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      10-04-2020, 12:50 AM   #1
Davisca455
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I've been reading a ton of threads the last month or two, and a re-occuring theme is spark plug replacement.
Seems like I read 10,000 mile replacement intervals enough times that I wondered if I should change mine?
My plugs (G-Power supplied with the SC kit) were at 55,000+ miles, but I hadn't noticed any issues whatsoever.
The fuel milage has been good too.
I thought "Man, don't I feel lucky I don't have to change those spark plugs so often as these other folks."

While I was doing some other upkeep on the car, motor mounts, belt tensioner and idler rollers, cleaned my air filters and air box, I decided to change my spark plugs ($27 each) as well.

Took the car out for a real test drive this morning, while doing some freeway driving, I noticed right away that the car seemed to have WAY snappier throttle response, and noticeably more grunt down low.
It was fast as s#!t with the old spark plugs, but now...you better be on the lookout for tire spin when the revs hit 7000 in 4th gear!
It will wiggle itself right off a narrow, crowned, dirty country road if you aren't 100% on guard.
I am now a "Spark Plug Guy"!
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      10-04-2020, 06:21 AM   #2
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I changed mine after 52k and agreed the hype is real. I thought the dct and motor were just sluggish at low rpm and dealt with it and revved up when I needed it. All that lag is gone.

About to install a stage 1 alpine tune which should make it even more crisp.
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      10-04-2020, 06:53 AM   #3
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Davisca455 View Post
I've been reading a ton of threads the last month or two, and a re-occuring theme is spark plug replacement.
Seems like I read 10,000 mile replacement intervals enough times that I wondered if I should change mine?
My plugs (G-Power supplied with the SC kit) were at 55,000+ miles, but I hadn't noticed any issues whatsoever.
The fuel milage has been good too.
I thought "Man, don't I feel lucky I don't have to change those spark plugs so often as these other folks."

While I was doing some other upkeep on the car, motor mounts, belt tensioner and idler rollers, cleaned my air filters and air box, I decided to change my spark plugs ($27 each) as well.

Took the car out for a real test drive this morning, while doing some freeway driving, I noticed right away that the car seemed to have WAY snappier throttle response, and noticeably more grunt down low.
It was fast as s#!t with the old spark plugs, but now...you better be on the lookout for tire spin when the revs hit 7000 in 4th gear!
It will wiggle itself right off a narrow, crowned, dirty country road if you aren't 100% on guard.
I am now a "Spark Plug Guy"!
What plugs are those? They are not stock. Most people use stock plugs even with superchargers since the ionic knock sensor is tuned to the stock plugs. Did GPower specify those single electrode plugs for its supercharger kits?
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      10-04-2020, 08:54 AM   #4
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Some racing plugs, NGK R2556G-9.
Spec'd for the S/C kit by GP Infinitas (formerly G-Power).
I guess they don't use the ionic knock sensing?
Zero evidence of detonation though.

I've been in contact with GP Infinitas this last week, ordering spare air filters and fixed idlers, and they asked about selling me a cable so I could update my tune (kit/software is almost 10 years old now). They said "better drivability and better DCT shifting".
But the car is fine the way is, and I'm afraid to change anything, because it's a super early kit and they were still developing it when it was installed.
Right after it was installed, it would do this weird downshift thing, when in manual mode, so some mod to the gas pedal was made. Then they asked that the DME be sent back to Germany for an update to the software. When they shipped the DME back they included a smaller blower pulley and a shorter belt.
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      10-04-2020, 09:05 AM   #5
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Cyberdemon View Post
I changed mine after 52k and agreed the hype is real. I thought the dct and motor were just sluggish at low rpm and dealt with it and revved up when I needed it. All that lag is gone.

About to install a stage 1 alpine tune which should make it even more crisp.
Do you know why it is that the performance degrades and then improves so noticeably after a plug change?
Like, is it because the engine management system is just dealing with the old plugs by pulling back the timing, or some other parameters?
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      10-04-2020, 10:22 AM   #6
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I’d clear adaptions to reset after changing high mileage plugs. The worn plugs were causing problems you did not notice because the decline is gradual.
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      10-04-2020, 10:59 AM   #7
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Davisca455 View Post
Some racing plugs, NGK R2556G-9.
Spec'd for the S/C kit by GP Infinitas (formerly G-Power).
I guess they don't use the ionic knock sensing?
Zero evidence of detonation though.

I've been in contact with GP Infinitas this last week, ordering spare air filters and fixed idlers, and they asked about selling me a cable so I could update my tune (kit/software is almost 10 years old now). They said "better drivability and better DCT shifting".
But the car is fine the way is, and I'm afraid to change anything, because it's a super early kit and they were still developing it when it was installed.
Right after it was installed, it would do this weird downshift thing, when in manual mode, so some mod to the gas pedal was made. Then they asked that the DME be sent back to Germany for an update to the software. When they shipped the DME back they included a smaller blower pulley and a shorter belt.
where did u get these plugs? hope they are authentic NGK. packaging looks beat and questionable
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      10-04-2020, 11:03 AM   #8
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pbonsalb View Post
I’d clear adaptions to reset after changing high mileage plugs. The worn plugs were causing problems you did not notice because the decline is gradual.
Generally I understand the definition of "Adaptions", but how it's applied to our cars is not clear to me, so I'll do some searches.
The car came with a Bavarian Technic diagnostic cable (never used).
Am I going to need to learn how to use it to clear any adaptions, or can I do it thru the iDrive?
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      10-04-2020, 11:21 AM   #9
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Quote:
Originally Posted by PYE46M3 View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Davisca455 View Post
Some racing plugs, NGK R2556G-9.
Spec'd for the S/C kit by GP Infinitas (formerly G-Power).
I guess they don't use the ionic knock sensing?
Zero evidence of detonation though.

I've been in contact with GP Infinitas this last week, ordering spare air filters and fixed idlers, and they asked about selling me a cable so I could update my tune (kit/software is almost 10 years old now). They said "better drivability and better DCT shifting".
But the car is fine the way is, and I'm afraid to change anything, because it's a super early kit and they were still developing it when it was installed.
Right after it was installed, it would do this weird downshift thing, when in manual mode, so some mod to the gas pedal was made. Then they asked that the DME be sent back to Germany for an update to the software. When they shipped the DME back they included a smaller blower pulley and a shorter belt.
where did u get these plugs? hope they are authentic NGK. packaging looks beat and questionable
Very observant!
They are the boxes that the G-Power plugs (R2556B-9) came in back in '09, and I use them to store the original plugs.
They weren't opened very carefully by the kit installer, so I taped them back together.
Then every 2 years I have to get back into the boxes to retrieve the stock plugs and store the G-Power plugs for a few days....

Last pic is of the boxes the new plugs (R2556G-9) came in.
I got these from Summit Racing.
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Last edited by Davisca455; 10-04-2020 at 11:40 AM..
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      10-05-2020, 12:29 AM   #10
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I was on a yearly schedule for spark plug changes but when the price of ignition coils skyrocketed, I've changed my mind as I don't want to risk breaking a coil over mostly unnecessary work.

But the engine does really love new spark plugs. It runs smoothly for about a thousand miles and then it's back to normal in my experience.

The Bavarian Technic tool is great for diagnostics and is able to reset a few adaptions. I only have the Basic tool from a previous car, so maybe I'm limited on what it can do, but there isn't a whole lot of support for the E9x M3 platform. Worth looking at anyway.
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