Opinion - Spark plugs for '98 3.0 Voyager

Some time this spring I'd like to pop some new spark plugs in my
wife's '98 3.0 V6 Voyager (Vger). This one has the Mitsubishi engine.

When I got the car two years back, it had 66K miles on it and when I
replaced the plugs, they looked like the originals, they were that
bad. (Never have I seen such bady worn plugs!) I replaced those plugs
with Bosch Platinum plugs (regular plats, not the 2s or the 4s) The
Vger now has about 75K on the clock.

From personal experience in other cars and also from reading on the
'net, the original Bosch Platinums may not be the best plugs when one
is looking for a long-lasting plug.

What do people recommend? The Bosch Platinum+4s? Bosch Platinum 2s?
Autolite Platinums? Denso Iridiums?

I don't mind spending more if the plugs are long-lasting premium
plugs. The Vger is only driven about 4K a year around town, so these
very well may be the last plugs I put in the car.

 

I know that the original equipment on my 1991 Mitsubishi 3.0L were NGK plugs
which were rated for 60K miles. I've had very good luck with the NGK plugs,
but they are a bit expensive. Even so, shop around for them since price
varied considerably.

Bob

 

NGK. Regulars are fine, Iridiums are VERY long lasting and commensurately
expensive.

Neither are their latest scams, the Platinum+4 and Platinum+2.

 

On Sat, 12 Mar 2005 12:45:50 -0500, "Daniel J. Stern"

Thanks for the advice. I see that NGK has a variety of plugs for this
engine:

Standard $2.25
V-Power $2.50
G-Power Platinum $3
Iridium IX $7
Laser Platinum $12

Any opinion on Autolite double-platinums? I like the idea of a
plat-to-plat airgap and the autolites are half the price of the NGK
laser plats.

 

Autolite double-platinum's are a superb plug. I have had great experience
with them in two Chrysler Town & Countries and a PT Cruiser (for which they
are OEM approved) and a 98 RAV4.

Richard.

 

Certainly not a bad plug. I ran Autolites exclusively until I mostly
changed to NGKs, but I'm still happy to run Autolites. I will not run
Champions or Bosches (too many problems!).

 

On Sat, 12 Mar 2005 20:55:44 -0500, "Daniel J. Stern"

Thank you Richard & Daniel for your inputs!

Looks like I'll have to order the plugs via the 'net as those do not
appear to be available in Long Island, NY, unless some performance
shop carries them.

I figure the Autolite double-plats should do nicely and might last a
few years (considering the 4-5K a year that's put on the clock).

The Iridium plugs only have an iridium core, not the ground electode,
so while the iridium center electrode may last a lifetime, not the
ground, so no good for that.

I haven't run Champions in years. Never really liked them, except I
did use them back in the early 70's on a '64 Buick Skylark 300 cu in
V8 I had.

A tip of the hat, gents!

 

I buy the OEM Champion the cheapest plugs for all my vehicles and change
them out at each 30K. The truth to be known there is no proof that a more
expensive plug provides better performance whether it be a platinum , or
split fire, or any other type. See for yourself write each manufacturer and
ask them to provide a guarantee and if you are lucky to get an answer you
will find they will not provide one and they will provide many excuses.

--
HarryS My 2¢
| On Sat, 12 Mar 2005 20:55:44 -0500, "Daniel J. Stern"
|
| Thank you Richard & Daniel for your inputs!
|
| Looks like I'll have to order the plugs via the 'net as those do not
| appear to be available in Long Island, NY, unless some performance
| shop carries them.
|
| I figure the Autolite double-plats should do nicely and might last a
| few years (considering the 4-5K a year that's put on the clock).
|
| The Iridium plugs only have an iridium core, not the ground electode,
| so while the iridium center electrode may last a lifetime, not the
| ground, so no good for that.
|
| I haven't run Champions in years. Never really liked them, except I
| did use them back in the early 70's on a '64 Buick Skylark 300 cu in
| V8 I had.
|
| A tip of the hat, gents!
|
| >On Sat, 12 Mar 2005, Ken Peterson wrote:
| >
| >> Thanks for the advice. I see that NGK has a variety of plugs for this
| >> engine:
| >>
| >> Standard $2.25
| >> V-Power $2.50
| >> G-Power Platinum $3
| >> Iridium IX $7
| >> Laser Platinum $12
| >>
| >> Any opinion on Autolite double-platinums?
| >
| >Certainly not a bad plug. I ran Autolites exclusively until I mostly
| >changed to NGKs, but I'm still happy to run Autolites. I will not run
| >Champions or Bosches (too many problems!).
|
| On Sun, 13 Mar 2005 01:30:05 GMT, "Richard" <>
| wrote:
|
| > Autolite double-platinum's are a superb plug. I have had great
experience
| >with them in two Chrysler Town & Countries and a PT Cruiser (for which
they
| >are OEM approved) and a 98 RAV4.
| >
| >Richard.

 

Put in what it came with in the first place. The mits is hard on plugs
it's
a known fact. Either way the mfgr. spends WAY more time and money than we
do
to figure out what will give the best balance of performance. Bosch plats
are all junk imo. anyway.
Larry

 

The Mitsubishi engine is not "hard on plugs" anywhere except in your
imaginative little mind.

The manufacturer spends time and money negotiating for the lowest-priced
plug that will do the job acceptably.

Well, there y'go -- you got one out of three statements correct in your
post.

Better luck next time.

 

Nobody said it did.

There are more expensive plugs that make engines run worse and don't last
very long (Splitfire, Bosch Platinum, etc.), but there are also more
expensive plugs that make the engine run properly over a longer period of
time.

Go back to sleep, now.

 

Ken,

My 3.0L is a different application even though it is the same engine. My
3.0L is in a 1991 Mitsubishi 3000GT SL. This is the double overhead cam
version with 222 base HP and basically the same engine (and plugs) as is
used in the much higher HP twin turbo. The 3000GT calls for the laser
platinum version. As I indicated in my previous post, they are 60K mile
plugs and I picked them up the last time for around $10-11 each somewhere on
the web. This compares to the $23 each they wanted at the local Chrysler
(Stealth) and Mitsubishi dealers.

They are excellent plugs and perform very well. I was reluctant to try
anything else since I have had some bad luck when not using OEM plugs in the
past. Hey, if the manufacturer sprang for the extra bucks for these plugs
in the first place, then there was a reason. That all said, I'm not sure
what plug your make and model call for so check to see what it came with
from the factory and use the same if possible.

Bob

 

Double platinums are genreally designed for lost spark ignitions,
because half the plugs fire positive, and the other half negative.
They are not a great improvement on conventional ignitions, and using
non platinum plugs on my old 3.0 Aeostar (ford) I got over 40,000KM on
a set. Never liked leaving them in much longer than that anyways, as
they tended to "burn" the case, and you'd twist them off trying to
remove them. Not nice on an engine where you have to do everything by
"braille".

 

Some day your head will come out of that dark place

 

Amen on that one Daniel.. Champion cranked out so much crap in the 60's
(sparkplugs anyway.. don't remember them marketing anything else)that I
still won't buy *anything* that says Champion on it. Autolites.... yup..
used them for years NGK's have used also without *any* comebacks or problems
of any kind.

 

Bosch platinums.. tried the 2 prongs.. 1. they gave a guarantee if I
couldn't tell the difference I could get my money back.. (of course I DID)
2. plugs on my 2.4 are a 30 minute job from opening the hood to closing
after the finish or I wouldn't have bothered.. but it did do well to settle
the argument for me anyway..

Platinum=another attempted rip off *no value* didn't make a bit of
difference to the positive.. and I actually felt the vehicle did not start
as well.. however that was not scientific.. just a judgment of my own.. ..
but one of experience.. I have had the vehicle for 7 years and put 100,000
miles on it in the city (Chicago) not a lot of high way or expressway
miles.. hence many many many starts.

 

Thanks for all the input - I ordered some Autolite double platinums
today from http://www.sparkplugs.com - I figure that will be better
than the Bosch Platinums that are currently in use. The Bosch plugs
have less than 10K on them by the time I remove them, so I figure
they'll do until their replaced.

On a side issue, I am impressed with the Bosch 8mm plug wires. They
seem to be of good quality, plus I've found Bosch wiper blades to be
better than Anco. (IMHO)

 

On a side issue, I am impressed with the Bosch 8mm plug wires. They seem
to be of good quality, plus I've found Bosch wiper blades to be better than
Anco. (IMHO)

Back in 67 my friend got a new 911, with twin 3 barrel carbs. It had air
injection and fouled the plugs every 1,000 miles or so. Bosch had an
expensive platinum plug that was superb and that cured the fouling problem
(along with a capacitive discharge ignition we build from a kit). Wonder if
Bosch still offers those superb plugs in Europe?

Richard.

 

Based on...?

Boy, not me. I've found just the opposite.

 

Personal opinion and examination. The other generic wires I have
acquired from the various auto parts stores local to me were not as
good. YMMV.

I had Anco blades on this Voyager and they made horrible noises on
anything but a very wet windshield. (drove the wifee crazy). I
popped in a set of Bosch 28" blades, and that cured the noise problem,
both in the blades and the wifee complaints!