So, I recently did a tune-up. I've heard that you can tell the overall running condition of your engine by looking at the plugs. I'm a novice to this whole tune-up thing (do it yourself) and this is only the second tune-up I've done (first time around I didn't pay attention to plug health). Can anyone with a good trained eye tell me how my engine's doing? 322k miles so far... I have attached pics... Starting from the top, cylinder 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and last is 6.
P.S. - I know #5 looks nearly perfect, and that's because it has less than 5k miles on it. Had to be replaced so the spark plug wire could fit back (wouldn't go back onto the old plug).
Check out this site for a good overview of what a spark plug's condition can tell you about the engine: http://www.ngksparkplugs.com/techinfo/spark_plugs/faq/faqread2.asp Just curious...how many miles do these plugs have on them (other than plug #5)?
I have no clue as to the exact mileage. When I replaced them last, I still had my original instrument cluster with the broken odometer. This was in August 2007 that I did the last tune-up. In March 2008, I got a new instrument cluster and have been counting the mileage since then. The mileage since I got the new instrument cluster in March 08' has been ~21k miles, and I do a lot of driving, so I would estimate about ~30k on the plugs. My Bentley shows the conditions of the plugs and what each condition means, but the pictures aren't in color. Based on what Bentley says, I would say my plugs are normal, but there are a couple of unanswered questions, like is it normal for it to look like it's flaking?
If you want to "read" more into your plugs..... not that you can adjust anything to change the fuel mixture or ignition timing. Have you used any gas treatment recently? http://www.4secondsflat.com/Spark_plug_reading.html
