Thanks Billman.

 

If you are NA the gap should be as stated on the first page of this DIY.

The reason for the tighter gap on FI cars is to curb the possibility of "blowing out" the spark from high volumes/velocity of air from the intake valve.

 

Thanks a lot for this excellent write-up. It should be stickied somewhere if it isn't already. I just did my plugs with OEM replacements. It took about 30 mins after all the parts and tools were sourced as instructed. I was on the original plugs on my MY00 with 62K as the first owner never replaced them so they were a good 12 years old. I'm not sure if it's the placebo effect, but the throttle response seems improved. As for my old plugs, they were light brown so no issues found there.

BTW, I got my plugs from eBay for $40 shipped.

 

Excellent write up. Got mine on order for replacement soon.

Is it recommended to put a dab of dielectric grease on the end of the coil pack prior to reinstallation? Did a similar job recently on an L-series and it had called for it.

 

Just finished this. Excellent write up. I'll edit in some pictures from my 01' with original plugs @105k.

 

I am about to do the sparks. Which plug is the best for stock? what is the difference between the Platinum and Iridium besides price?

 

if you are stock just stick to the stock plugs. use what the OP used. while you're at it you should check you VC gasket and spark plug seals.

 

Any advice on removing a stripped allen bolt?

 

Screw extractor or left-hand drill bit?

 

After watching a video of a guy changing his plugs and advising to give the allen bolts a whack with the key, the first bolt I attempted soon turned to chocolate and I found myself in a similar situation. I remedied it by placing a single layer of electrical tape around the key, then going for it with gentle nudges until it came loose. It just goes to show... don't believe everything you see on the internet!

If your head's too far gone, however, it might indeed be drill time.