Autolite sparkplugs

Unbelievable....... Wife's car was running like sh!t..Check engine light, jumping on accelerating/decelerating, fuel consumption outrageous, etc. Took it to the local garage to check out after replacing fuel and air filter (had just put in new champion plugs 3 or so k miles before). He put in new Bosch plugs with no results. Doesn't have the correct software to plug into computer so had to quit. Was just going to drive it til it dropped and junk it and am looking for a replacement. Had good luck (next to a miracle) with autolites in my quad so ordered a set for the car and put them in yesterday evening. Possibly the best thae car has ran since we bought it new, check engine light went out on it's own and everything is better than normal. While I was at it, I ordered a set for my KIA just in case. I'll put them in tonight and see if it does any better (not that it's bad now).

No moral to the story, just thought I'd share.

Dave

Hey Dave. Some time back I said on this forum to take a Volt Ohm Meter (Set on Continuity)place one probe on the top of plug-other probe on the contact comming through the plug NOT THE BENT GROUND but the stem. You will find a considerable drop in readings, Some more then others. I have always went through this proceedure when getting new plugs. Always put the less resistance plugs to the farthest plugs in the engine. Weakest readings ones to center of the engine,Results are great. Found even new plugs dead from the box.(No readings on meter) Took em back to supplier and showed them the difference. First they didn"t believe me but when they went back and pulled another new plug from the shelf then the point was proven. I also would look inside the distributor ,bet you will find rotor button coroded and also the contact points in the distributor as well. Those can be cleaned(lightly sanded with crocus cloth. We also bought a sparkplug sand cleaner (air driven) from J.C Whitney. Use it in conjunction with the meter as time goes on with the usage of the vehicles so we can get more usage from the plugs. Works for us. 6 trucks 2 tractors several lawn mowers & 1 Yard vac.(no partrige in a pear tree) lol. Almost forgot the O.C.46 crawler comming in soon. Just a good suggestion from LOU

Oh by the way Dave, we do have a pear tree and partridge season is in now, Might have spoken to soon. lol, In order to remove all doubt about plugs not firing, Check the wires with the ohm meter as well, If in fact they havn't been changed in a long period of time ,they too will break down (carbon wires) last only so long and will break into, inside of the sheild. Oh I forgot to mention the 722 bobcat in our list of units. Sorry about that. Now you can see why we need a building to store stuff. Garage is OVER FLOWING Spring project when the dozer is opperational. Hope the information is of value to you.
LOU

Just fer what it's worth.......

Don't know how things are now, 'cause I quit crankin' wrenches in '99.

However, with the earlier electronic systems, ya just cannot swap plug types. IT DOESN'T WORK and I've ran into it a million times.

Just like you say, they'll work fine for 3-5000 miles and then go to missin'.

Don't ask me why, they just do.

Allan

Something in all that does not make sense. If true, it would mean that the different spark plug companies do not know how to make spark plugs that are equivalent to each other - or refuse to do it and lie in the cross-reference charts. A spark plug is not all that complicated. You've got a built-in carbon resistance unit with a fixed value, an insulator, electrodes, and an air-gap that determines operating voltage.

Without specific brand and part #s, I'd guess and say someone is not doing their homework with proper cross-referencing.

I do know that many major auto parts sellers list "near perfect" equivalents for many applications instead of stocking all the proper ones. That keeps stock needs down. That goes for spark plugs, filters, belts, etc.

My 95 Subaru Impreza had 120,000 miles on it before the first time I touched the plugs. One day it would not start although it had been running perfectly before. It has OEM NGKs in it. I pulled the plugs and found the gaps at over a 1/4". I stuck in new Champions, gapped properly and it ran just the same. Starts at 30 below F, same fuel mileage and it now has 190,000 miles on it.

My 2000 Dodge Grand Caravan had 140K miles before I pulled the plugs. It still ran fine, but I figured it was time. It had OEM RN14PMP5 Champion platinum plugs. I replaced with Bosch platinum and so far put 30K more miles and it starts and runs exactly the same.

My 1999 Kia Sportage has also had several brands of plugs and runs exactly the same.

I could go on, but my experience has been that I've never had a problem when comparing "apples to apples" with quality modern plugs. With some of the other stuff and cheap junk made for tractors that don't have to pass emissions tests - it's a different story.

Dave, Champion spark plugs are marginal at best. The ONLY thing they have going for them is they make spark plugs for most all applications. Dating back to the sixties, Champions were junk. Sorta like Pennzoil-available everywhere but not a very good detergent oil. Autolites in my Mustang would last 12000 miles easy, but Champions wouldn't make 6000 miles.

I'm no genious. someone suggested autolite on my quad and I tried it out of desperation. Found a parts site that offered an autolite application for my quad, then crossreferenced that number to NGK and got a match. Proof's in the pudding. Did the same with the Dodge Stratus. Some of the older VW's I've had ran rough with the called for champion or NGK plug and ran like a top with bosch. Go figger.

Dave

Not really up on all that stuff anymore but I have had bosch platinum plugs put in my cars and then never worry about it again. Maybe I should be checking the gap but in over 100,000 mile on ech since changed I have had nno problems. Did have a bad wire somewhere along the way. Henry

All the companies in the 60s and 70s made some junk plugs. Now? I know of many cars that came new OEM with Champion and easily get over 100K miles on plugs. I wouldn't call that "junk."

My experience with Pennzoil is also quite different than your's.

Back in the 70s-80s at our John Deere dealership - we sold Quaker State, Pennzoil, and Deere Torque Guard. Quaker State had the lowest detergent rating and we used it in dirtly and badly maintained tractors. Pennzoil was very high detergency, as was Torque Guard. We never had a problem with Pennzoil except it became too pricey. We did have major problems with Quaker State. They had a bad batch of HDX diesel rated oil and there were diesel engines blowing up all over the country. They got a major lawsuit against them, and I'm not sure if they ever fully recovered. I'd never use their oil again.

One theory I read on the subject seems to make sense. The guy said the reason one brand plug often works better in an application than another, is that each brands heat range does not exactly match up.
Brand A may be slightly hotter or colder than brand B and in your exact application and type of use may be a better match as to fouling, electrode wear etc.

I had a Bosch platinum pulg shed its porcelan in my engine. I will never buy another Bosch plug.

I do like Autolites very well.
Champions are only good for Briggs engines and such.

Yeah, ritht. I'm sure that's why my OEM platinum Champions looked fine after over 100K miles on them in my Dodge Grand Caravan. They came in it OEM new from the factory.

Sorry, but to say they're only good for Briggs is rediculous. In fact, some of those little hot-running air cooled engines are pretty picky about having good plugs when used hard.

All I know for sure is that since I started driving, I have had Champion plugs go bad (miss) on me 3 different times. All other brands combined, 0 times. I think you can guess what my opinion about spark plugs is.

I think I'll try to find the autolite cross reference for my wife's Motorcycle. It gets ridden maybe once a year and has to have plugs replaced each year. Could be stale gas though too (just crossed my mind :roll: ) and a new plug fires better.

Funny thing, here in the land of Bosch (plug factory 10 miles away), you find champion plugs at 2 and 3 times the bosch price for an application.

Dave