Did I use the right spark plugs?

[Joel David]

Hey guys, I had supercheap auto pick me out a set of spark plug for my AU2 I6 ute (fatal mistake?) and they chose NGK BPR5EY-11 plugs.

The plugs I removed from the car were a completely different model (still NGK though).

I might be imaging it but I think the car isn't running as well as it did before the change.

Wrong plugs? Right plugs?

Cheers fellas.

[GK]

Originally Posted by Joel David

Hey guys, I had supercheap auto pick me out a set of spark plug for my AU2 I6 ute (fatal mistake?) and they chose NGK BPR5EY-11 plugs.

The plugs I removed from the car were a completely different model (still NGK though).

I might be imaging it but I think the car isn't running as well as it did before the change.

Wrong plugs? Right plugs?

Cheers fellas.

Your Vehicle?:
04/00 - 12/00 Ford Falcon AUII 4.0L 6 Cyl.
Recommended Plug BPR5EY-11
Plug Gap 1.1

Your Vehicle?:
12/00 - 2002 Ford Falcon AUII 4.0L 6 Cyl.
Recommended Plug IGR5C13
Plug Gap 1.3

Your Vehicle?:
04/00 - 12/00 Ford Falcon AUII 4.0L 6 Cyl., HP VCT, XR6, Tickford
Recommended Plug ZGR6B-11 Plug Gap1.1

Check with this info I just got off the NGK site. If the plugs are the correct ones, it could be that your gap is incorrect.

If your car is on gas, gap the plugs at 0.8-0.9, leaning more to the 0.8 end.

Hope that helps.

GK

[Papa Smurf]

Series 2&3 have Iridium plugs that are supposed to last for 100,000 klms but not many do. We use Series 1 plugs at work as people WON'T pay the price for iridiums.

[howesy]

GK seems to be on the mark.
The BPR5EY-11's are the same heat range as the others for AU2 and AU3 denoted by the number 5 (4th digit in the number). So increasing the gap to 1.3mm may solve the issue.

[howesy]

Originally Posted by howesy

GK seems to be on the mark.
The BPR5EY-11's are the same heat range as the others for AU2 and AU3 denoted by the number 5 (4th digit in the number). So increasing the gap to 1.3mm may solve the issue.

So in your case the recommended plug would seem to be IGR5C13. The (I) being iridium the (G) being 14mm diameter with 19mm reach and 20.8mm hex and the (R) being resistor (5) being heat range (C) being the design feature and (13) being the gap.

The plugs you have in only really differ in that they are not iridium and have a V grooved centre electrode with extra projection and are one heat range colder with a smaller gap.
They really are two different beans and will make it run different. I suggest you go to the IGR5C13

Hope all this babble helped.

[GK]

Originally Posted by howesy

So in your case the recommended plug would seem to be IGR5C13. The (I) being iridium the (G) being 14mm diameter with 19mm reach and 20.8mm hex and the (R) being resistor (5) being heat range (C) being the design feature and (13) being the gap.

The plugs you have in only really differ in that they are not iridium and have a V grooved centre electrode with extra projection and are one heat range colder with a smaller gap.
They really are two different beans and will make it run different. I suggest you go to the IGR5C13

Hope all this babble helped.

Very informative Howesy.

I'm a little confused on one point though. You said he had plugs that were one heat range colder, but you also said they were both "5" therefore in the same heat range. Please explain! LOL!

GK

[howesy]

Originally Posted by GK

Very informative Howesy.

I'm a little confused on one point though. You said he had plugs that were one heat range colder, but you also said they were both "5" therefore in the same heat range. Please explain! LOL!

GK

Too many references to look at for a half blind old man Iwas lokking at the ZGR6B-11 at the time.
Yes your spot on they are the same heat range the above listing is the colder. Good pick up, I'll go back to a state of confusion now.

By the way here is a link to an NGK identification reference if anyone is interested.

http://www.spark-plugs.co.uk/pages/technical/ngkjpg.htm

[joseph23]

SO what are the better plugs to run in the AU Series 2 falcons? The series 1 plugs gapped out to 1.3 or a set of idridium plugs?

As i have been tryign to get mine to idle smooth for a long time. Tried leads plugs, tune up etc and still feels like it runs like a dog.

[Chamelion]

I've got a bad idle too.. You can feel the engine shaking even when sitting in the drivers seat. It seems to run fine when driving...

[howesy]

Originally Posted by joseph23

SO what are the better plugs to run in the AU Series 2 falcons? The series 1 plugs gapped out to 1.3 or a set of idridium plugs?

As i have been tryign to get mine to idle smooth for a long time. Tried leads plugs, tune up etc and still feels like it runs like a dog.

both the VCT and the std 6cyl are recommended 1.1 gap except in the iridium which is gapped at 1.3. The iridium has a smaller diameter electrode and arcs more intensely to it which is why you have the bigger gap. To open the gap on the non iridium plug should make the idle worse in theory as it takes more energy to throw the spark to a std size electrode with a bigger the gap opened up.
The ZGR6B-11 recommended for XR6, HP VCT, Tickford,has an extended gap and is a colder plug than the BPR5EY-11 recommended for std application.
So I guess you either run an iridium gapped at 1.3 or you run 1.1 gap on either of the two others. The difference in heat range of the plug may make a difference. All Too confusing time for a drink.

[sly]

Originally Posted by GK

Your Vehicle?:
04/00 - 12/00 Ford Falcon AUII 4.0L 6 Cyl.
Recommended Plug BPR5EY-11
Plug Gap 1.1

Your Vehicle?:
04/00 - 12/00 Ford Falcon AUII 4.0L 6 Cyl., HP VCT, XR6, Tickford
Recommended Plug ZGR6B-11 Plug Gap1.1

The BPR5EY-11 is also the recommended plug for AU1 I6 MPEFI engines (MPEFI meaning everything that's not HP or VCT). The Iridium equivalent is BPR5EIX-11.

Originally Posted by GK

Your Vehicle?:
12/00 - 2002 Ford Falcon AUII 4.0L 6 Cyl.
Recommended Plug IGR5C13
Plug Gap 1.3

That date range is AUIII, not AUII so perhaps it would simplify things if we just ignored it for now

Joel, can you tell us what model the plugs were that you removed, and whether your ute has the MPEFI, HP or VCT engine?

[GK]

Originally Posted by sly

That date range is AUIII, not AUII so perhaps it would simplify things if we just ignored it for now

Perhaps it needed the extra "I" on it! LOL!

Originally Posted by sly

Joel, can you tell us what model the plugs were that you removed, and whether your ute has the MPEFI, HP or VCT engine?

Good idea!

GK

[Joel David]

K so mines a 01' so I should be getting the IGR5C13, which are the same ones I pulled out of the car. Thanks supercheap!

sly - sorry mate, bit of a noob, how would i find that out?

[Chamelion]

Just keep in mind, based on everything I have read, you car should run on the plugs supercheap provided fine.

[GK]

Originally Posted by Joel David

K so mines a 01' so I should be getting the IGR5C13, which are the same ones I pulled out of the car. Thanks supercheap!

sly - sorry mate, bit of a noob, how would i find that out?

Joel, the plugs you pulled out are iridium plugs? The ones SuperCheap got you should be fine, they are standard plugs that's all. They are gapped 0.2mm smaller but the heat range (5) is the same.

It was explained earlier here or in another thread that iridium plugs need a larger gap.

GK

[Stav]

Iridiums provided a spark which will jump a wider gap due to its fine ground electrode.The fatter electrode provides a fatter but incapable of firing properly at wider gaps. i have used all of the plugs mentioned in this thread plus some. The best plug is the plug that gives the best readings/colours after driving the car.

[sly]

Originally Posted by Joel David

K so mines a 01' so I should be getting the IGR5C13, which are the same ones I pulled out of the car. Thanks supercheap!

sly - sorry mate, bit of a noob, how would i find that out?

Well that's the spark plug model taken care of, is your ute an XR (in which case it has the HP or VCT engine) or XL / XLS (in which case it has the MPEFI engine)?

Just re-read GK's info & have to admit I was wrong. Ford made a running change to spark plug spec during the life of the AU2 (12/00).... AAAAAARGH!!!!!... no wonder ppl are confused....

Just looking at those plug types again, the 12/00-on plug sounds like it's closely related to the Iridium equivalent of the earlier HP/VCT plug, it's not the direct equivalent of the early MPEFI plug. I wonder if the coil pack change (outie to innie) happened at the same time? Maybe the later coil pack runs at a higher voltage? I know my wife's AUIII has always had better power (esp down low) than my AU1, ignition might have something to do with it.

It can feel a parts database search coming on, does anyone know what Ford call a coilpack, or have a part no. for any AU coilpack?

[Joel David]

Its an XL so MPEFI engine.

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by GK
Your Vehicle?:
12/00 - 2002 Ford Falcon AUII 4.0L 6 Cyl.
Recommended Plug IGR5C13
Plug Gap 1.3

Going on this .... it looks to be a typo from the catalogue ... as it overlaps the previous one as well.

I think this if for 12/01 - onwards ... which should be Series III

I have a 10/01 AUII .... so the above info is wrong ... I presume it is what was written in the catalogue that was wrong.

..........................................

I have ditched the Iridiums ... and have gone in favour of the standard plugs gapped down to 0.8 (Factory EGAS) ... and will change them on a regular basis ... it works out cheaper for me ... and i make sure I have regularly changed plugs for a good clean spark.

Makes me maintain my work ute just that bit more.

[Mechan1k]

Originally Posted by sly

Well that's the spark plug model taken care of, is your ute an XR (in which case it has the HP or VCT engine) or XL / XLS (in which case it has the MPEFI engine)?

Just re-read GK's info & have to admit I was wrong. Ford made a running change to spark plug spec during the life of the AU2 (12/00).... AAAAAARGH!!!!!... no wonder ppl are confused....

Just looking at those plug types again, the 12/00-on plug sounds like it's closely related to the Iridium equivalent of the earlier HP/VCT plug, it's not the direct equivalent of the early MPEFI plug. I wonder if the coil pack change (outie to innie) happened at the same time? Maybe the later coil pack runs at a higher voltage? I know my wife's AUIII has always had better power (esp down low) than my AU1, ignition might have something to do with it.

It can feel a parts database search coming on, does anyone know what Ford call a coilpack, or have a part no. for any AU coilpack?

Bugger I should have read this fully ... looks like GK was right there with the dates.

Not sure if the XR6 utes were VCT (as I think VCT was IRS sedans only) ... so they should have been HP engines only in the utes.

I do remember looking at an XR6 engine that the coilpack was different to a standard Intech OHC engine.

Don't get a coilpack from Ford ... they will charge you a fortune. I got a near new (50,000km) coilpack from Macarthur Parts Plus for approx $50 (from memory) for my AUII EGAS Intech motor. All the terminals on it were unmarked and clean ... unlike my faulty one I pulled out of the ute (had a partial miss at idle and underload)

[GK]

Originally Posted by Mechan1k

Bugger I should have read this fully ... looks like GK was right there with the dates.

No harm no foul! LOL!

When the info I posted was first queried, I wondered if I'd made a typo, but it did appear that there was overlap with what Ford did in the way of plugs etc.

There's sooooo much info from different manuafacturers of bits and pieces, that from time to time we and they get info wrong. I was more than happy to be corrected if I was wrong. I appreciate the way we can all look carefully at what each other says and then correct if needed. It's one of the things that makes this forum so good.

It's all good!

Cheers,

GK