Spark plugs

[Dngrsone]

The Windstar engine is intially outfitted with platinum spark plugs. Funny thing is, the front set and rear set are different because Ford cheaped out and got the platinum only where it needed to be (one set has platinum center electrode, the other platinum ground electrode or somesuch).

When you go to Autozone, for instance, they will have part numbers for cheap standard plugs and for double platinum plugs. Ford recommends you go with the double platinums. Since they have platinum on both electrodes, on part number fits all cylinders.

The engine was designed with platinum plugs in mind, so splurge and get those. Now standard plugs are rated for 15-30,000 miles. Platinums are rated for 100,000 miles because they don't erode nearly as fast as the standard electrodes do.

Do yourself a favor, though, and pull those platinum plugs out every 30,000 miles or so. I'm not saying replace them, because they should still be good (inspect them, of course), but if you leave the plugs in there for a full 100,000 miles, there's a good chance they will be stuck in there more or less permanently. I understand that this is more of a problem for those auto owners who have steel heads (the Ford 3.0 and 3.8 engines have aluminum heads), but it's better to be safe than sorry.

Do split or multiple ground electrodes improve performance? As far as I can determine, not really. I do know the FTC went after Splitfire for falsely claiming enormous performance gains and improved mileage. I don't care how many electrodes are on the end of that plug, there will be only one spark between the center electrode and one of the ground electrodes. The other one or three from there are just for show.

If I were to do a comparison test (I have neither the money nor the time to do such), I would start with a new set of standard plugs, drive 5,000 or 10,000 miles, recording at the minimum gas mileage both short and long term. Replace those with a new set of platinum plugs, driving the same distance as was done with the first and taking the same statistics. Follow that with the twin or quad or whatever...

What I often hear is how, by going to this new platinum whatever, my performance has gotten better and so has my mileage. Well, yeah, the reason the old plugs were removed in the first place is because they needed to be changed because (gasp) performance was degraded.

[DRW1000]

I agree totally about there being only one spark (the path of least resistance) even with multiple ground tabs. In the case of Bosch 4s where there are 4 ground electrodes only the centre is platinum and the 4 grounds are not. If one the the ground tabs wears as they will over time another ground will take over as the path of least reistance until it wears. They can actually last longer than ones with only one ground but I agree double platinums are your best bet. The cost vs Bosch 4s is also pretty close.