spark plug help

OpenToSuggestions · 13 Apr 2007 at 23:18

ok so ive bought oil, oil filter, air filter, had new breaks in the last 6 months so now all i need to finish complete what i need for the service of my 1.0l k11 micra is spark plugs, and yet again im confused.

haynes says for 1.0 and 1.3litre engines use Bosch FR 7 D+X ones, and for 1.4litre use Bosch FR 8 D+X. Does it REALLY matter which i use? Also are performance spark plugs actualy going to do anything?? (performance cost arond twice as much as normal ones).

Basically ive found on the net the 1.4litre plugs and some iridium (or something like that name) ones for twice the price and they say they are performance ones.

is a spark plug a spark plug? or are they specific to a make of engine?
im sure what im asking is easy for some of you

many thanks

EDIT: forgot to mention. im asking because the haynes was WRONG about the oil i need. Also i have the facelift micra which has different looking cables compared to pre-facelift micras. Whether this is relevant i dont know

moss · 13 Apr 2007 at 23:19

Just buy some NGK BKR5E-11 plugs, they are perfect for your car, NGK plugs are hard to beat IMO.

OpenToSuggestions · 13 Apr 2007 at 23:28

from sparkplugs.co.uk your suggested type would be around 10quid + p+p. how do these compare to the bosch ones? what would happen if i bought the BKR5EIX-11 ones (iridium ones) that cost a bit more. thanks for the quick reply

moss · 13 Apr 2007 at 23:32

mglover070588 said:
how do these compare to the bosch ones? what would happen if i bought the BKR5EIX-11 ones (iridium ones) that cost a bit more. thanks for the quick reply

IMO NGK plugs are better than Bosch plugs, in 11 years of supplying NGK plugs my boss has never had a single NGK sparkplug returned faulty.
I wouldnt bother with iridium plugs, you will not notice any difference. Try a local motorfactors, we sell them plugs for less than £8.00inc VAT a set.

moss · 13 Apr 2007 at 23:33

mglover070588 said:
EDIT: forgot to mention. im asking because the haynes was WRONG about the oil i need. Also i have the facelift micra which has different looking cables compared to pre-facelift micras. Whether this is relevant i dont know

IIRC the facelift Micra has seperate coil packs per plug, the plugs didnt change though.

OpenToSuggestions · 13 Apr 2007 at 23:39

is there a motorfactors in the uttoxeter area?? if not i will order them off the net for a few quid more.
before i buy, how important is it that i replace the plugs? ive had the car 18months from a massive garage with a full service and only done 5500 miles

moss · 13 Apr 2007 at 23:41

The plugs will probably be fine, but they are cheap enough to replace if you want to.
Check the yellow pages, there should be a motorfactors within a few miles.

OpenToSuggestions · 13 Apr 2007 at 23:43

ok cool.
thanks for the help dude :cool:

mattpc · 13 Apr 2007 at 23:55

you do not need performance spark plugs for your micra. It won't make any difference. The only thing that will help your micra performance is decent servicing with normal components and use on the motorway/open road rather than stop starting around the city.

shimy182 · 14 Apr 2007 at 00:18

NGK iridium all the way

PeterT · 14 Apr 2007 at 11:27

If you are a newcomer to DIY mechanicing be careful when fitting the plugs.
If they are recessed it can be easy to cross the thread in the cylinder head.
If you do not have a torque wrench and you over tighten them when fitting you can strip the thread if the cylinder head is aluminium. This then involes a big bill!
The correct plug does matter as they have different length threads and different temperature ratings.
Sorry to be a party pooper but a friend of mine ruined his cylinder head some years ago needing a strip down and helicoil insert fitting.

PeterT

mattpc · 14 Apr 2007 at 11:29

PeterT said:
If you are a newcomer to DIY mechanicing be careful when fitting the plugs.
If they are recessed it can be easy to cross the thread in the cylinder head.
If you do not have a torque wrench and you over tighten them when fitting you can strip the thread if the cylinder head is aluminium. This then involes a big bill!
The correct plug does matter as they have different length threads and different temperature ratings.
Sorry to be a party pooper but a friend of mine ruined his cylinder head some years ago needing a strip down and helicoil insert fitting.

PeterT

Cost me about £50 to get one of mine sorted out when I did this. He fitted a helicor coil. Nice talented chap. Said he spent most of his life doing this at the local merc dealership!!