Can't Reach Spark Plugs

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Originally Posted By: Miller88
Most vehicles use a 100K plug change interval now ... I'm not sure why you'd be laughing? Manically because you had to spend $1000 to have the timing belt changed?


Not sure what you're talking about. My Dealer just sent me a coupon to have it done for $355, complete. I can do it myself for less using OEM parts. My Honda is the SOHC VTEC and it's really not that hard to do- the engine bay isn't as horribly cramped as most V6 cars. Anyway that is all years away, mine is already done for the 105K mile service.
 
With those kind of vehicles just leave the impossible to get at bank of plugs in until they miss fire and throw a code. You might get lucky and get rid of the vehicle before that happens.
 
I asked a mechanic at the local Chevy dealer how he did the 3.4. His answer..
I don't, i just leave them in and hope it doesn't come back within 30 days.
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
I asked a mechanic at the local Chevy dealer how he did the 3.4. His answer..
I don't, i just leave them in and hope it doesn't come back within 30 days.

No wonder they are called "Stealers" ! Until now I never called any dealer by that name, now I may change my mind about them.

If they charge for parts and labor they have to do it, it is not legal in any state or in any country for do nothing after charging for it.
 
The service dept doesn't know he/they are doing this. He is getting flat rate book on the job so he is ripping off the dealer also.
He isn't alone with these kids of shenanigans. I admit flat rate on that job is a major ripoff for the mechanic.
If they charged the customer real time the customer would feel like they just grabbed their ankles. Sometimes the mechanic has to take the hit but in any case do the job and do it right.
 
Originally Posted By: HangFire
Originally Posted By: Miller88
Most vehicles use a 100K plug change interval now ... I'm not sure why you'd be laughing? Manically because you had to spend $1000 to have the timing belt changed?


Not sure what you're talking about. My Dealer just sent me a coupon to have it done for $355, complete. I can do it myself for less using OEM parts. My Honda is the SOHC VTEC and it's really not that hard to do- the engine bay isn't as horribly cramped as most V6 cars. Anyway that is all years away, mine is already done for the 105K mile service.


I think his mechanic must be the richest guy in town with the rates Miller88 keeps mentioning for timing belts. He probably commutes to his shop in a Phantom and feeds caviar to his cat.
 
Haha!

That's $300 more in my pocket that I don't have to spend every 100K miles. I'm okay with saving money, too.

In reality, my mechanic quoted a friend $300 to do a timing belt job.

I still think it's asinine to need to disassemble that much to replace a belt. But that's me. People have been conditioned to think that a cost cutting measure is some how good for them.
 
Ha! Yes-the first time I ran into some of the above was after I'd bought my used'86 Fiero with the 2.8 FI V6. The original owner didn't want to deal with the rear(front!) three spark plugs and took it to the selling Pontiac dealer. After I'd owned it for a few years, I felt it was in need of plugs/wires, ect. I removed the 'dogbone' mount and rotated the engine for access to find that the dealer mechanic had decided to just change the three 'easy' plugs and leave in the OE 'hard to do'. No ethics with that one-and they weren't nearly as hard to do compared with many later year cars.
 
I've been lucky, never had a vehicle with hard to change plugs. Mostly Nissan, BMW and Toyota V6, I6 and V8's with an occasional GM, Ford or Chrysler. and 2 Audi's on which the plugs were not difficult.


I have helped others with some real hum-dingers though
 
Originally Posted By: Miller88
Haha!

That's $300 more in my pocket that I don't have to spend every 100K miles. I'm okay with saving money, too.

In reality, my mechanic quoted a friend $300 to do a timing belt job.

I still think it's asinine to need to disassemble that much to replace a belt. But that's me. People have been conditioned to think that a cost cutting measure is some how good for them.


At least you admit you mainly speak in terms of non-reality.
 
What I do with mine is I break the spark plug loose with my long handle flex head ratchet in 3/8 drive, then I'll go in there with my compact 1/4 drive flex head and spin it out.
 
Originally Posted By: Trav
The service dept doesn't know he/they are doing this. He is getting flat rate book on the job so he is ripping off the dealer also.
He isn't alone with these kids of shenanigans. I admit flat rate on that job is a major ripoff for the mechanic.
If they charged the customer real time the customer would feel like they just grabbed their ankles. Sometimes the mechanic has to take the hit but in any case do the job and do it right.

The car manufacture and/or dealer is totally wrong in this case. They should know certain engines are much harder and take much longer time to change spark plugs, they should allocate appropriate times for mechanic to do the job right.

There is no excuse what-so-ever for customers to pay the bill and didn't receive the work they supposed to have.

If the spark plugs on the back could not be changed for what ever reason, the dealer should revise the bill to reflect the work not being done, so the customer will be looking for a garage that can do it.
 
Most American cars are not built with service in mind. When I switched from working on European cars to American it was a bit of a culture shock.

I can do the spark plugs on a G wagon or a V12 Mercedes in a lot less time than on my Chevy work truck.

Having to crank the engine over to change the plugs is just simply horrible packaging, with trucks the back bank is always a nightmare.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
What I do with mine is I break the spark plug loose with my long handle flex head ratchet in 3/8 drive, then I'll go in there with my compact 1/4 drive flex head and spin it out.


You might want to try a Wright Tool 3440, it's a 3/8" drive in a 1/4" body flex head. I use mine often working on motorcycles.
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Originally Posted By: hattaresguy
Most American cars are not built with service in mind. When I switched from working on European cars to American it was a bit of a culture shock.

I can do the spark plugs on a G wagon or a V12 Mercedes in a lot less time than on my Chevy work truck.

Having to crank the engine over to change the plugs is just simply horrible packaging, with trucks the back bank is always a nightmare.


You have never worked on any modern french vehicle i see.
If you can replace anything without having to completley dismantle the car you are usually lucky....

Replacing a headgasket on a peugeot partner ***** so much that they are banned from our workshop.

Little OT:
I dont think that any of you in the US will be forced to work on a mobilehome called Concorde and thats built on a Man truck chassis.
On a truck its designed so that the cab can be tilted to be able to repair anything on the engine, the designer of that stupid piece of ****mobile have decided to make a little hatch above the engine thats 50cmx100cm as an acces to the engine, if anything else exept the filters fails they can just tow it to a junkyard because its impossible to repair anything else on it...
Did i mention that the only interior available on them is white...
Any normal person knows that a mechanic is usually dirty even after they have washed their hands and then have them lying on the floor between white chairs to do anything with the engine is just great thinking...
Carrying out old fuel and oilfilters without accidently touching any of the white things is also great thinking..
 
Ok, Be glad for that.
Now i have another reason to maybee move overthere sometime.
no French cars sounds good.
 
Hey there Pierre=a northern european with skills and also the well known work ethic that maybe wants in over here? I haven't heard of much of that in my area lately, but if I were king I'd welccome a contributor!
 
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
If you can touch it, you can get it out. It takes a good plan of attack and the right tools.


There is some truth to this. I can reach down and touch the crankshaft position sensor below the rear bank on the Lumina but I can't see it.

It wasn't that difficult to replace....AFTER the engine was rotated.
 
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