auto store says.. .040 and under my hood says .050...2003 dodge stratus 2.4 DOHC...98.000 miles..which is right and which is better

 

if its a stock engine(no major modications)set them at .050 like label says

 

The jury is still out on that one. I ran a 2.4 Turbo. Factory called for .050. Most guys who were into the cars ran .035 to .040. It also depended on the make and type of the plugs.

 

The original plug that came with older model cars was gapped at .50. But since then they have made a new plug that supersedes the older one. Check the champion plug website for further information. Most plugs come pre-gapped, the champions for your car should be gapped at .40 just leave them there. I went thru this same issue just a few weeks ago..