 on: 13 October 2019, 08:12:03 »

I bet you've got some used ones somewhere Terry...
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terry paget

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Re: Astra H plugs
« Reply #3 on: 13 October 2019, 09:42:21 »

I bet you've got some used ones somewhere Terry...
Wrong. However, I have new plugs for various Omegas, all of which would fit physically, but would probably be the wrong heat rating for the Astra H 1.6. I wonder how I could check.
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Webby the Bear

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Re: Astra H plugs
« Reply #4 on: 13 October 2019, 11:03:15 »

Worth cleaning throttle body. Had to replace a few of these now. The last one I replaced was mother in laws. It was probably the worst I’ve seen and had looked like the carbon had caused the motor to break
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Re: Astra H plugs
« Reply #5 on: 13 October 2019, 11:04:19 »

Ps not saying that is definitely what it is. But worth a look. Especially as it’s so easy to do on them 👍
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Andy B

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Re: Astra H plugs
« Reply #6 on: 13 October 2019, 11:06:05 »

For the cost of a set of plugs, even from Halfords or AN Other motorfactor, and the ease of changing them I'd replace them all & go from there.
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Re: Astra H plugs
« Reply #7 on: 13 October 2019, 11:51:05 »

I bet you've got some used ones somewhere Terry...
Wrong. However, I have new plugs for various Omegas, all of which would fit physically, but would probably be the wrong heat rating for the Astra H 1.6. I wonder how I could check.


The GM plugs have a wide heat band. So check they might be compatible.
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Nick W

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Re: Astra H plugs
« Reply #8 on: 13 October 2019, 11:56:13 »

For the cost of a set of plugs, even from Halfords or AN Other motorfactor, and the ease of changing them I'd replace them all & go from there.


that.


Inspecting the plug leads and/or the coil(s) while you're changing the plugs would be worthwhile. Fix any topend oil leaks too, as that would require most of the same work.


DBW throttle bodies can be an issue, as can the pedal sensors although those are normally failsafe - the throttle won't open at all.
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Doctor Gollum

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Re: Astra H plugs
« Reply #9 on: 13 October 2019, 12:59:47 »

They're a 100k interval on those, so, as someone said previously  ::), they're overdue a change  :y
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terry paget

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Re: Astra H plugs
« Reply #10 on: 14 October 2019, 16:33:57 »

How cars improve! On my Peugeot 505 I had to change the plugs every 5000 miles, or it would not start. 505 GTI was much better, that had electronic ignition. And my Velocette Venom, 500cc single, magneto ignition, either fired up first or second kick, or it wasn't going to without a plug change.
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Keith ABS

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Re: Astra H plugs
« Reply #11 on: 14 October 2019, 18:30:52 »

 Price was good on genuine plugs when I bought for the Zaf
100,000 intervals on change
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terry paget

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Re: Astra H plugs
« Reply #12 on: 15 October 2019, 15:16:08 »


Old plugs looked well used to me, spark gaps were 39thou, 0.99mm. Car still started perfectly, incredible. Plugs were NGK R ZFR5F.
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Re: Astra H plugs
« Reply #13 on: 16 October 2019, 18:07:13 »

I've put Omega plugs in all sorts of cars without issue  :y if they fit they've always worked
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terry paget

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Re: Astra H plugs
« Reply #14 on: 16 October 2019, 18:53:16 »

I've put Omega plugs in all sorts of cars without issue  :y if they fit they've always worked
Interesting. I was taught that plugs with too hot a heat rating would oil up when idling, while cool plugs would glow red hot at full power and cause pre-ignition. I suspect most modern petrol Vauxhalls have similar requirements, so the plugs are interchangeable. Having said that, plugs are so cheap it's probably not worth the risk.
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Re: Astra H plugs
« Reply #15 on: 16 October 2019, 19:50:11 »

If they're too long you run the risk of being struck by the piston, and too short and they become shielded by the head and the mixture won't burn cleanly.

Like you said, even genuine plugs are less than a tenner, so really not worth the risk :y
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Nick W

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Re: Astra H plugs
« Reply #16 on: 17 October 2019, 10:33:11 »

Ditching distributors and points based ignition arrangements for high ouput mapped systems is the root of longer plug life. FI further improved it.


100k intervals don't appeal to me though.
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Enceladus

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Re: Astra H plugs
« Reply #17 on: 17 October 2019, 12:31:14 »

I've put Omega plugs in all sorts of cars without issue  :y if they fit they've always worked
Interesting. I was taught that plugs with too hot a heat rating would oil up when idling, while cool plugs would glow red hot at full power and cause pre-ignition. I suspect most modern petrol Vauxhalls have similar requirements, so the plugs are interchangeable. Having said that, plugs are so cheap it's probably not worth the risk.

Omega plugs are the same heat range as those in your Astra.

Bosch & Beru, NGK, Champion etc use different scales for heat.
Most of the Omega plugs were Bosch and 8 on the Bosch heatscale. Approximately equivalent to 5 on the NGK scale. NGK 6 would be approximately equivalent to 7 on the Bosch scale.

I don't believe your NGK plugs are the "100K miles" version. They're standard model Copper/Nickel plugs. The extreme long life plugs will be the multi-pole Beru Platinum/Iridium plugs Z190.

That said if your NGK plugs have truly lasted 103K miles, then I would replace with the same.
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Re: Astra H plugs
« Reply #18 on: 17 October 2019, 14:12:20 »

Every motor I've ever owned, had new plugs every service,.
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Re: Astra H plugs
« Reply #19 on: 17 October 2019, 15:19:14 »

Spark plugs, eh? Complicated stuff.
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Nick W

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Re: Astra H plugs
« Reply #20 on: 17 October 2019, 16:59:34 »

Every motor I've ever owned, had new plugs every service,.


exactly
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terry paget

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Re: Astra H plugs
« Reply #21 on: 17 October 2019, 22:51:54 »

I've put Omega plugs in all sorts of cars without issue  :y if they fit they've always worked
Interesting. I was taught that plugs with too hot a heat rating would oil up when idling, while cool plugs would glow red hot at full power and cause pre-ignition. I suspect most modern petrol Vauxhalls have similar requirements, so the plugs are interchangeable. Having said that, plugs are so cheap it's probably not worth the risk.

Omega plugs are the same heat range as those in your Astra.

Bosch & Beru, NGK, Champion etc use different scales for heat.
Most of the Omega plugs were Bosch and 8 on the Bosch heatscale. Approximately equivalent to 5 on the NGK scale. NGK 6 would be approximately equivalent to 7 on the Bosch scale.

I don't believe your NGK plugs are the "100K miles" version. They're standard model Copper/Nickel plugs. The extreme long life plugs will be the multi-pole Beru Platinum/Iridium plugs Z190.

That said if your NGK plugs have truly lasted 103K miles, then I would replace with the same.
Thanks for that. May I take it that the 5 in the NGK label NGK R ZFR5F was the heat rating? I note Haynes prescribes Champion RC 10MCC R6 plugs for the Astra 1.4 and 1.6 normally aspirated, NGK IFR7X-7G for the 1.4 turbo, and NGK ZFR6BP-G for the 1.6 turbo, very specific.
The plugs I removed were well eroded, and I imagine were original. As said before, modern cars are wonderful. The Senator was not so good, electronic ignition, but with a distributor at the front behind the open cheese grater grill, which allowed the rain to blow in.
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Enceladus

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Re: Astra H plugs
« Reply #22 on: 18 October 2019, 03:10:18 »

May I take it that the 5 in the NGK label NGK R ZFR5F was the heat rating? I note Haynes prescribes Champion RC 10MCC R6 plugs for the Astra 1.4 and 1.6 normally aspirated, NGK IFR7X-7G for the 1.4 turbo, and NGK ZFR6BP-G for the 1.6 turbo, very specific.
The plugs I removed were well eroded, and I imagine were original. As said before, modern cars are wonderful. The Senator was not so good, electronic ignition, but with a distributor at the front behind the open cheese grater grill, which allowed the rain to blow in.
That's right the '5' on the NGK is the heat rating.
As I see it the Vauxhall EPC lists two possible factory fit plugs for your 1.6. Bosch FQR8LE2 and Champion RC10MCC (aka OE198/T10). These and your NGK ZFR5F are all equivalents and are single pole Copper/Nickel. However they all use different heat scales and counter intuitively a lower number is hotter on the NGK scale. Hence Bosch 8 <=> Champion 10 <=> NGK 5. It's never a precise equivalence.

The turbo plugs are colder and are Iridium and Platinum.

So likely somebody changed the plugs in your Astra for the NGKs some time ago. Seems probable they were not factory fit but aftermarket.

I wish I still had my Senator.
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terry paget

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Re: Astra H plugs
« Reply #23 on: 19 October 2019, 21:16:18 »

I've put Omega plugs in all sorts of cars without issue  :y if they fit they've always worked
Interesting. I was taught that plugs with too hot a heat rating would oil up when idling, while cool plugs would glow red hot at full power and cause pre-ignition. I suspect most modern petrol Vauxhalls have similar requirements, so the plugs are interchangeable. Having said that, plugs are so cheap it's probably not worth the risk.

Omega plugs are the same heat range as those in your Astra.

Bosch & Beru, NGK, Champion etc use different scales for heat.
Most of the Omega plugs were Bosch and 8 on the Bosch heatscale. Approximately equivalent to 5 on the NGK scale. NGK 6 would be approximately equivalent to 7 on the Bosch scale.

I don't believe your NGK plugs are the "100K miles" version. They're standard model Copper/Nickel plugs. The extreme long life plugs will be the multi-pole Beru Platinum/Iridium plugs Z190.

That said if your NGK plugs have truly lasted 103K miles, then I would replace with the same.
Like most of the use cars, I buy this car came without any service history. Having done over 100,000 miles I thought it prudent to change the plugs. And as the gaps were just about 1mm I reckonned they had done some miles.

On my Senators I changed the plugs every 10000 miles, but they still would not start on wet mornings if left outside. I used to keep spare distributor caps with numbered leads standing by. In this respect Omegas are much better, as are the fwd Astras, Vectras, etc.
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BazaJT

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Re: Astra H plugs
« Reply #24 on: 20 October 2019, 09:01:36 »

How strange,out he Senators and the Monza[all 12v engines]I never had any problems starting them no matter what the weather or how long they'd been stood for[as long as the battery had enough charge]the Omega is no better/worse in this regard.Never owned an Astra or Vectra so can't comment on those.
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Re: Astra H plugs
« Reply #25 on: 20 October 2019, 09:11:42 »

How strange,out he Senators and the Monza[all 12v engines]I never had any problems starting them no matter what the weather or how long they'd been stood for[as long as the battery had enough charge]the Omega is no better/worse in this regard. ....

The only time my 24v Senator could be iffy was if you started it, moved it & switched off while still 'on choke'  ..... but that is apparently a common call out for recovery companies.
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BazaJT

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Re: Astra H plugs
« Reply #26 on: 20 October 2019, 09:14:12 »

Yes my XJ6 was like that-as I believe all the XJ's were.
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Re: Astra H plugs
« Reply #27 on: 20 October 2019, 09:46:48 »

On my Senators I changed the plugs every 10000 miles, but they still would not start on wet mornings if left outside. I used to keep spare distributor caps with numbered leads standing by. In this respect Omegas are much better, as are the fwd Astras, Vectras, etc.
That's probably more the move to more integrated engine management and the demise of distributors, rather than anything to do with the plugs.
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Nick W

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Re: Astra H plugs
« Reply #28 on: 20 October 2019, 12:36:45 »

On my Senators I changed the plugs every 10000 miles, but they still would not start on wet mornings if left outside. I used to keep spare distributor caps with numbered leads standing by. In this respect Omegas are much better, as are the fwd Astras, Vectras, etc.
That's probably more the move to more integrated engine management and the demise of distributors, rather than anything to do with the plugs.


high quality rotor arms and distributor caps made a big difference. They are some of the few parts I do insist on branded products; I won't buy Intermotor ignition parts as I've had lots of failures. Lucas, Motorcraft or Bosch were what I bought, with NGK plugs
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