How to change your sparkplugs

[abiggs]

Pictures were fine for me. This post rules BTW. I didn't even know how to find the plugs until this FAQ. Car started acting up and I found cylinder 2 to be misfiring. With no experience on h-opposed engines I got it done in 90 minutes or so, and that's counting for breaks.

For what it's worth, I used the small (1/4?) ratchet and no extension to get off the coil packs on all 4 cylinders. Then a medium (3/8?) ratchet with a 3 inch extension to get out the plugs. Luckily nothing was too tight so I didn't run into trouble where I needed more leverage.

Hardest part is gapping the plugs right on the first try.

I would love to know how many hours of labor a shop charges for doing this job.

Tony

[wrxlude]

pics are showing up for me- not showing up for you guys?

yeah, it is now. Thanks, Big Sky. Your help is invaluable!

OH...and I just wanted to say (all you bugeyes know this by now) the fluid bottle actually has 2 connectors on it. (I guess the blobs only have one)

I'll load pics up soon.

STomp

[ivtecc]

Note to self: I find it easier and less frustrating to take out the rubber spark plug gripper inside the socket. well for the cheap $4 socket from autozone.

it just keeps getting stuck onto the new spark plug i put in. so away to goes. i know for the snap on sockets at school the rubber thing stays on for inline motors at least.

[Jeff863]

i think im going to do my plugs next weekend but im not sure what to get. what are the best you can buy??

[ivtecc]

THE oem stuff. they ssell it at advance for 10 bcuks a plug.

part number pfr6g
NGK laser platinum premium

[Jeff863]

got my sparkplugs today. i now hate that peace of rubber inside the socket!!!

[ivtecc]

im feelin you dude. as of now i have two sparkplug sockets. one with the rubber to take out the sparkplugg and one without the rubber for putting it in.

[Jeff863]

please help i just changed my sparkplugs in my 03 wrx 2.0L from stock plugs to Iridium IX - BKR7EIX 2667 and my car wont run. i can hear it firing but it stalls right after. what could i have done wrong??? i don't have a torque wrench what happened if i over tighten?? i smell gas coming from the engine. is that bad?? please help!!

[Jeff863]

im feelin you dude. as of now i have two sparkplug sockets. one with the rubber to take out the sparkplugg and one without the rubber for putting it in.

i have 3 now i found if you take out the rubber and cut it in half it wont stick as much worked 3 out of 4 times for me.

[Jeff863]

I unplugged my MAS and it ran for a min or two. it made a weird backfire and stalled shortly after. i got the check engine light but no way to read the code yet.

[ivtecc]

did you drive around with the maf removed? its not safe and its giving a null reading. the compute goes into closed loop (which is default setting for the maf) and sets a check engine light. you only do that when you want to check if your check engine light works.

[Jeff863]

did you drive around with the maf removed? its not safe and its giving a null reading. the compute goes into closed loop (which is default setting for the maf) and sets a check engine light. you only do that when you want to check if your check engine light works.

no i did not
i ran a code checker and got nothing any ideas???

[YBNormal07]

Have you checked the obvious?

Plugs were gapped correctly?
Coil packs all installed correctly and snug?

Did you smell the gas after cranking without it firing, or after it cranked and backfired?

Usually if you smell gas on an EFI engine that won't fire, it is a sign of no spark.

Edit: overtightening won't really hurt anything until you go to take the plugs out...then you will curse the day you did it. Unless of course, you happened to have heard any cracking noises during the plug install. This would mean you cracked the ceramic insulator (the white part), and your plug is now grownded and won't spark properly (if at all). It is hard to visually confirm if you have cracked the insulator. Usually, you can tell by a small snapping sound around the area of the plug while cranking the engine over. DO NOT touch the plug during cranking, unless you feel like being knocked on your butt.

[ivtecc]

just reset your ecu and leave the maf sensor ON. or just drive it off.

i bet you plugged the maf back in and then checked the code. so thats why theres no code because it is working properly. In order for you to just drive off the check engine lighr you have to meet some criteria which i do not know of for subarus. But its something like this: engine warm, 60mph for 2 mins with engine load at 50%. I find it easier to just reset the ecu.

[YBNormal07]

I believe he is still having trouble even getting it to run properly. Reseting the ECU is always the last thing I recommend until you have diagnosed the issue. Otherwise you can potentially wipe out informative codes, etc.

However, resetting never really hurts anything, so it isn't like you shouldn't do it.