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[Mr Skrunts]

2003 2.2 Auto

Whats best plugs to use.

T.I.A.

[TheBoy]

I always used GM twins, namely because they were cheap and convenient in the days TC delivered.

Quads are a waste of money TBH

[cam.in.head]

and i read somewhere that quads can even give a weaker spark than a normal plug. ?
but yes a twin should and will be fine .

[Enceladus]

Twin pole plugs are GM part 9195109 = Bosch FLR8LDCU.

[Andy H]

Quads are/were an attempt to stretch the service interval for the V6 (to 80,000 miles IIRC) and we all know how well that turned out 

4 electrodes should erode at half the rate of 2 electrodes - it probably made some sense when VX were selling the idea to fleet buyers of doing 80,000 miles without lifting the bonnet.....

[Doctor Gollum]

and i read somewhere that quads can even give a weaker spark than a normal plug. ?
but yes a twin should and will be fine .

I recall that this was more of an issue for lpg fuelled cars

[Raeturbo]

Yes I agree, LPG are more suited to single electrode.

[cam.in.head]

i suppose the theory behind them is that the spark should jump the smallest gap and will wear/ burn away the slight difference until another electrode becomes the smallest gap .but before then there is the chance that it will jump 2 gaps.resulting in a weaker spark.as we know electricity always takes the path of least resistance and jumping gaps is no different.
il stick to twins in the omega and singles in everything else .

[deviator]

I have used and quite liked the iridium plugs.

Although they can be expensive, (you need to shop around) they are supposed to be good for 50k. But I've never left them in that long, as the porcelain was showing flare marks.

[Nick W]

I have used and quite liked the iridium plugs.

Although they can be expensive, (you need to shop around) they are supposed to be good for 50k. But I've never left them in that long, as the porcelain was showing flare marks.

I dislike leaving them in more than 2 annual oil changes, and considering what a faff they are to  remove and replace just spent the £14 to fit new ones when I do. Bosch or NGK twins for me, simply because they're the easiest to get.

[deviator]

Would you like to know a pretty much worse case scenario for not changing your plugs? Well you are in luck.

As the plug wears, the gap gets bigger. This in turn requires more energy to get that spark to jump. Carrying on up the chain, the coil pack is now taking a battering. It's not long of this world. But wait, there's more. Not to be outdone, the ECU decides it wants to play, with a dodgy coil pack output.

I know it sounds so unbelievable, it would never happen! Would it? Yes and I experienced it first hand, granted I bought the car with a misfire and also, it was a Fiat, so not the best electrics to start with. My naivety thought there would be done sort of protection on there. Apparently not.

Oh and to stop people playing, the ECU board was bathed in resin. Luckily a replacement, decoded ECU was very cheap!

[Doctor Gollum]

I used quads in my 3.2 and changed them out every 20k...

Just because 

[Nick W]

Would you like to know a pretty much worse case scenario for not changing your plugs? Well you are in luck.

How about snapping off a plug in an aircraft engine? Or even the rear passenger side one on a V6?
It's bad enough breaking one on an Ford Endura engine where you can pull the cylinder head in 15 minutes.....

[deviator]

Ok you win!