Champion Plugs

Billy Shafer · Apr 24, 2009

Has anyone had a problem with Champion Plugs. I put a set in my sons car. They lasted about a week. Replaced them with NGK and that has been two months now with no problems. Put some in a friends genset they lasted two days. So I put in NGK plugs and he has not had anymore problems.I have always used them but now I am not so sure about them.

Michael Soldan · Apr 24, 2009

I worked in an auto shop for three years after I retired. My friend's auto shop was general repair, tune ups, muffler/brake work etc..small town repair joint, and..He would not have a Champion plug on the place and he had been a licensed mechanic for over thirty years. That said some vehicles work well with Champions..Dodge trucks..Farmalls..but 99% of vehicles will not run well on Champions..I heard a lot of horror stories about Champions while I worked there.

Don-Wi · Apr 24, 2009

We haven"t had much luck with those either. They just don"t last very long.

I"ll run AC Delco, Autolite, or NGK plugs. Never ran any Bosch plugs to know how good they are.

Donovan from Wisconsin

Coloken · Apr 24, 2009

And I thought it was just me. All my life I have hated them. Will give in a little for speciality plugs, like in some 2 cycle use.

Andy Motteberg · Apr 24, 2009

I use Champions with no problems. Autolites work fine in my Dad's car, but not well at all in our tractors.

Nancy Howell · Apr 24, 2009

If memory serves me correctly, we use autolite 388s in the tractors, cost very little. Champion equivalent plug, D23 (I think that"s correct, but I could be wrong) are $4.50 each. We don"t use Champions anymore.

TxFarmallFan · Apr 24, 2009

I dont use them in anything but my LT166 Deere rider. Work fine in there, but I wouldnt use them in anything else.

rustyfarmall · Apr 24, 2009

I've had Champions that were bad right out of the box. I no longer use them in anything, including my Farmalls. I now use Autolite 386, 388, or 3116 if you want a non resistor plug. I've had only one Autolite fail, and that was very temporary. I was "blowing the cobs" out of a carboned up engine, and a small piece of carbon managed to land just right and bridged across the plug gap. Removed the plug, cleaned it up, put it right back in and no more problems.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 24, 2009

I'm certainly no mechanic by trade, but it seems you seldom hear a good word about Champion plugs. Does anyone know why this would be the case? Certainly such a reputation/track record has to be hurting the company's sales. How could any company consistantly produce an inferior spark plug for over a hundred years and not learn their lesson/still be in buisness?

Glenn F.

White Knight · Apr 24, 2009

"How could any company consistantly produce an inferior spark plug?" I think it's cause they make a plug for every application. I have to use Champions for my Mccormick Deerings. From the mid 60's Champion had plugs that wouldn't make the standard 12 month or 12000 mile tune-up. I had one that the center electrode came out of-stayed with the plug but the inner insulator "disappeared". For me, they were like using Pennzoil.

tlak · Apr 24, 2009

Through the 90's they had such a bad reputation that I thought they would go out of business. I noticed most lawn equipment still comes with them. They probably have a higher standard for factory.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 24, 2009

Champion spark plugs & Pennzoil, not on or in any thing on my place and won't be.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 24, 2009

I keep hearing that Champions are bad too, but I have used them all my life as well as some Autolites, NGKs and others. I can't really tell any difference. I have also read that Champion is the largest spark plug manufacturer in the world.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 24, 2009

In the 1960's and early '70's, Champion still made a decent spark plug, and back in the day I wouldn't run anything else. My first experience with inferior Champions were in the '88 Hyundai's that came into the dealership where I worked, as Champion was the OE plug. Whether we switched them to NGK's or Nippondenso or Bosch, ANYTHING was better than the Champions that Hyundai used. Since then, I've been putting Autolites into my vehicles, with satisfactory results.

Ole Shovel · Apr 24, 2009

Champion and some of the other newer plugs no longer have the shiny slick coating on the electrode insulator and once fouled with today's unleaded fuel they can't be cleaned are throw aways. I have always had some engines that didn't like Champions but others ran fine with them. Ran NGK or Denso plugs in Honda 4 wheeler till recently got hold of some bad NGK ones guess and went to Autolite and no more problems. I think they all are prone to just making bad batches and poor quality control today with mass computerized manufacturing once a bad batch is made and a warehouse gets them all their stock could be bad. Just what happens with mass mergers of companies and stupid overpaid corporate excutives who don't care no longer about the consumer as long as they get paid. I've had bad AC set put in a new engine they were bad replaced with another set from different store and worked fine. Champion ticked me off last time with a warranty problem I had with them on some plugs they made with bad threads the whole batch of CJ8 I had threads weren't cut right and dealer said deal direct with Champion but they never settled it to my liking it seems you the customer have to now do the quality control the factories don't know how and if don't like it dont' buy their crap product. Nothing goes in mine now but Denso, AC or Autolite.

jay-eye-see · Apr 24, 2009

I bought an old Ford pickup with a 5.0 a few years ago for cheap. It only hit on seven and after I replaced the champions with motorcrafts, it ran good. I drove it for about 2 years and sold it running better than when I bought it. I Never had much use for champion plugs after that.

Bret4207 · Apr 24, 2009

I"ve not had good luck with Champions for 15-20 years. I don;t know what changed, but the past 10 years or so they seem to be even worse. The slightest bit of rich running and they crap out. I prefer Autolite or Bosch.

Bret4207 · Apr 24, 2009

I"ve not had good luck with Champions for 15-20 years. I don;t know what changed, but the past 10 years or so they seem to be even worse. The slightest bit of rich running and they crap out. I prefer Autolite or Bosch.

Anonymous-0 · Apr 24, 2009

Champion switched production to Mexico.There were reports that many plugs were breaking off in cylinder heads.I had it happen in an 86 olds v8.I bought a 600 ford tractor 22 years ago.It had a new set of h10s in it.I had a lot of trouble with gas fouling.I put a new set of Autolite 216 plugs in the tractor and they never skipped.I posted the problem on an old Ford car forum and was attacked by a fellow by the name of Bob Poulin,he said I was prejudiced against mexicans.I have heard that the glaze was dropped on the insulator and that caused gas fouling.Old brand names mean nothing now.Petersen vice grips were sold to Stanley and they have just shifted production to China.Petersen was the best vise grip plier you could buy.No more.

bradk · Apr 24, 2009

I would buy Champions as an ABSOLUTE LAST RESORT,and buy a couple extras for the ones that don't fire to save myself another trip into town.

MarkB_MI · Apr 24, 2009

The only brands of plugs that I've seen actually fail are Champion and Bosch. I would choose Champion before Bosch. I have had good experience with AC, Autolite and NGK.

olgentdc · Apr 24, 2009

Junk and GUNK !.. put em in a Celebrity and you are ready for the trash Man!

IH2444 · Apr 24, 2009

Same here. I use autolite in most things.
The only thing Champions seem to work well in is lawnmower engines.

Champion Plugs

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