What happened with Platinum Spark Plugs? Almost quadrupled in price!

I bought Bosch Platinum Spark plugs for three cars last year (2005) for around
$2.20 each.

Yesterday, I went to Schucks and was told the identical Bosch plugs are now
$7.99 each and they are called Iridium Plugs....

Bite me!

Obviously, this is George Bush's fault...! Halloween is coming and I'm dressing
up as a Democrat to scare the children!

Anyway - what happened? How did this travesty get foisted upon us?

Did the spot price of Platinum skyrocket. The 1/10,000 th of a gram of Pt used
can't cost that much!

Did Hillary Clinton pass a bill to Tax Pt plugs because everyone was using them?
Did PETA find out that Pt hurts some worm in the ground...?
Did they have a revolt in some little country in central Africa?

And do they actually use Iridium? Why not Osmium or Rhenium or Gold?
Maybe Tungsten...

Give us a break!

At least wait until I die before changing everything! Merde!

DoctorBill

I bought Bosch Platinum Spark plugs for three cars last year (2005) for around
$2.20 each.

Yesterday, I went to Schucks and was told the identical Bosch plugs are now
$7.99 each and they are called Iridium Plugs....

Bite me!

Obviously, this is George Bush's fault...! Halloween is coming and I'm dressing
up as a Democrat to scare the children!

Anyway - what happened? How did this travesty get foisted upon us?

Did the spot price of Platinum skyrocket. The 1/10,000 th of a gram of Pt used
can't cost that much!

Did Hillary Clinton pass a bill to Tax Pt plugs because everyone was using them?
Did PETA find out that Pt hurts some worm in the ground...?
Did they have a revolt in some little country in central Africa?

And do they actually use Iridium? Why not Osmium or Rhenium or Gold?
Maybe Tungsten...

Give us a break!

At least wait until I die before changing everything! Merde!

DoctorBill

Drop the bosch in the trash can.:grinyes: :lol:
It might be a good time to switch to the OEM plugs that you car calls for.
It may even run better and save on gas with the right plugs.
Good Luck
MT

I switched to Platinum Plugs maybe 10 years ago (?)..

I immediately saw a 3-4 mpg increase in efficiency. In every automobile I had.

The Schucks clerk (for what THAT is worth) said that all the newer cars now
come standard with Platinum Plugs.

I know that a certain percentage of people hate them.

Don't understand that.

If it is the shape (configuration), then maybe there is a controversy.
Different shaped eletrodes and porcelain center-posts. Turbulent explosions, etc.

But there can be no controversy about Platinum withstanding oxidative corrosion
of the spark plug surfaces.

No one has ever given me a decent explanation of their dislike of Pt plugs
and usually only rail against them w/o reason.

Why toss them?

OEM? OEM usually means the cheapest thing they can throw in there to save 10¢
on each car that goes out the door.

Bean counter's rule the automotive manufacturers...

Besides - saving on gasoline offends the oil companies....

DoctorBill

I switched to Platinum Plugs maybe 10 years ago (?)..

I immediately saw a 3-4 mpg increase in efficiency. In every automobile I had.

The Schucks clerk (for what THAT is worth) said that all the newer cars now
come standard with Platinum Plugs.

I know that a certain percentage of people hate them.

Don't understand that.

If it is the shape (configuration), then maybe there is a controversy.
Different shaped eletrodes and porcelain center-posts. Turbulent explosions, etc.

But there can be no controversy about Platinum withstanding oxidative corrosion
of the spark plug surfaces.

No one has ever given me a decent explanation of their dislike of Pt plugs
and usually only rail against them w/o reason.

Why toss them?

OEM? OEM usually means the cheapest thing they can throw in there to save 10¢
on each car that goes out the door.

Bean counter's rule the automotive manufacturers...

Besides - saving on gasoline offends the oil companies....

DoctorBill


The best choice of plugs is what the OEM calls for.
They are better match to your engine and are not cheap plugs.
Most oem are now the good platinum plugs.
Gm favors AC delco with a very few exceptions and Ford use motorcraft and Cry use champion. Almost all newer cars come with the good platinum plugs.
Bosch is not a very good choice for them and a lot of times will not run very well in them.
When ever I find a set of bosch plugs in them I just drop the Bosch in the trash can and put the right ones in and no more problems.
MT

you can still get the platinum plugs for under $3 each unless you want the 4 way platinum. sounds like person you talked to didn't know what they were talking about. if its for the metro its Bosch Platinum 4219 [Spark Plug] Platinum WR8DPX; Gap .042 , should cost about $2.75 each or less. they also have a autolite platinum for a little more. this is at schucks

Are you sure about that!?

I just bought some NGK's yesterday at Schucks because Bosch's were too expensive...
the clerk looked the plugs cost up on their computer at the counter....
Bosch Platinums were $7.99 each he said! I asked if he was sure!

I'll check this out! If he screwed up, damn it, I will talk to his Manager!
This pisses me off! I'll go to Schuck's web site right after I get off here.

I wanted Bosch Platinum's....I don't care what ANYONE says about them, I have
always had good performance from any car when I used them....

I do not understand why some people seem to absolutely hate Bosch plugs!

The plugs are German....probably the best made plugs in the world!

They act as if Bosch were evil or something! Lord!

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Edited post....

God, you were right! Here is directly from Schuck's web site:

Part No. 4478
Bosch Spark Plug: Platinum+4.....$5.99

Part No. 4306
Bosch Spark Plug: Platinum 2....$3.99

Part No. 4506
Bosch 4506 BOSCH PLATINUM IR FUSION....$9.99

Part No. 4219
Bosch Spark Plug: Platinum...$2.29

Part No. 7507
Bosch Spark Plug: Super....$1.19

You can't trust anyone any more....I just gapped and installed the NGK's today.
I could have used the 4219's !

I want to say some politically incorrect things right now. You never know if
the person you are talking to is on dope or not.

I am fairly sure some of my students are...unnaturally slow witted and dull.
Unnaturally.....

DoctorBill

hate to say this but maybe those are the students that will grow up to be counter people at parts stores and sell you the wrong parts. i am lucky here, i only deal with the comercial side of shucks and they at least seem to have a clue about how a car works and can usually get me the right parts

DOC;
I'm in the bosch hater camp based on my experience with a toyota camry. I paid the extra $$$ and bought bosch platinums for it; all was well for 17k miles then the car starting running very poorly. I did some reading and found many people had trouble with bosch plugs in camry's I traded back to NGKs and the car ran like a top again. I changed only the plugs to see what would happen; needless to say I am convinced......
If bosch plugs have worked for your application in the past then I see no reason to change. I however am now in the once bitten twice shy group...

Here are votes from 3 different individuals, all on the side of "NO WAY" would any of us ever use Bosch plugs, again.

Jason, one of the guys at the counter at my local NAPA, said he's heard of too many plugs that disintegrated inside someone's combusion chamber, ruining that cylinder, taking out the engine.

It happened to my very well-maintained Festiva, when the bottom part of the center electrode came out of the plug, scoring up the cylinder walls and piston rings. I sent the plug to Bosch's Quality Control dept., or whatever it was called, and they refused to stand behind their product. "No warranty, plug had no manufacturing defect," was their verdict.

The same thing happened to a guy here at work, with his wife's Toyota. The plug blew up, and the bits and pieces that came off of it boogered up one of the cylinders.

I have a great deal of respect for German engineering, and quality standards in general, but I'll never use a Bosch spark plug, again, in any car that I own.

Amazing!

I cannot counter what MoJoWrrrrKen and IdMetro have said......

I always had good luck with Bosch, but since what happened at Schucks caused
me to buy NGK - maybe God's way of making me try NGK...

Who knows....I always thought God was helping me out in life. Had several close
calls driving (could have died in them and didn't) - like somone reached out and turned
the switch to "Live". Very uncanny when they happened.

So - I will leave well enough alone and let the NGK's where they are - in the engine block.

DoctorBill

PS - I am very not religious! But things have happened I can't explain!