Starbux

Well changed my plugs for the first time ever.... ( i never done them on any of my other cars ) and it was an experiance. Well i finished and took it for a drive. Then I started to hear a tickin... I thought I moved a wire were it was hitting a belt or something. NOPE get home and its was my T1 plug just hanging there... I guess I didnt push it in all the way. Checked the other plugs for snuggness and carried on.

So here is my prob/question

Should my old plugs look like this?





and question 2

My car is now idling... a little rough. I know the guy messed with the af ratio and timing ... could new plugs make it do this? As in... the old af ratio was good for the old plugs but not new plugs.

RotaryRocket88

iTrader: (7)

Tan color is normal, since most driving is done around a stoichometric air/fuel ratio. You can also see a good bit of rounding on all of the electrodes, which will happen with age. New plugs would make it idle better. Isn't this an S5 car? If so, there is no adjustment for idle air/fuel ratio. S4s have the variable resistor, but S5s just have some auto adjustment by the ECU.

If someone played with the CAS, it should be set back to normal. In general, rough idle can be vacuum leak, TPS, CAS, or old spark plug related. On S4s it can be variable resistor related.

snivley whiplash

iTrader: (4)

I am running those plugs in my 13b is this wrong? repu 13b with 48 dellorto header exhaust ect. been running great so far. hum..........

RotaryRocket88

iTrader: (7)

NGK 7s leading and NGK 9s trailing are the stock plugs on 2nd gen 13b engines. It looks like 1st gen GSL-SEs used NGK 8s all around, and REPUs ran who knows what. I'd say so long as you don't have starting, fouling or detonation problems, your plug choice is fine. http://www.mazdatrix.com/ign-2.htm

Starbux

The stuff he messed with was the tps and idle screw

RotaryRocket88

iTrader: (7)

The TPS is either set or not, but it can cause rough idle if done wrong.

The idle screw just adjusts speed. It can't make idle rough unless idle speed drops too low.

Sgtblue

iTrader: (16)

If you didn't already use some, I recommend anti- seize on the plug threads. Other than that I didn't see anything alarming on your old plugs except the residue on the insulators. Not sure where that came from.

misterstyx69

iTrader: (142)

maybe it is just me,But I would go ahaed and change out the plug wires too.
The Second plug looks like it had a little "spark over",and was grounding out...so it was not really connected firmly.
Getting new wires will assure you of good spark and make your Coils,plugs,engine,etc very happy.
Also,a bit of anti-seize on the thread will not inhibit any spark,so use it to prevent the plugs from getting Seized in the housing.
It has been known to happen,unfortunately,,as the housing and the plug are different metals.

Starbux

I did use anti seize. Had him work on it today.... figured out another problem I will bump the correct thread with the info

Sgtblue

iTrader: (16)

Looking again at those plugs...that looks like soot and evidence of arch'ing. Especially the two in the middle of the photo. Both the plugs and wires are/were overdue. That would also help you with the emissions issue.

gerald m

This is a super little thread on spark plugs ,, So much said is so few words .. it should go in the FAQ's or somewhere where people can find it easily Nice Job

Kentetsu

Here's my guess: When you were changing out the plugs, you bumped your distributor cap and now it is on crooked. This causes the rotor to hit on the contacts in the cap. Loud clacking or ticking noise, rough running, are typical symptoms of this. Don't feel bad either, happens very easily with these distributors.




.