Why you shouldnt run platinum plugs in the neon!
Rookie
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 95
Likes: 0
From: West of Chicago
RE: Why you shouldnt run platinum plugs in the neon!
I changed to NGK V power when the car had 30k
and I have changed them every 30k miles since
They last
They run great
Mileage in the 30 plus at 75 mph with the AC on
At 150k i changed to the NGK Iridium and will check/change them at 180K
After reading the thread on MSD's wires I may change over
I puta set of MSD'son my Chev truck and it idles so smooth.......
and I have changed them every 30k miles since
They last
They run great
Mileage in the 30 plus at 75 mph with the AC on
At 150k i changed to the NGK Iridium and will check/change them at 180K
After reading the thread on MSD's wires I may change over
I puta set of MSD'son my Chev truck and it idles so smooth.......
Veteran
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 312
Likes: 0
From: Ohio
RE: Why you shouldnt run platinum plugs in the neon!
I just swapped out the stock plugs from the Champions to a new set of NGK V-Powers. No "major" changes in performance, just smoother idle and stuff. I've always hated Champion plugs anyhow. That just comes from back in the old days when I was running hare-scrambles on my old Penton 6 Day Trials bike. NGK plugs were pretty much the plug of choice when I was running dirt bikes.
Also I'll never use the Bosch Platinums again. I had a set of +4s in my other car, and after a couple years it started running rough. I pulled the plugs to clean them and one plug had the insulator totally blistered around the four prongs. When I scraped a bit of the blistering away, the the insulator fell out and I could see where the center electrode had broken and was arcing through the side. A set of replacement V-Powers and 4 years later they're still firing just fine. Plus they're only about $1.80 each at Advance Auto.
L8R,
Matt D.
Also I'll never use the Bosch Platinums again. I had a set of +4s in my other car, and after a couple years it started running rough. I pulled the plugs to clean them and one plug had the insulator totally blistered around the four prongs. When I scraped a bit of the blistering away, the the insulator fell out and I could see where the center electrode had broken and was arcing through the side. A set of replacement V-Powers and 4 years later they're still firing just fine. Plus they're only about $1.80 each at Advance Auto.
L8R,
Matt D.
Record Breaker
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,636
Likes: 1
From: Miracle Valley, AZ
RE: Why you shouldnt run platinum plugs in the neon!
HMMMMMMMM. Platinum plugs are bad?!?
In 3 years, I think this has been hashed/rehashed enough to beat an entire herd of horses into the ground, but since it is still stickied: my 2003 with the sohc 2.0 was getting 36-38 mpg for the first 30k miles, then out of the blue (literally 1 tank full) mileage dropped to about 30 mpg. I replaced the plug wires with the cheapest set I could get at CSK and Champion Platinum plugs. Presto! Next tank, 36-38 mpg. If this thread does nothing else, it should demonsrate driving style, weather, fuel qualityand general driving conditions have more to do with the way spark plugs wear more than what type of plugs. Also, as a Ford/Nissan certified mechanic, I challenge anyone to pull spark plugs out after 10k miles or more and not find them charbroiled. If there is no "frosting" on them, the cylinder is not getting fuel or spark. One last thought: Who in the hell gaps platinum plugs??? After reading about people "gapping" platinum plugs at least 5 times in this thread, I'm asking myself, "Are there really people that ignorant of basic automotive systems, or are there really several comedians typing with a grin?"
In 3 years, I think this has been hashed/rehashed enough to beat an entire herd of horses into the ground, but since it is still stickied: my 2003 with the sohc 2.0 was getting 36-38 mpg for the first 30k miles, then out of the blue (literally 1 tank full) mileage dropped to about 30 mpg. I replaced the plug wires with the cheapest set I could get at CSK and Champion Platinum plugs. Presto! Next tank, 36-38 mpg. If this thread does nothing else, it should demonsrate driving style, weather, fuel qualityand general driving conditions have more to do with the way spark plugs wear more than what type of plugs. Also, as a Ford/Nissan certified mechanic, I challenge anyone to pull spark plugs out after 10k miles or more and not find them charbroiled. If there is no "frosting" on them, the cylinder is not getting fuel or spark. One last thought: Who in the hell gaps platinum plugs??? After reading about people "gapping" platinum plugs at least 5 times in this thread, I'm asking myself, "Are there really people that ignorant of basic automotive systems, or are there really several comedians typing with a grin?"
Champion
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,519
Likes: 0
From: Cedar Rapids, IA
RE: Why you shouldnt run platinum plugs in the neon!
Unless you are talking about a +2 or +4 plug which are all but impossible to gap... then the answer is, anyone who cares about a PROPER installation gaps their plugs. I used Champion platinums in a different vehicle before, and heck yes I gapped them. I wouldn't want to put a plug that had 0.015" gap in cylinder #1, and then put a plug with 0.070" into cylinder #2, etc., without even looking them over beforehand. I'm a true believer in consistency and proper preventative maintenance... gapping the plugs is just part of the install.
And yes, copper pushes mildly high voltage with 60%-80% less resistance than platinum. The recommended gap for plugs on a NA Neon is 0.035"... therefore, if for some reason I would actually want to put platinum in it, I would gap it 0.034-0.035". If it's good copper, I would go between 0.035" to 0.038" if I planned on changing them ever 10k or less. Any longer interval than that, I'd keep the coppers at 0.035" max to prolong them a bit more and save the coil.
Not busting you *****, just saying that I don't understand why you wouldn't want to gap them... never heard that (except for multi-contact plugs).
And for the record, most cheap store-bought plug wires will offer similar performance as the expensive ones, assuming that there are no manufacturing defects from the start. A properly gapped plug will provide less strain, resistence, and insulation erosion from potential arcing and heat on the wires. Don't get me wrong, I think MSD and other similar brand wires are great, I'm just saying that there is no HUGE performance advantage to them, unless you're running a high-compression orhigh-boost motorwith an aftermarket ignition (and not the MSD direct-oem-swap coil, which does virtually nothing, I'm talking about the good 'ole MSD box and a megasquirt or something similar).
And yes, copper pushes mildly high voltage with 60%-80% less resistance than platinum. The recommended gap for plugs on a NA Neon is 0.035"... therefore, if for some reason I would actually want to put platinum in it, I would gap it 0.034-0.035". If it's good copper, I would go between 0.035" to 0.038" if I planned on changing them ever 10k or less. Any longer interval than that, I'd keep the coppers at 0.035" max to prolong them a bit more and save the coil.
Not busting you *****, just saying that I don't understand why you wouldn't want to gap them... never heard that (except for multi-contact plugs).
And for the record, most cheap store-bought plug wires will offer similar performance as the expensive ones, assuming that there are no manufacturing defects from the start. A properly gapped plug will provide less strain, resistence, and insulation erosion from potential arcing and heat on the wires. Don't get me wrong, I think MSD and other similar brand wires are great, I'm just saying that there is no HUGE performance advantage to them, unless you're running a high-compression orhigh-boost motorwith an aftermarket ignition (and not the MSD direct-oem-swap coil, which does virtually nothing, I'm talking about the good 'ole MSD box and a megasquirt or something similar).
New Member
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
RE: Why you shouldnt run platinum plugs in the neon!
hey evr1 im new to this forum and i just recently bought my neon its a 2004 SE and i was thinkin about changing my spark plugs. I was reading about some DENSO Iridium spark plugs and how they are really good for neons since im not really sure id like to get anyones opinion on either getting these or trying something different and I was gonna switch to Gnatelli spark plug wires wat u guys think??[&:]
Record Breaker
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,539
Likes: 0
From: Erlanger, Kentucky
RE: Why you shouldnt run platinum plugs in the neon!
ORIGINAL: IowaNeon04
Unless you are talking about a +2 or +4 plug which are all but impossible to gap... then the answer is, anyone who cares about a PROPER installation gaps their plugs. I used Champion platinums in a different vehicle before, and heck yes I gapped them. I wouldn't want to put a plug that had 0.015" gap in cylinder #1, and then put a plug with 0.070" into cylinder #2, etc., without even looking them over beforehand. I'm a true believer in consistency and proper preventative maintenance... gapping the plugs is just part of the install.
And yes, copper pushes mildly high voltage with 60%-80% less resistance than platinum. The recommended gap for plugs on a NA Neon is 0.035"... therefore, if for some reason I would actually want to put platinum in it, I would gap it 0.034-0.035". If it's good copper, I would go between 0.035" to 0.038" if I planned on changing them ever 10k or less. Any longer interval than that, I'd keep the coppers at 0.035" max to prolong them a bit more and save the coil.
Not busting you *****, just saying that I don't understand why you wouldn't want to gap them... never heard that (except for multi-contact plugs).
And for the record, most cheap store-bought plug wires will offer similar performance as the expensive ones, assuming that there are no manufacturing defects from the start. A properly gapped plug will provide less strain, resistence, and insulation erosion from potential arcing and heat on the wires. Don't get me wrong, I think MSD and other similar brand wires are great, I'm just saying that there is no HUGE performance advantage to them, unless you're running a high-compression orhigh-boost motorwith an aftermarket ignition (and not the MSD direct-oem-swap coil, which does virtually nothing, I'm talking about the good 'ole MSD box and a megasquirt or something similar).
Unless you are talking about a +2 or +4 plug which are all but impossible to gap... then the answer is, anyone who cares about a PROPER installation gaps their plugs. I used Champion platinums in a different vehicle before, and heck yes I gapped them. I wouldn't want to put a plug that had 0.015" gap in cylinder #1, and then put a plug with 0.070" into cylinder #2, etc., without even looking them over beforehand. I'm a true believer in consistency and proper preventative maintenance... gapping the plugs is just part of the install.
And yes, copper pushes mildly high voltage with 60%-80% less resistance than platinum. The recommended gap for plugs on a NA Neon is 0.035"... therefore, if for some reason I would actually want to put platinum in it, I would gap it 0.034-0.035". If it's good copper, I would go between 0.035" to 0.038" if I planned on changing them ever 10k or less. Any longer interval than that, I'd keep the coppers at 0.035" max to prolong them a bit more and save the coil.
Not busting you *****, just saying that I don't understand why you wouldn't want to gap them... never heard that (except for multi-contact plugs).
And for the record, most cheap store-bought plug wires will offer similar performance as the expensive ones, assuming that there are no manufacturing defects from the start. A properly gapped plug will provide less strain, resistence, and insulation erosion from potential arcing and heat on the wires. Don't get me wrong, I think MSD and other similar brand wires are great, I'm just saying that there is no HUGE performance advantage to them, unless you're running a high-compression orhigh-boost motorwith an aftermarket ignition (and not the MSD direct-oem-swap coil, which does virtually nothing, I'm talking about the good 'ole MSD box and a megasquirt or something similar).
Record Breaker
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 1,636
Likes: 1
From: Miracle Valley, AZ
RE: Why you shouldnt run platinum plugs in the neon!
Well I guess you told me. Take a look at the Champion platinum plug package and go to their website. I guess they only make them, they don't know a thing about installing them. I was and am referring only to platinum plugs. I would hope anyone with a half a brain or more would gap a copper plug.