Is it necessay to use platinum plugs?

[justjoe1950]

93 4 cyl Camry, is it necessary to use platinum plugs? If so what type is recommended? Thanks

[98blackcamry]

Copper is a better conductor than platinum, but it costs less and doesnt last as long. I would definitely shy away from bosch platinum. I have had people come in with random misfires before that was cured by installing motorcraft and AC platinum plugs.

EDIT: forgot to mention, it is not necessary to run platinum plugs, they only recommend them because of the increased service intervals

[1996camry]

refer to your car manual for spec of the type plugs you need for your car. the plugs spec should be couple of pages at the end of your car manual... the best plugs you need for your car, you get them from the dealer.... call the parts department at your local Toyota dealership to get the price per plug. the price can range 5-7 dollars per plug, but it depends where you live.

the plugs you get at the dealership already pregaps for you. you also need to buy some dielectric grease at auto store...you use dielectric grease to apply around the thread of the spark plugs only... don't apply the dieelectric grease touch the tip of spark plugs and the part where electrons jump... if you do, it could possible cause short... buy the dieelectric grease...make sure you read the instruction that include something about the spark plugs... i know the dieelectric grease come in the form on small can or long tube. the machanic tech that work at toyota dealership told me about possible short if you apply the dieelectric at the tip of plugs and the part where electrons jump. it make sense because the material that come with dieelectric grease can cause short...just be caution when you're changing your plugs...it is not that hard to change your spark plugs..

the dieelectric grease you apply around the thread to help you to remove the spark plugs easier for next time.

[White95Cam]

Originally Posted by 1996camry

refer to your car manual for spec of the type plugs you need for your car. the plugs spec should be couple of pages at the end of your car manual... the best plugs you need for your car, you get them from the dealer.... call the parts department at your local Toyota dealership to get the price per plug. the price can range 5-7 dollars per plug, but it depends where you live.

the plugs you get at the dealership already pregaps for you. you also need to buy some dielectric grease at auto store...you use dielectric grease to apply around the thread of the spark plugs only... don't apply the dieelectric grease touch the tip of spark plugs and the part where electrons jump... if you do, it could possible cause short... buy the dieelectric grease...make sure you read the instruction that include something about the spark plugs... i know the dieelectric grease come in the form on small can or long tube. the machanic tech that work at toyota dealership told me about possible short if you apply the dieelectric at the tip of plugs and the part where electrons jump. it make sense because the material that come with dieelectric grease can cause short...just be caution when you're changing your plugs...it is not that hard to change your spark plugs..

the dieelectric grease you apply around the thread to help you to remove the spark plugs easier for next time.

I am sorry but you misunderstood the tech or he did not know what he was talking about. You use anti-seize grease on the threads and the dielectric grease goes on the inside of the plug wire end to keep it from sticking to the plug the next time you remove the wires. The mods will back me up on this.
W95C

[DMZ]

I apply anti-seize to the threads of the plug to prevent the possibility of a plug seizing into the aluminum block.

I apply dielectric grease to the insulator. This seals out moisture and makes removal of the boots much easier.

I favor NGK platinum plugs for my Camry.

[White95Cam]

Originally Posted by DMZ

I apply anti-seize to the threads of the plug to prevent the possibility of a plug seizing into the aluminum block.

I apply dielectric grease to the insulator. This seals out moisture and makes removal of the boots much easier.

I favor NGK platinum plugs for my Camry.

I guess that 1996 misunderstood the tech.
I too use the NGK BK6EP11 as stated in my owners manual. I bought mine from sparkplugs.com
W95C

[Gibson99]

main differences between metals on the electrodes is just wear/life/service interval.

copper = often only about $1/plug , lasts 15k miles at most
nickel = about $1.50-2.50/plug. up to 30k miles
platinum = anywhere from 1.75-4.00/plug. lasts 60k miles
iridium = cheapest i've seen was like 4.50... and only goes up from there (have seen $22/plug!) but they're good for 100k miles.

if you have a 4cyl, then there's no point in wasting money on iridiums. just stick with a good brand of nickel or platinum plugs and change them at the proper times. a set of plugs should take no more than 15 minutes to replace on that engine. on the v6's it's a lot more work, so it's worth the extra $ to install iridiums, so you don't have to replace them as often.

i also agree with the others - use copper-based anti-sieze on the threads (very sparingly), and use the clear/translucent di-electric grease on the ceramic part of the plug and on BOTH ends of spark plug wires. Also a good idea to put a little di-electric grease on the shaft of the distributor before installing the rotor (if you have a distributor). DO NOT use di-electric grease on the threads of the spark plug!

my preferred brands are NGK and Denso. Autolite and Champion are good for lawn mowers and weed-whackers, but not cars. they're cheap, so they're fine to put in a car you're about to sell, but they don't last as long as better brands, so i wouldn't put them in a car you plan to keep for a while.

[Fiox789]

I've got iridium plugs in mine. it was 85 bucks for 6 plugs.

[1996camry]

dam, I done it wrong on my spark plugs... Thanks guys for sharing the correct way of applying (anti-seize) to the spark plugs. If I leave the car run like that, would it damage the engine or performance?

I still have another 10k before it dues for new spark plugs?

[Gibson99]

Originally Posted by 1996camry

dam, I done it wrong on my spark plugs... Thanks guys for sharing the correct way of applying (anti-seize) to the spark plugs. If I leave the car run like that, would it damage the engine or performance?

I still have another 10k before it dues for new spark plugs?

your plugs are probably fine - grease shouldn't hurt them.

that said, I would recommend that you take the plugs out and clean off the di-electric from the threads using brake cleaner or similar. try to clean the threads in the engine too - not easy since they're down in the tubes... wrap a rag around a screwdriver and jam it down in there and twist. then put a light coat of anti-sieze on the threads and reinstall.

the reason for this is the di-electric may become unpredictable at the high temps you see there... it could become a lubricant and cause the spark plugs to become loose, or it could work like glue and freeze your plugs into the engine, which will make them a real b**** to remove next time.

[frenum49]

I 2nd the Bosch platinum trash. Never buy the Bosch with the tiny conductor that is sunk into the porcelain tip. These are garbage after a very short time. I agree with the NGK in our Toyotas.

[CarDrivinHick]

If your ignition system isn't very modern, your quad tipped spark plugs will act the same as the cheap copper ones.

[Gibson99]

Originally Posted by CarDrivinHick

If your ignition system isn't very modern, your quad tipped spark plugs will act the same as the cheap copper ones.

well, platinum lasts longer than copper no matter how many arms there are at the end of the plug. i do agree that it's a waste of money for the +2 +4 type plugs and i just run plain old single arm single electrode plugs even in my supercharged 98. that said, i did pony up for the iridiums in it so they would last longer.

[unique7]

I have platinum plugs. I couldn't find one for my 1997 camry anywhere so I had to get them from a Toyota dealer.