Spark Plug Change..

[04FX4]

Well my 04 FX4 with 35,000KHM has 2 for sure and maybe 3 broken plugs. I guess I am on the hook for paying the labour on the removal of the broken plugs or is the dealer. They called me to give me a heads up and that there be a additional charge for the removal of the broken parts.What do you all think?

[Jackpine]

I think it's pretty awful! I wonder if they didn't really follow the service bulletin when trying to remove the plugs. Doesn't seem right that they'd be stuck in there after only 35,000 km. That's only about 21,000 miles!

Why did you decide to have them changed so soon? (Am I reading your distance wrong)?

- Jack

[04FX4]

No the distance is right. I changed them early hoping they would not break. There was a total of 3 plugs broken plugs, they only charged me a extra $150 to remove them, so I am not that upset.... On another note before bring my truck into Ford I returned it to stock for a couple days and wow what a slug it is. I must say these Gryphons with Bills custom tunes are great, I am not sure why I never got one from day one. Bill you are the "MAN"......

[Grabber523]

Hmm...so they break 3!!! :censored3: plugs and you're probably going to have to foot the bill? Sounds like an easy way for the shop to make a few hundred easy bucks...just sayin...

EDIT: You beat me to my post!

[04FX4]

I geuss it could have been worse. I wonder if I did them if I would have broke any. I need to practice on somebody elses....

[88Racing]

Just to let you guys know. Go over to some of the mustang forums. There are guys changing their plugs at 20k. Are they really saving money or down time? I don't know, its really kind of scary hearing about broken ones at 35k.

-Lars

[Jackpine]

Originally Posted by 04FX4

I geuss it could have been worse. I wonder if I did them if I would have broke any. I need to practice on somebody elses....

I think you COULD have done better! In my humble (and somewhat uninformed opinion) the plugs should not have seized that badly at your mileage (which is awfully low for a 2004 truck)! The plug change interval is 100K miles for Heaven's sake! I honestly think they might have "rushed" the job and the mechanic didn't give the solvent time to work it's way down into the plug nose area. Or, they tried to do it while the engine was warm, which is also a no-no.

I hope they put anti-seize on the plug noses when they put the new ones in!

I know how you feel about it though. It might be instructive to go to a "salvage" yard and try removing the plugs in a wrecked one. Wonder how the yard owner would feel about that? He'd probably think:

- Jack

[88Racing]

Sorry did not see the metrics read right past it. So the equivalent is 21000 miles. I don't think TSB's were followed or KNOWN about. If this was me I would be chewing some tail right when I got the bill. But on the side of the dealer maybe yours was that rare case. Right now however I am smell'n something fishy. Like Jack said I hope also they got nickle antiseeze on the shank.

Lars

[OneTomcat]

Originally Posted by 04FX4

Well my 04 FX4 with 35,000KHM has 2 for sure and maybe 3 broken plugs. I guess I am on the hook for paying the labour on the removal of the broken plugs or is the dealer. They called me to give me a heads up and that there be a additional charge for the removal of the broken parts.What do you all think?

What I think is ya got rooked. I had my '05 FX4 done at 50,000 km, bought the plugs at the Ford dealership and took them to the local Canadian Tire where all plugs were removed with no breakage, new ones installed with the anti-sieze on the shank and out the door for under $90. Now maybe the dealerships are doing more than just changing plugs and I may be a rare case but some of the stories in what is being charged for a spark plug change is just plain outrageous.

[cleatus12r]

http://napachampion.com/PromotionFM/....aspx?pcid=366

I watched the video of what happens with the stock plugs and what kind of torque can be applied to these new plugs.

What an idiotic design.