changing spark plugs

i have been told that my grand prix has 100,000 mile spark plugs in it. I wants to but a higher performance spark plug in, is it really worth the time and effort? will it make much difference?

What year GP??

What other mods do you have done??

Any Misfires???

Answer these questions then we can go from there.

Tim

How many miles are on your car?

What year is it?

What model is it?

the car is a 2000 GT and has 52000 miles on it.
i haven't done any mods yet but it will have ram air by spring. I was just going to change the plugs as regular maintnence. I got a higher performance plug but then i found out that the plugs in it were supposed to last 100,000 miles. Is changing them worth my time?

I'd say go for it. :)

Cant hurt, I've always thought changing the plugs and wires was a yearly "tune up" type thing.

What plug/wire combo are you going to run???

I'd say go for it. :)

Cant hurt, I've always thought changing the plugs and wires was a yearly "tune up" type thing.

What plug/wire combo are you going to run???

Yearly? That's kind of a waste of money man. My 90 LE is running on original stock wires at 128,000 miles (ran stock plugs until 80k). Heck, my 79 Dodge is running on original stock wires at 131,000 miles...and it's 24 years old! :eek7: No problems with either vehicle.

If your car only has 52k on it, there's not much to be gained from replacing the plugs or the wires unless you've got a huge list of mods and/or are seeing ignition problems. If anything, you should maybe change the plugs..but the wires will be good for another 50k at least. :naughty:

Changing you plugs and wires never will never hurt. I wouldnt wait 137,000 miles to do it but if thats what works the more power to you. You will gain a little power going with performance wires, 8.5mm, and plugs, however the previous message was correct in saying you really wont notice the difference until you upgrade further. Bottom line its always a good thing to do, routine maintenance.

Instead of changing the plugs in my 2002 Alero at 30K (which the dealer recommended, manual did not) I instead had them cleaned and regapped. I spent as much as I would have if I would have had the plugs replaced, but I saved the money on the plugs. I can't really tell a difference in performance, but I did notice a slight increase in MPG. I would get your plugs cleaned and not change them til 90 or 100K miles.

JeReMy

Most newer cars (including the GP) come from the factory equipped with a platinum spark plug. Platinum plugs last much longer than standard copper plugs, thus need changing less frequently. While they do last longer, most don'T achieve 100,000 miles. I would suggest pulling one or two plugs and take a close look at the electrode. If there is any wear on it, then replace it. If the electrode looks good, for the most part squared off, check the gap put them back in, and maybe check them in another 20-30,000 miles. The big advantage of a platinum plug over a copper plug, is their ability to heat up faster and burn off deposits, thus helping reduce misfires and emissions. Wires are a different story though. Due to the more compact size of cars, increased under hood temperatures and increased voltage output of factory ignition systems, they do break down faster than in older cars. The best thing to do is do an ohm check on each wire, looking for a resistance reading that seems too high (I believe anything over 1 ohm per foot is considered too high, but don't quote me on that!)

Well, performance gain wise you would not see a noticeable difference on a stock car. Maybe improoved economy. When you start messing with the car intake, cams, valves and so forth then what would make the difference is the plug heat range in order to decrease kr not the material it is made of, the material will make the plug last longer. Also you should replace the wires at least every 18 months to make sure the least amount of electricity gets lost from the coil to the spark. Of course I am not saying that a cooler plug would do the intercooler job but helps.

looking for a resistance reading that seems too high (I believe anything over 1 ohm per foot is considered too high, but don't quote me on that!)

From Pontiac Grand Prix's repair book http://aarc.epnet.com/application/9317/9317CH01_TESTING.htm

"A general rule is to replace the wire if the resistance is over 30,000 ohms."