Plug Troubles ?

[Wildman95GS-T]

Hi all i am having trouble keeping plugs in my 95 GS-T, i run the suggested NGK BPR6ES plugs and have Magnecore 8.5mm wires. My car is virtually stock and a set of plugs will last about 2 weeks before i get rough idle and hard starts. The plugs are not black or fould out looking, any help would be greatly appreciated

 

[donmagicjuan]

First, please update your vehicle profile so that we don't have to ask what you've done to the car.

Are you gapping the plugs correctly? If they are not fouling, how can you be certain that you have a problem with your spark plugs? Try posting a picture of the plugs after the problem starts to better enable us to help you.

 

[Wildman95GS-T]

I will update my profile, all i know is with a new set of plugs gapped to .030" as per RRE with boost up to 16psi, i run mine at 14psi, the car idles smooth and pulls hard to red line with little or no turbo lag and not back fire at shift. After about 2 weeks of driving, the car takes longer to start, idles rough, turbo lag sucks and i get a backfire at gear shifts at high rpm.

 

[Wildman95GS-T]

Here is a picture of my plug

 

[donmagicjuan]

That's about what I'd expect a plug to look like from a stock setup. So, does replacing the plugs after the problem starts return everything to normal?

You might try bringing in the gap on the plugs a little. The actual spec is 0.028". If that doesn't do anything you'll have to start looking at things upstream of the plugs, starting with the wires.

 

[Wildman95GS-T]

Thanks, so they look about normal ? Yes changing the plugs will correct all the problems, its getting hard to find NGK BPR6ES plugs, everyone has to order them. I had a thought. i am using KV85 Magnecore wires and where they go under my strut brace they touch, i have inspected them and they get discolored but no chafing. Could this be a problem ? I also need to get a good feeler gage, i am using a ring gage and i don't think it is very accurate.

 

[donmagicjuan]

Unless there has been a breakdown of the insulation, your wires should be able to touch without any problems. I would suspect problems at or around the connectors before the middle of the wires. How old are they?

 

[fourreGsixty3]

Mine look just like yours...well except my #2 plug (but thats a different story), and I changed those about every 2 months (put over 500 miles per week), and I personaly checked the gap to be .028" on every plug everytime, and I haven't had a problem. I dont suspect the plugs to be at fault here, I would look else where. since changing the plugs aleviates the problem I am thinking that the problem is within your ignition system. Check your coil-pack ends for discoloration differences, at night idle the car, and move the wires around (this will allow the arc of electricity to be better seen if the wires are at fault), or look over the wires for any white pin holes, this indicates that there is a hole in the wire. I would also bring the gap to .028" like Don said. Also on a side note it maybe too large of a gap for the spark to jump with a stock ignition. Go .026"-.028", that should be good for you, with an MSD-DIS 2 ignition amp a .030"-.034" gap would be good.

Dustin

 

[Wildman95GS-T]

Thanks, my wires are about two years old.

 

[Defiant]

Pop the hood in the dark and look for spark leakage.