[idea]

I am looking for changing my spark plugs for the i10 1.2L AT. Till date, I have changed it in service station only. However at 47000 KM , I am thinking of upgrading the spark plugs instead of using the standard NGK ones provided by service center.

1. Looking at new technology, which spark plugs I should opt for?
2. Where can I buy it online? Or in Pune?
3. Do authorized service centers sell parts across the counter?

I plan to change it myself.

Thanks

[R2D2]

If you premium plugs look at the NGK Platinum range. If money is no object check the NGK Iridiums.

2. Where can I buy it online? Or in Pune?

Theres a store at the beginning of Laxmi Rd where it intersects Alka Theater Chowk. They are called Regal Motors and I had purchased NGK Ir and Platinum plugs from him many years back. But he's not the cheapest. There are several spare parts stores on JM Rd too but you need to exact part # of your current plugs and they will need to a cross reference.

Also please be aware that many NGKs sold are remanufactured or fakes. Buy from a trusted store.

Online - Try Boodmo or Amazon India

3. Do authorized service centers sell parts across counter?

May sell OTC if you prove you are the owner. But they may insist on fitting it for you.

I plan to change it myself.

Do this only if you are familiar with these changes. Modern cars have aluminium heads and accidentally cross threading a plug can prove a costly mistake. It is also recommended you use a torque wrench to tighten the plugs to avoid over or under torquing.

PS - Plug upgrades provide very little tangible benefits mainly slight improvement in throttle response and idling. Don't expect extra power.

[idea]

Thank you for your detailed revert.

Originally Posted by R2D2

Do this only if you are familiar with these changes. Modern cars have aluminium heads and accidentally cross threading a plug can prove a costly mistake. It is also recommended you use a torque wrench to tighten the plugs to avoid over or under torquing.

I plan to use the below tool which avoids over tightening.

https://www.amazon.in/Removal-T-Hand.../dp/B01LKPKSZK

Originally Posted by R2D2

PS - Plug upgrades provide very little tangible benefits mainly slight improvement in throttle response and idling. Don't expect extra power.

Appreciate the heads up. Main goal is a smoother engine and less vibration. Added advantages are very small tangible benefits - mainly slight improvement in throttle response and idling.

Originally Posted by R2D2

Online - Try Boodmo or Amazon India

Somehow no luck with Amazon as most of the listings are being shown from global store (to be imported.)

https://www.amazon.in/s/ref=nb_sb_ss...ngk+spark+plug

That leaves me option of local store with risk of getting refurbished part or I will go with standard plugs from dealer as last resort.

Thanks

[2000rpm]

Originally Posted by idea

Appreciate the heads up.

I think your solution is like pulling a gun for a knife battle. The risks are high with benefits low. You can get a smoother engine with a higher grade oil as well. A spark plug may not necessarily solve your problem. Also do check the engine mounts if vibrations are high. They may be the culprit resulting in high engine vibrations.

[GTO]

Performance spark plugs are perhaps the best example of creating the placebo effect. From our modifications article:

Originally Posted by GTO

Spark Plugs: Performance plugs are pointless on a stock / marginally modified car. Iridium plugs have hardly any benefits and you will never notice them anyway. In case you do install the same, ensure that you pick up plugs with the correct heat range for your engine. Approximate cost = Rs.800 – 3,500.

Net net, stick with stock plugs. They are the best .

[OSH]

Here's a video showing the manner in which iridium spark plugs work when compared to normal spark plugs.

Normal vs Iridium spark plugs

The one below is telling you if the change to iridium/platinum sparks plugs is usefull for performance or not.

Upgrade or not ?

Coming to the topic of changing them on your own, you will need access to the service manual of your car because these spark plugs have to be tightened to a specific torque only. They also come in different ratings/models according to your engine. A wrongly fitted spark plug can cause serious issues to your engine block, Honda has even mentioned this in the form of a "notice", here are the pics of the manual instructing how you change the spark plugs in a 2007 Honda City. Click on the images to open them in their higher resolution.

Please note that this procedure is only for this specific car, it does not have universal application







The main advantage of iridium spark plugs is that the service life is more than double of normal spark plugs. In case of the '07 City, normal spark plugs are to be changed at 40000 kms but iridium spark plugs are to be changed at 100000 kms. Attaching a pic of the maintenance schedule.

[Jeroen]

As other members have pointed out, upgrading to Iridium for performance is akin to a hoax.

couple of other considerations; do check whether there is a suitable Iridium plug available, preferably recommended by your car manufacturer. If they don't recommend, just don't.
I seem to recall last time we did the service on my eldest son VW Glof GTI, mk IV I checked and VW didn't recommend iridium plugs so we just stuck plain ones in.

I do used iridium plugs on all my cars where it's feasible. I just like to never have to bother with Spark plugs. So for me, it's more convenience then anything.

The remarks on torqueing is one to bear in mind. If you use the tool you mentioned the risk of overtightening is relatively small, but it's always best to use the correct torque especially on something like sparks.

Many years ago, I made a very stupid mistake when I replaced the plugs on a Peugeot 404. When I started the engine, one of he spark plug shot out, punched a whole right through the bonnet!! PITA to repair the spark plug thread in the cilinder head.

Jeroen

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by idea

Thank you for your detailed revert. I plan to use the below tool which avoids over tightening.

Hmm, don't take this the wrong way mate, but that's not the way you ensure the spark plugs are correctly torqued. Not over tightened maybe..but not correctly torqued. Though they appear similar there's a world of difference between the two. You need a torque wrench AND the correct torque values from your owners or service manual. Period. If you want to get it right nothing else will do.

Main goal is a smoother engine and less vibration. Added advantages are very small tangible benefits - mainly slight improvement in throttle response and idling.

Is your i10's engine rough? Are the plugs due for replacement? If yes, then think about getting the correct diagnosis first before buying plugs. There could be other reasons for the symptoms.

Methinks you'll just be blowing up a fair sum of money on Ir or Pt plugs and running the risk of incorrect installation to get very little, if anything, out of the money, time and effort spent. The replies to that effect on this thread should hopefully convince you.

Go to the dealer, get the engine correctly diagnosed and have the plugs replaced by the dealer only if really required. In other words do not take a risk with cross threading, under/over torquing or buying fakes.

I bought and experimented with NGK and Denso Ir plugs for my car and felt very little difference between them and the stock Denso (non Ir) plugs. I felt the Denso Ir were better than the NGKs and they're installed in my car till today.

Worth the money? For me yes (since I like the 100K Km change interval, plus the ever so slightly better increase in AP response and a rock steady engine idle). YMMV of course but I'd frankly advise everyone to hold off from upgrading. You'll save a few 1000 bucks that can be spent elsewhere on the car.

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by R2D2

Hmm, don't take this the wrong way mate, but that's not the way you ensure the spark plugs are correctly torqued. Not over tightened maybe..but not correctly torqued. Though they appear similar there's a world of difference between the two. You need a torque wrench AND the correct torque values from your owners or service manual. Period. If you want to get it right nothing else will do.

Precisely. Every car has its own different torque spec. These gauges are like one of those cheap TPMS ripoffs which show green or red depending on pressure and people install in different cars without thinking that they are calibrated for a particular value.

Also new gen head constructions are mainly Aluminium based. You don't want to strip the threads by overtightening. So be very careful.

I bought the torque wrench mainly for these jobs:

I bought and experimented with NGK and Denso Ir plugs for my car and felt very little difference between them and the stock Denso (non Ir) plugs. I felt the Denso Ir were better than the NGKs and they're installed in my car till today.

Can you kindly find me the proper plug in Denso?? NGK model was DCPR7EIX

Worth the money? For me yes (since I like the 100K Km change interval, plus the ever so slightly better increase in AP response and a rock steady engine idle). YMMV of course but I'd frankly advise everyone to hold off from upgrading. You'll save a few 1000 bucks that can be spent elsewhere on the car.

Its worth for me too. But one shouldn't expect too much difference in engine output. I mean if someone is value conscious then definitely not. In my case, it solved the jerkiness with AC lower down the revv range. To make sure it wasnt a placebo effect, I swapped with normal plugs and the jerkiness was back along with the erratic idle surge(cannot be felt but one can see if SDT is connected.)



Regards
Shashi

[Sankar]

Some videos i made 9 years ago with my then phone crappy cam.

NGK Iridium rep came visiting us. Test jig with iridium and ordinary plug. HT leads are swapped to prove that there's no coil trickery.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kD15midl2I

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jlRAlveckSk

My Karizma (long story phew) with stock new plug

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oFBNWhfjLjY

My Karizma with iridium new plug

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTxCAGc-jYs

Biggest advantage of Iridium plugs are "consistent" engine performance.

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Can you kindly find me the proper plug in Denso?? NGK model was DCPR7EIX

Suzuki K Series?
Stock - NGK KR6A-10
NGK Iridium - DCPR7EIX (DCPR6EIX for OE heatrange). Had these in my K10B and K12M.
Denso Iridium - IXU22 (IXU20 for OE heat range). Changed from DCPR7EIX after K12M to K14B conversion.

[Leoshashi]

Originally Posted by Sankar

Suzuki K Series?.

No sir, Suzuki F series[F8D].

I have these on my 5 Speed 800.

Stock - NGK KR6A-10
NGK Iridium - DCPR7EIX (DCPR6EIX for OE heatrange). Had these in my K10B and K12M.
Denso Iridium - IXU22 (IXU20 for OE heat range). Changed from DCPR7EIX after K12M to K14B conversion

Great. You actually answered another doubt which I had. Somehow according to NGK part finder, they don't show any equivalent iridium plug for K series engines. A friend was willing to get iridiums for his 2016 Swift VXi, but we didn't know what to choose.

Regards,
Shashi

[Sankar]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

No sir, Suzuki F series[F8D].

I have these on my 5 Speed 800.

Ohk! I never knew that the later injected F's used the thinner plug. I thought all F series (like my non injected 800) like G series used the thicker B series plug.

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Great. You actually answered another doubt which I had. Somehow according to NGK part finder, they don't show any equivalent iridium plug for K series engines. A friend was willing to get iridiums for his 2016 Swift VXi, but we didn't know what to choose.

Regards,
Shashi

Same case for the 1.2 Kappa

Btw if you are planning to upgrade from NGK Iridium to Denso Iridium there is no real reason to do it if the NGK Iridium plugs are good.

Denso iridium comes in two trims - Iridium Power (IXU) and Iridium Tough (VXU); the latter has platinum ground electrode and is a long life plug, and the former has a U groove ground electrode. Both feature thinner than NGK center elctrode.

NGK also comes in two trims - Iridium Laser (IL) which is OE and Iridium IX aftermarket upgrade. Laser Iridium series are OEM and has a platinum ground electrode and Iridium center electrode. Regular IX series have normal ground electrode and is an upgrade path plug for vehicles using normal plugs.

An old pic from my blog

[R2D2]

Originally Posted by Leoshashi

Can you kindly find me the proper plug in Denso?? NGK model was DCPR7EIX

Shashi, here's the Denso X reference chart for Indian cars:

https://www.denso.com/global/en/prod...dex_india.html

My car uses the standard long life Ir plug Denso Ir

I purchased this set from Toyota (these were offered as an 'upgrade') and the plugs were about Rs 1,100 each IIRC. So that's a nice Rs 4.5K on plugs, a substantial amount which IMO could be more usefully spent on other aspect of the car's maintenance.

So frankly unless one is really, really keen to give their engine the best plugs possible OR if the car came with Ir parts from the factory I'd say stick to normal plugs. The cost of an upgrade outweighs the benefits. But then to those of us with an OCD it's worth it.

[Jeroen]

If you want to experiment a bit with Spark Plugs, how about going for the so called fan flame Spark Plugs. Trust me, they’re real, just google it.



Jeroen

[johannskaria]

Originally Posted by idea

I am looking for changing my spark plugs for the i10 1.2L AT.

1. Looking at new technology, which spark plugs I should opt for?

I plan to change it myself.

https://youtu.be/slyfJO_1UPg

Originally Posted by GTO

Net net, stick with stock plugs. They are the best .

I agree completely