Ok this sounds stupid lol, but I cannot find the sparkplugs anywhere. The millenia S is so complicated I couldnt find it.

Does anyone have a drawing or anything of where they would be and what would I need to take off in order to change them because I belive my sparkplugs have not been changed in more than 4 years.

Thank You

 

dont take this the wrong way, but if you cannot find the spark plugs, maybe you shouldnt try to change them. there is a lot of stuff that has to come off to get to them. both intercoolers. egr valve, rat's nest of solenoids on bank 2, and to pull the rear intercooler, you gotta pull the battery, and move some of the wiring harness around. if you pull the front intercooler, there are 3 coils underneath. this is a cop system. if the plugs aint been changed in 4 years, you probably got lots of oil in the wells, and the plugs might be welded to the heads. if you think getting to the front bank of plugs is easy, dont get cocky. the rear bank will eat your lunch. i can pull the front bank in about 20 minutes, and our cars dont have the early style flanges on the intercoolers, it has those funky spring clamps. it takes me at least 1.5 hrs to change the rear bank. the hardest one to get to is #5, if you can r&r that one, the rest are pretty easy. getting the connector on/off is the hard part, if you turn the coil, you can get the connector on/off, then you dont gotta pull the rear intercooler.

 

umm............. Sounds like Rocket Science

Ill just go get a tuneup :S easyway lol give them good sparkplugs so they can put in better ones that the basic ones.

 

Make sure to request the old plugs back after they change them. This makes sure they actually did the work. I decided that the plugs on my old F-150 were too tough to do myself so I took it in to the shop. (I can do the work, just didn't feel like messing with it at the time.) Long story short, they only replaced the easy ones to get to and I had trouble ~10,000 miles later. Thinking I had new plugs in all 8 cylinders, I started investigating elsewhere for the problem. #7/8 plugs were toasted.

 

a common problem with the 2.3. they only change the front bank, and leave the rear, because of the labor involved. also, there are no better plugs for that motor than the stock ones. if you say iridiums, i will be laughing. especially after you pay to have them changed out AGAIN because they dont work.

 

Could you elaborate on your problems with the iridiums?

 

the problem is not so much the iridiums as it is with ANY plug for the 2.3. most places that sell plugs, like autozone, pep boys, carquest, etc. will only stock plugs that fit a whole bunch of cars. the 2.3 plugs come pre gapped, most plugs with precious metal tips are. if you look at the part number, after the plug will be either nothing, or, as in the case of the wrong iridiums, -11 appears. what this means is the gap is 1.1mm, way too large for the 2.3. most of the common plugs for n/a motors do run the larger gap. but, most FI motors use a much smaller gap, about .7mm. this is because under boost, the pressure within the combustion chamber is way higher than n/a, and it takes more voltage to jump the larger gap, also, at hi levels of boost, the spark can actually be "blown out" by the incoming charge. if you can get iridiums with the .7mm gap, they will work. and, if whomever is selling you the plug says just regap them, run away. the manufacturer SPECIFICALLY states NOT to regap the plug.

additionally, most of the information in the aftermarket is diluted, and applies to the 2.5 n/a motor, which uses a conventional system with hi tension wires, an ignition distributor, and coil. the 2.3 is a cop(coil-on-plug) system, which is more sophisticated. so, when you go to most aftermarket stores, the parts person's information applies to the 2.5 motor, not the 2.3. and, millenia owners think the counterperson knows way more about the car than they really do. all the counterperson is doing is looking at their computer, and what it says is what you get. another similar area of mostly wrong information is the front axles, or half shafts. if you need to get one for a 2.3, more than likely it will be for a 2.5, and it wont fit.

i am always amazed at how people can believe that changing to a different spark plug is going to make more power. even tho the factory plug for the 2.3 is a bit expensive, after changing them you will not want to take a chance on some buttco plug.

 

Thanks for the reply.

I wasn't concerned with more or less power, longevity was the key selling point.

Greatly appreciate your input.

Cheers