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From my experience NGK's seem to be the most universal spark plug out there since I've never had problems with them in all the cars I've installed them in, Domestic and Asian (Honda's). You can search numerous forums regarding NGK's, everybody from Ford 150 enthusiast to the Honda and BMW crowd, they just work well in a lot of engines and people are satisfied with the V and G power plugs..
But, not every engine is the same. Some are really finicky and bitchy about what you put in, others will take anything as long as it's gapped properly. So it's a trial and error approach.
I usually stick stay with NGK's, and Denso's for their reliability, performance and being high quality plugs for a affordable price. It seems like many people that use Bosch plugs have the most issues of misfires and fouled plugs. I don't understand it, not sure if it's the standard single tip plugs or the multi tip ones that are problematic and if this has to do with the overall design of the plugs, or low quality insulator material causing voltage leaks?
I put Bosch plugs in my 92 Accord, within 4 months major misfire in one cylinder. So I put in cheap NGKs and car has worked great since.
Brand absolutely DOES matter, as not all companies have the same quality control levels. Beru spark plugs are known for failing in turbocharged Porsches more often than any other brand. NGK Iridiums used to have a problem with the tips breaking off.
I'm sure there's plenty of other examples, but those are two right off the top of my head.
Perhaps I was not clear? There are only a few spark plug makers, and these produce spark plugs for numerous companies following the specifications asked for by these companies. For example, it's very possible that AC Delco plugs are made by NGK to AC Delco specifications. NGK is the largest EOM spark plug maker in the world.
That said, any spark plug manufacturer could produce defective spark plugs every now and then, including the two mentioned above.
I've only ever used NGKs, Motorcraft/Autolite, or Champion, and never had any issues with my cars. With my snow blower, I put in a First Fire spark plug, and had all kinds of issues, I switched over to a generic Champion plug and it cleared all the issues.
I think so! To add, my friend's 1979 Chrysler 300 with the 360 engine, would only accept (no joke) Bosch Platinums. Many moons ago, my dad took his 1983 Econoline with the 300 straight six for a plug change, and the now defunct-Precision Tune in Cincinnati put in Bosch Platinums...that poor van did the hippy-hippy-shakes all over the place, stalled...the dealer put in Motorcrafts and all was well.
My GMs always had Delco....my Toyota Tercel had Champions and ran great....
I remember my friend Kevin pulling the old plugs out of his 1985 Nissan pickup and seeing the word Nippondenso stamped on lol.
Back when I used to work in auto parts, unless the manager was pushing us hard to push a certain brand, I would always recommend folks put in the OE brand for best results. ND/NGK for Asian vehicles, Autolite for Fords, ACDelcos for GMs, Champion for Dodges, Bosch for german, etc. It seemed to get the best results.
With the fancier plugs (Splitfire, Bosch +2s, +4s), I would occasionally get someone bringing them back saying they either made no real difference or in some cases made the car run slightly worse. Again, this is the customer's perspective, not mine. Of course, spark plugs aren't exactly a returnable item once used, so it would always turn into a big 'let me go get the manager' thing. For this reason alone I would stick to recommending to the customer to stay with the OE brand as much as possible.
Mike
long ago quote but a good answer .. i would only add that champion spark plugs are good for lawn mowers as well ...
Any good spark plug will light the mixture 100% of the time in a sound engine. That is, there will be no misfire assuming everything is else is in good shape. Assuming no misfire, there can be no performance difference between spark plugs unless the spark plug is of such grossly incorrect heat range that it lights the fuel before spark is delivered. Does your stove top burner work differently if you light the flame with a wooden match, a paper match or a spark? The differences will be reliability and longevity. There have been cases where Bosch spark plugs did not fire reliably on Japanese engines.
Bosch is Ford of automotive electronics. Take is as you wish.
Yes, spark plugs do differ in performance, longevity, quality.
Worst I know is Autolite.
Best I know is LG Brisk, which most of you likely never heard of. Official Lambo plugs. The very very best ones are banned from manufacturing, as guy who designed them will not sell patent for cheap.
In-between, there is all and any you can possibly imagine.
Cars ECUs are normally tuned to a particular type of plugs, with that particular resistance and spark production. That's why when you experiment with plugs, as in using non-OEM ones, ECU may not like it.
But easy trick is to re-set ECU by pulling its fuse out, better overnight, so that it "learns" new plugs. MOF, this should be done after any electronic part was replaced, as new ones will function differently. Same goes for air filters or change in routine gas brand.
Indeed! And what parameters, pray tell, are relearned when spark plugs are replaced? What is relearned when an air filter is replaced unless the replacement is grossly overdue and the air filter was restricted? % of ethanol in fuel could effect fuel trim adjustment, but that is constantly being updated on the fly anyway. And what would be the difference between pulling the ECU fuse for 5 minutes versus overnight?
Don in Austin
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