I was looking through my maintenance logbook for my '05 Dakota (SLT with the 4.7L V8) and it calls for replacing the spark plugs at 30,000 miles! Why would Dodge call for replacing the spark plugs so soon?

 

Its more of efficiency thing. The better that engine is kept tuned with clean filters, plugs, wires etc the better it will run. The plugs efficiency tends to lower after that point

 

Plus it helps out the spark plug manufactures.

 

Its because they are made of copper, and most manufacturers switched over to platinum, thats why alot of cars and trucks are 100k before plugs.

Its purely to keep costs down and to keep you comming in for service. Some will say its for performance reasons but lets be serious. These arent forced induction engines, they can run platinum plugs. There are few Naturally aspirated engines that come out of the factory with copper plugs in them today. I'm not sure if the 5.7l has coppers in them, but it would be a cold day in hell when I change 16 spark plugs every 30k miles lol.

Ive had autolite double platinums in for about 10,000 miles and the truck has been no different then when it had the coppers in for 30k. Except now I dont have to change them as often. Nearly every plug manufacturer makes a platinum plug for the 3.7 and 4.7.

My coppers were worn well at 30k.

 

Thanks for the replies. I hadn't realized that they weren't running platinum plugs in the Dakota.

 

I bought my '05 V8 QC last Nov with 45K miles, at 48K i got the dealer to change the plugs hoping for better mileage...didn't work...and noticed no difference in performance. The dealer said they were the factory originals in the truck, so Performance isn't affected too much by 50% more miles.

EDinNB

 

30,000 miles is 2 to 3 years for most people. For me I don't find it worth it to pay extra for the platinum plugs and get no performance increase, they're not that bad to change and I pay roughly $10 for all 8 plugs. Plus it runs a little better on the 3923's.

 

never actually looked at it that way