New Spark plugs-wow

[Beemdog]

Originally Posted by coloradoe92m3

Yes no anti seize or gapping should be used.

I checked the gaps (2 electrodes per plug) on all of mine when I installed them. Two of the eight NGK plugs had one electrode with the gap too large by a few thou, but nothing unexpected for typical mfg. tolerances.

[thekurgan]

Originally Posted by W///

Someone must have changed them. Forgot to mention I bought my car at 57k miles. When the TVA went out, while I had the room I took 1 spark plug out towards the front of the engine and it looked good. So I didn't bother changing them until later.

Some of the plugs were squealing as I was loosening them, it's a hell of a scary sound

I've heard the squeak. My previous owner had the dealership change them at 20k and I changed them at 30k. Folks here mentioned checking the gap, I honestly didn't think of doing that as they are an air gap dual electrode type, I might do it when I change them at 40k.

[Groundpilot]

I see a lot of ppl change spark plugs every 10K miles
You should only do it if s65 is supercharged. I changed mine at 27k miles, and my plugs looked ok, didnt even feel any difference at all.
Changing every 10k miles is a complete overkill IMO. Unless you are SCed of course.

[coloradoe92m3]

15 is upper limit to make max power. Above 15k it gets impossible to hit max timing targets when other factors kept the same. I've data logged this many times

[thekurgan]

Originally Posted by Groundpilot

I see a lot of ppl change spark plugs every 10K miles
You should only do it if s65 is supercharged. I changed mine at 27k miles, and my plugs looked ok, didnt even feel any difference at all.
Changing every 10k miles is a complete overkill IMO. Unless you are SCed of course.

10k miles for me was 3 years, that's a long time for plugs to sit in the head. 10k miles for me now is 2 years, it's cheap.

At 27k, did you check the gap? Visibly ok looking plugs don't mean they're "ok" and not worn to some degree to lose some power.

[Richbot]

I put my car on an every third oil change (22,500 mostly highway light throttle miles) schedule. I figure it costs $200 in parts doing it myself, $110 for the plugs and $90 for the coil pack I will inevitably snap the top off of with the puller. Last time it was #7

I did notice a difference in midrange after the last change so I think the ecu is less aggressive with timing as they age

[happos2]

Originally Posted by coloradoe92m3

15 is upper limit to make max power. Above 15k it gets impossible to hit max timing targets when other factors kept the same. I've data logged this many times

Please post this data logging activities that shows this. I don't believe this blanket statement.

[s85e90]

You gus are silly and foolish thinking changing plugs every 5-10k is needed or helping. These ain't copper plugs people

[lsmkr01]

Originally Posted by happos2

Please post this data logging activities that shows this. I don't believe this blanket statement.

+1 I've never heard of plugs wearing out in 15k miles.

[CosmosMpower]

Is every 40K about right for stock cars?

[thekurgan]

Originally Posted by s85e90

You gus are silly and foolish thinking changing plugs every 5-10k is needed or helping. These ain't copper plugs people

It's not that they wear out, for me, it's the time spent in the head. At the factory recommended 28k interval, for average drivers in the U.S., that'a barely 2 years. For some of us not driving as much, those plugs can sit in there for 4-6 years, and that is foolish.

Ever change a plug in a toyota aluminum head that has gone 100k on the plugs? <snap> is not uncommon.

[happos2]

Originally Posted by thekurgan

It's not that they wear out, for me, it's the time spent in the head. At the factory recommended 28k interval, for average drivers in the U.S., that'a barely 2 years. For some of us not driving as much, those plugs can sit in there for 4-6 years, and that is foolish.

Ever change a plug in a toyota aluminum head that has gone 100k on the plugs? <snap> is not uncommon.

Isn't factory recommended every 37k, not 28k? Or am I thinking of some other maintenance item?

[thekurgan]

Originally Posted by happos2

Isn't factory recommended every 37k, not 28k? Or am I thinking of some other maintenance item?

I think you're right, my indie is a little proactive when it comes to these plugs and the S54/S62 plugs.

[TXE90M3]

My car was running perfectly when I took it in for an oil change at 23K. Momentum changed the plugs while it was there and the car has run horribly ever since. I was getting motor shake to where it sounded like the pipes were hitting inside the tunnel. It threw an error code for #3 and the dealer replaced that coil pack. The motor shake went away and there has been no CEL, but the car stumbles off idle and is down on power to where it feels like it is running on only 7 cylinders. I took it back to the dealer but they could not find anything wrong with it and told me to come get it because there was no code to tell them what was wrong and they never would listen to me about all the things that I had read online about misfires. So I took it to my tuner who could not find anything wrong either because there was no code. So the tuner took the tune off, then put it back on, and then took it off again because the car still stumbled off idle. So I took it back to the dealer which is where it is now. The service foreman drove it and immediately could feel the stumble and said it was a misfire. But now my service advisor is telling me that his tech says it must have been something with the tune. But it ran like a top with the tune before I brought it in and the plugs were changed and the tune has been taken off, put on and taken off again and it still runs bad. This morning I told them to clear the adaptation values and then install the latest factory tune, but I have not heard back from them yet. What else can I do, should I try Advantage BMW? I have read everything I could find so if there is a link just tell me but don't call me a dumbass. Thank you.

[Beemdog]

TXE90M3: People used to troubleshoot engine problems before there were codes. Over-dependence on them is a problem. From reading this, it sounds like your problems began after a sparkplug change. The front six plugs can be changed in 30-40 minutes, might be worth doing. Check the gaps and keep the old plugs in case of no improvement. You could also buy one new sparkplug coil/cap and cycle it through one-by-one to see if the problem goes away.

[maloo]

Originally Posted by TXE90M3

My car was running perfectly when I took it in for an oil change at 23K. Momentum changed the plugs while it was there and the car has run horribly ever since. I was getting motor shake to where it sounded like the pipes were hitting inside the tunnel. It threw an error code for #3 and the dealer replaced that coil pack. The motor shake went away and there has been no CEL, but the car stumbles off idle and is down on power to where it feels like it is running on only 7 cylinders. I took it back to the dealer but they could not find anything wrong with it and told me to come get it because there was no code to tell them what was wrong and they never would listen to me about all the things that I had read online about misfires. So I took it to my tuner who could not find anything wrong either because there was no code. So the tuner took the tune off, then put it back on, and then took it off again because the car still stumbled off idle. So I took it back to the dealer which is where it is now. The service foreman drove it and immediately could feel the stumble and said it was a misfire. But now my service advisor is telling me that his tech says it must have been something with the tune. But it ran like a top with the tune before I brought it in and the plugs were changed and the tune has been taken off, put on and taken off again and it still runs bad. This morning I told them to clear the adaptation values and then install the latest factory tune, but I have not heard back from them yet. What else can I do, should I try Advantage BMW? I have read everything I could find so if there is a link just tell me but don't call me a dumbass. Thank you.

I bet they broke one of your coil packs during the spark plug change.

[TXE90M3]

Thank you for the advice. The car is still under warranty, so I will push them harder to go old school on the diagnosis. I do not think it is humanly possible to program a code a code for every eventuality, especially if it involves a partly failed component.

[TXE90M3]

Yesterday the dealer replied that the tune needed to go back on for the car to run right. Then today they said the cats needed to go back on to clear the CEL. I am going over there first thing Friday morning to ask WTF, it ran fine without the cats, why would they need to go back on now?

[TXE90M3]

Well, I may have put my foot in my mouth. I went to dealer on Friday morning and met with the tech. In speaking with him I am confident that they have tested everything and confirmed that the plug gaps, coil packs, etc... are correct snd working. The tech said he had seen this exact same thing before with another M3 with a tune on it from a non-major league tuner. So I have opted for the Dinan tune figuring it was on sale and that the dealer could not blame anything on the tune if they were not correct in their diagnosis. I will find out when I get the car back.

[Helmsman]

Originally Posted by Mike Benvo

Mine were replaced at 28K miles under warranty. 46K on the clock now and still hitting all ignition targets set and running better than ever.

I'll probably let BMW change them around 58K under the extended maintenance contract I purchased. Along with rotors, pads, brake fluid, oil, micro-filter, tranny oil, diff oil, and clutch if I can be convincing enough And yeah... tires too somewhere in there. Mine took a beating at the track a few days ago.

Hi Mike, and did you do diff fluid at that 28k point as well? Approaching 20k miles and some suggest diff fluid here or even at 15k while others say 30k (my handbook say nothing..).

Cheers
Nik

[squartus]

Just changed spark plugs at 33,000 miles, had my car supercharged 2,000 miles ago and I just started getting some nasty blowby/backfire engine power loss.
Took car for a nice drive after putting in the new ones and it was HUGE difference, smooth power/more power and no blam blam kblam! when I punch it lol.

Got to say those back coil packs on each side are a pain, left off the spark plug covers as well to make it easier in the future since I got to change them so often now that im SC

[Groundpilot]

Originally Posted by squartus

Just changed spark plugs at 33,000 miles, had my car supercharged 2,000 miles ago and I just started getting some nasty blowby/backfire engine power loss.
Took car for a nice drive after putting in the new ones and it was HUGE difference, smooth power/more power and no blam blam kblam! when I punch it lol.

Got to say those back coil packs on each side are a pain, left off the spark plug covers as well to make it easier in the future since I got to change them so often now that im SC

You should have changed spark plugs at the same time as a SC install.
Changing those back coils and plugs is a big PITA, i agree. Not looking forward doing it, but with a SC, its every 10K miles