Really? Then why is it that when he went back to stock plugs the truck runs fine? Like I said earlier, 90% of the so-called "advice" here is people saying, "Wow, you changed "X" and now there's problems? Better start replacing "A", "B", and "C" and that should solve it.

 

how bout a canadian sixer yankee beer makes me p lol

 

You're missing the fact that he may have damaged "A", "B", or "C" while installing "X". Or maybe the installing of new "X" finally pushed parts "A", "B", or "C" over the edge, or showed problems that were there before, just not as well pronounced. Should someone just start replacing parts rather than trying to fix "X" first? No, probably not, but sometimes you break things will putting on other things.

As far as "questioning" me, I said Autolites aren't necessarily to blame in general. Some here have really good luck with them, others, such as yourself, not so much. Just because you had a bad experience with them doesn't mean they won't seem to work better for others under different conditions.

 

Autos ARE hit or miss. I'm running a set of the 3923's in my truck right now. Have been since I joined this forum really. I've got something like 50K on them and I notice no issues. Now, when I first changed the plugs, I went to a platinum plug and had issues out the a$$ with them. Their gaps would actually float from the .25 that I set them at to anywhere between .40-.65 in a day of driving on them. I thought it was just me bending them when I took the gapper out but when I set the 3923's in, they have stayed the same since. I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that geographies come into play, application of the truck, condition, and fuel used.

Anyways, why the attitude Vdub?

 

I understand your point and it seems that I'm not thoroughly explaining my perspective, so let's back up:

1) Person replaces spark plugs with a different brand/style. Lets assume he disconnected the wires at the plugs; removed the old plugs; installed new plugs, and reconnected the wires.

2) Person starts and runs the vehicle. Upon noticing the vehicle runs rough and perhaps throws a code, pops the hood and double checks his work. Verifies all is well and notices the vehicle still runs rough.

3) Comes to the forum with his issue. *AT THIS POINT* is where people come out of the woodwork to inform him, "Gee, changed the plugs and the truck runs rough? Better replace the cap, rotor, plug wires, and coil just to be sure." The way I see it, why not tell him to replace all of the ignition wiring and the battery?

4) I come along and notice that the plugs were replaced with a different type of plug. I recommend replacing the new "new" plugs with a stock replacement so as to rule out the spark plugs being the issue. Meanwhile, people are *still* telling this person to replace (not inspect) almost every other part in the ignition system rather than addressing what has changed.


UnregisteredUser was incorrect in stating that all plugs are the same -- they are not. The engine will run different if I use a hotter or colder plug as well as any other style or design. Based on my experience, some Dodges run the Autolites successfully, whereas others, like mine, do not and I stated as such. The Autolite 3923 is a copper plug and not a platinum plug, hence my "questioning" of your statement. Most of us here do know that the Dodge Magnum does not run well with platinum plugs.

Well, if you take it as having an attitude, then I'm sorry. I think I've stated it enough in this thread that whenever someone comes here with a problem, people here are literally throwing the baby out with the bathwater by always advocating replacing a few hundred dollars in parts rather than analyzing the problem in a methodical manner. As I stated, it's in almost every automotive forum. One of the most ridiculous ones I recently read on the VW forums was someone who had an issue with the brakes. Everyone there diagnosed it as a collapsed hose, but the OP ignored that and kept reiterating how he noticed some junk in the flex line, so he pushed it out with some wire. Then, there are people who replace a part, encounter a problem and damn near every bit of advice is advocating a complete teardown and rebuild.

 

The advice I had given him, I gave because like I said I ran into the same type of problem. It was how I fixed it. I know how long some "fitted" wires are, and that they are most time to long, witch is why I have gone to wires that I cut to length my self. Was I wrong, yes, in this case. Could what I said have been the problem, yes, I would give it a 50-50 shot between crap plugs and a broken wire, and I said and stuck to what I knew the problem to be.

 

I don't claim to know why that happened. I can't see his garage from here.

And I didn't say the things you claim that I said, either.

I did not tell him to replace those parts. What I said was that my guess was either a marginal plug wire or a minor case of operator error. If there's a marginal connection between conductor and connector in a plug wire, then the simple act of moving the wire can either diminish or improve the quality of that connection. If the boots are less than supple and have formed to the shape of the old plugs, a slightly different shape of a new plug can affect the contact surface area between the connector and plug terminal. Corrosion in the contact area of the connectors of the plug wires may be a factor. There are many more variables than just Plug A versus Plug B in this equation.

I did not say that all spark plugs are the same. I said that if a given plug is recommended for a particular service by the plug manufacturer it should run without fault in that service unless pushed to extremes of RPM or heat. (An RPM extreme need not be high RPM; some plugs tend to foul and/or misfire if you run the engine under load at low RPM for extended periods as when cow trailing or in stop-and-go traffic. It's actually a heat problem but it's not one that will necessarily show up as coolant temperature.)

I return you now to your regularly scheduled programming. Have a nice day.

 

SOLVED SOLVED SOLVED
I had the same exact problem. Truck was running rough and would not idle. Had to rev the engine and even then it would still die. Luckily I had only changed the passenger side plugs before I decided to test the engine and make sure everything was alright.
I got the described issues and came on the forum to see what's what. I went back out and checked every plug. When I do plug changes I only remove one plug at a time. So there are no mix ups and if something doesn't seem to go into place correctly, then I can test it.
So I remove and check each plug and check all connections. Start the engine and the same exact issue. Now I go back and put the old plugs (Autolites) in, replacing the new ones (Champions).
Start the engine. Same exact problem.
HOW CAN THAT BE. I say to myself.
All you guys talking about throwing parts at trucks just don't have enough experience to know how things work. I know you think that you are smart. But GaryL is right. You have to stick with what makes sense. It's far more likely that you screwed something up, than it is that something else magically went bad just as you were working on this over here.
Anyway, the EGR exhaust pipe runs right over the coil packs. I had pulled it away from the back of the intake manifold as I was putting the plugs in and out. Check that out. There is nothing holding it into the intake manifold. It just pulls right out.