Spark Plug TSB issues
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From: Intercontinental
Spark Plug TSB issues
About a year ago, I took my MY02 to Diamond Bar Honda in Diamond Bar, CA where I was having my hardtop installed for a reasonable fee along with having the spark plug TSB taken care of.
Later that night, in the wee hours of the morning, my car started misfiring and threw a CEL. Apparently, The technician who did my TSB didn't properly reconnect my plug wires.
I took the plug panel off to find one of the plug wires loose and reconnected at the scene but still had the CEL. Deciding that these guys were incompetent and didn't want anything more to do with them, I took my car to the original dealer where I bought the car and had them check the CEL and re-set it.
Almost a year later (now), I'm having some work done by a highly recommended technician who's worked on race engines and has done headwork for several S2000s for some local guys and he tells me that whoever tightened the plugs down overtightened them to 30 lbs and sees no evidence of any anti-sieze compound! 
He also said he had to use a breaker bar to get the plugs out!!
My question is, what sort of potential damage can this cause?
1. to the spark plug only?
2. to anything else that I may not be aware of?
I'm a little concerned that this may have caused damage elsewhere. If only the plugs are damaged, then I should be so lucky. I certainly don't trust and don't want DB Honda to do any more work, that's for sure. I would try to have them at least pay for new plugs but in reality, my time is worth more than a few $$$ and the headache.
On the same topic, should I just stick with the factory plugs (new ones of course) or should I go with the Iridiums? Are they worth the extra cost?
Later that night, in the wee hours of the morning, my car started misfiring and threw a CEL. Apparently, The technician who did my TSB didn't properly reconnect my plug wires.
I took the plug panel off to find one of the plug wires loose and reconnected at the scene but still had the CEL. Deciding that these guys were incompetent and didn't want anything more to do with them, I took my car to the original dealer where I bought the car and had them check the CEL and re-set it.Almost a year later (now), I'm having some work done by a highly recommended technician who's worked on race engines and has done headwork for several S2000s for some local guys and he tells me that whoever tightened the plugs down overtightened them to 30 lbs and sees no evidence of any anti-sieze compound!
He also said he had to use a breaker bar to get the plugs out!!My question is, what sort of potential damage can this cause?
1. to the spark plug only?
2. to anything else that I may not be aware of?
I'm a little concerned that this may have caused damage elsewhere. If only the plugs are damaged, then I should be so lucky. I certainly don't trust and don't want DB Honda to do any more work, that's for sure. I would try to have them at least pay for new plugs but in reality, my time is worth more than a few $$$ and the headache.
On the same topic, should I just stick with the factory plugs (new ones of course) or should I go with the Iridiums? Are they worth the extra cost?
Joined: Mar 2001
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You could also have stretched threads in the head. With 30 ft/lbs, I doubt this will be a problem, but you just never know. I checked another Calgary owner's car after he had the spark plug recall done and one of his was at 40 ft/lbs but I loosened it within a few days. Yours was in there for a year.
Some say they can feel a difference with Iridium plugs, some say they are not worth it.
Some say they can feel a difference with Iridium plugs, some say they are not worth it.
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Joined: Oct 2002
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damn SEVNT4, i feel sorry for you cause diamond bar honda is a piece of shit dealer to get anything done. not only do they rip off there customers but they put wrong oils in our car. hope you didnt get your oil changed there. dont even do any of your tsb's there. trust me, i know from personal experience. thats where i accidently bought my car
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Joined: May 2002
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From: Atlanta
Seems like you wouldn't be able to tell how much something was torqued to - especially after 1 year. Wouldn't the threads take a set or corrode together somewhat to make the torque read much higher than what was used to put the plugs in? I have never tried it, so you might be right.