Spark plug type (brand name) and coil packs ?

[britdave]

This may be elsewhere on here but a "search" didn't reveal exactly what I wanted to know ? 

 

I've got a 2002 , 911/ 996 C 2 coupe, and doing it's first spark plug change next week (low mileage) but  as they are the originals now 13 years old.  What type (brand name & part number) are best for this vehicle ?

 

It's only got 24,300 miles on the clock, which is very low mileage, but since they are the original plugs, I figured it's time to change them , just because of time/ age .

 

Any recommendations on plug brand name,  part number, etc  would be most appreciated. The car has always been garage kept, and wondered if I should bother with the coil packs whilst in there as well  ? I don't run at the track by the way, so just street type plugs should be fine, and should I use anti seize grease ? 

 

:thankyou:  

[Hilux2400]

I am just going to put in Beru coil packs.

[farmer boy]

I used Beru plugs - you can get cheaper coil packs which I used and they are fine.  It is a bit of a challenge to change the rearmost plugs so I would change the coil packs whilst you are "in there".... 

....oh and I beleive anti seize is not recommended.

Edited May 12, 2015 by farmer boy

[kgoertz]

ECS Tuning has a great price on a kit that includes Bosch both plugs and coils.  I installed them myself about 2 years ago and haven't had any problems.  My coils were in pretty rough shape and would misfire when wet.  The new plugs and coils solved that.

[britdave]

Thanks for the info guys, but It's hard to get them by mail, and I'm short for time. Can anyone recommend other "brand names" of plugs(such as Bosch ?)  and part numbers. Where I live it's hard to find many types recommended on here. Thank you 

[Hilux2400]

I've just used Bosch in my 3600 Carrera C2.

 

Plug Type FGR5KQEO.  Torque setting on the box.

[britdave]

Thanks Hilux, anyone else got any spark plug type suggestions and part numbers for a 2002 C2 911/ 996  ?

 

And although the car is 13 years old, it has less than 25,000 miles on the Odometer , a garaged car here in sunny Florida , so should I be changing the coil packs too ? Time vs mileage ?  Thanks Dave.

[Ahsai]

What Hilux listed is the exact same part as Porsche prescribed - 99917022390 sans the Porsche logo.

It's correct for your 2002 and I think it's a good idea to change them out due to age.

[Ahsai]

Yes a dab of antiseize on each plug. A 4" wobble extension, 1/4" drive mini ratchet with 5mm hex bit will help a lot. You will wish you have very danty hands :)

Edited May 13, 2015 by Ahsai

[Hilux2400]

It's also a good idea to tape the plug socket spanner to the shaft of the socket driver.  The reason being that if the ball catch on the shaft is weak when the shaft is withdrawn the socket can remain on the sparking plug and it's a long way down the hole and almost impossible to get out without undoing the sparking plug. Hand tighten the plug almost all the way to make sure you don't cross thread it.

 

I have just completed this job for the first time (plugs and coil packs) and did it with the exhaust off the car.  Two of the plugs are not that easy, but at least without the exhaust in place it is possible to get a good view of what going on.  I would start with the plug back right (looking from the back) as I found it the most difficult.  

 

My coil packs had done about 25k miles.  They were not showing any faults, but the back left had a case that was splitting.     

 

The 6 Beru coil packs and 6 Bosch plugs cost me £214 in total from EuroParts in UK.  

[Hilux2400]

It's easier without the exhaust box.

[Hilux2400]

It's easier without the exhaust box.

 

In the photo' the alloy coil pack cover strip has been dropped below the coil packs and the back sparking plug and pack on this side have been removed. 

[britdave]

I bought some NGK Iridium Spark plugs ,  # 6418  ( BKR6EIX )  as others were difficult to find around here, and my appointment at the Indy tech is tomorrow, any comments on those ? The guy at Autozone said they are very good ? 

[Hanseman]

I just changed the spark plugs (second time) and coils (first time) on my 996C2-MY99 at 115k. It is probably worth spending the little more money and get the OEM Beru spark plugs and corresponding OEM coils. Check with Sunset Imports (Oregon) for possibly the most competitive prices. If the coils do not have any cracks and the rubber don't look dry, there should not be a need to replace. If you do find dryness or cracks, the current (new) coils requires longer screws (now with Torx) so make sure to order those as well.

 

Easiest way to replace the spark plugs is to remove the exhausts, as this will give you enough room work. If you place the rear tires higher (on ramps), the exhausts can be removed without need to take off the rear bumper/skirt. The job should not take more than 2h for both sides if your bolts are not rusted and your tools are good.

 

Good luck!

 

Hans

[corysam]

Speaking of plugs, has anyone tried E3 plugs?  I see them advertised a lot but I've never tried them. Comments?

[carrera3.2]

Just a short comment about the use of anti-seize compound on spark plugs in engines such as these.  For some time, Porsche has advised against its use.  The reason given is that the use of this material may insulate the plug from the engine block and allow little or no ground for spark discharge to occur.  Nevertheless, I have always used it on all on my cars, including my 2003 C2, without problems until recently.  I did have a serious problem when changing the plugs on our 2008 BMW 328xi.  When I was finished installing the new plugs, the car ran erratically and gave fault codes for misfiring.  I removed the plugs, washed them with some solvent to remove the anti-seize compound, and replaced the plugs. After removing the anti-seize compound the car then ran fine.

 

Lesson learned.  Porsche's recommendation seems to be a good one.  I will never apply anti-seize compound when replacing my plugs again.  I must have been lucky up until now.  Just be very careful when starting the plugs (by hand) so that you do not cross-thread them or over tighten them.

[Ahsai]

Can you please share which antiseize you used? I'm just curious.

[JFP in PA]

Just a short comment about the use of anti-seize compound on spark plugs in engines such as these.  For some time, Porsche has advised against its use.  The reason given is that the use of this material may insulate the plug from the engine block and allow little or no ground for spark discharge to occur.  Nevertheless, I have always used it on all on my cars, including my 2003 C2, without problems until recently.  I did have a serious problem when changing the plugs on our 2008 BMW 328xi.  When I was finished installing the new plugs, the car ran erratically and gave fault codes for misfiring.  I removed the plugs, washed them with some solvent to remove the anti-seize compound, and replaced the plugs. After removing the anti-seize compound the car then ran fine.

 

Lesson learned.  Porsche's recommendation seems to be a good one.  I will never apply anti-seize compound when replacing my plugs again.  I must have been lucky up until now.  Just be very careful when starting the plugs (by hand) so that you do not cross-thread them or over tighten them.

 

Porsche's comment has to do with the type and amount of anti seize used; some have insulating properties.  At the shop, we use anti seize (a small dab) on every plug we install, and have done so for many, many years; and we have never had a plug misfire because of it, or gall the cylinder heads when removed.  That said, we have also seen plugs without anti seize that were left in the engine for a lot of miles come out of the cylinder heads with the alloy threads still attached.

 

Your comment about washing the compound off also intrigues me, how did you remove the compound in the cylinder head plug holes?  Because if you did not remove it, you still had anti seize on the cylinder head threads, just less of it.......

[carrera3.2]

I have always used regular Permatex anti-seize for this purpose.  There is a recommendation on the label to use it with spark plugs and I have never had a problem using it before.  I can only imagine that I used too much this time, although I thought I was using the same small amount that I normally do..  If memory serves me correctly, I removed it from the plugs by rubbing off as much as I could with a cotton cloth followed with a cloth soaked with xylene.  I did not attempt to remove the anti-seize compound that was likely left in the threads in the engine head, so there was undoubtedly some still in those threads.  Nonetheless, this is a caution to me that you need to be careful when using anti-seize compounds on modern spark plugs.  Maybe the copper-based anti-seize compounds are more forgiving than what I used. (Or maybe BMWs are more sensitive than Porsches.   :eek: )