DougW

Lee Ayrton wrote:
> On Sat, 7 Apr 2007, DougW wrote:
>
>> Jeff Strickland wrote:
>>
>>> I once owned a GM car that needed something special in the plug. The
>>> catalog at the parts house gave a listing for a plug that was
>>> missing a letter or number somewhere in the middle, and this
>>> missing digit denoted that the plugs were "high output".
>>
>> That missing letter probably indicated no internal resistor.
>
> "R" innit?

Yep

> Delco, for one, offers a chart to decode spark plug ID numbers:
> http://www.acdelco.com/parts/sparkpl...tification.jsp

Frank_v7.0

My 4.0 6cyl, albeit in a TJ, uses NGK ZFR5N plugs with a 35 thousandths
gap. That's what my owners manual says. I can't imagine platinum plugs
being "required".

tinman wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have my '99GC 4.0L 6cyl in the shop for a 90K maintenance. The
> mechanic
> just called me and says that he found platinum plugs in there and so
> he must
> replace them with platinum plugs. He insists that he cannot replace
> platinum
> plugs with regular plugs (which are included in the maintenace charge)
> and
> wants to charge me $12 extra per plug. Is this true? I do not intend
> to keep
> the car long enough to justify the benefit of platinum plugs, so I'm
> inclined
> to go with regular plugs. Is there any downside to this or am I just
> getting
> scammed?
>
> thanks.
>
> -Tin
>

--
FRH

Frank_v7.0

My 4.0 6cyl, albeit in a TJ, uses NGK ZFR5N plugs with a 35 thousandths
gap. That's what my owners manual says. I can't imagine platinum plugs
being "required".

tinman wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have my '99GC 4.0L 6cyl in the shop for a 90K maintenance. The
> mechanic
> just called me and says that he found platinum plugs in there and so
> he must
> replace them with platinum plugs. He insists that he cannot replace
> platinum
> plugs with regular plugs (which are included in the maintenace charge)
> and
> wants to charge me $12 extra per plug. Is this true? I do not intend
> to keep
> the car long enough to justify the benefit of platinum plugs, so I'm
> inclined
> to go with regular plugs. Is there any downside to this or am I just
> getting
> scammed?
>
> thanks.
>
> -Tin
>

--
FRH

Frank_v7.0

My 4.0 6cyl, albeit in a TJ, uses NGK ZFR5N plugs with a 35 thousandths
gap. That's what my owners manual says. I can't imagine platinum plugs
being "required".

tinman wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I have my '99GC 4.0L 6cyl in the shop for a 90K maintenance. The
> mechanic
> just called me and says that he found platinum plugs in there and so
> he must
> replace them with platinum plugs. He insists that he cannot replace
> platinum
> plugs with regular plugs (which are included in the maintenace charge)
> and
> wants to charge me $12 extra per plug. Is this true? I do not intend
> to keep
> the car long enough to justify the benefit of platinum plugs, so I'm
> inclined
> to go with regular plugs. Is there any downside to this or am I just
> getting
> scammed?
>
> thanks.
>
> -Tin
>

--
FRH

Jeff Strickland

"DougW" <post.replies@invalid.address> wrote in message
news:DhPRh.53795$nh4.3369@newsfe20.lga...
> Jeff Strickland wrote:
>
>> I once owned a GM car that needed something special in the plug. The
>> catalog at the parts house gave a listing for a plug that was missing
>> a letter or number somewhere in the middle, and this missing digit
>> denoted that the plugs were "high output".
>
> That missing letter probably indicated no internal resistor.
>


Agreed. Whatever it indicated, it was important.

Jeff Strickland

"DougW" <post.replies@invalid.address> wrote in message
news:DhPRh.53795$nh4.3369@newsfe20.lga...
> Jeff Strickland wrote:
>
>> I once owned a GM car that needed something special in the plug. The
>> catalog at the parts house gave a listing for a plug that was missing
>> a letter or number somewhere in the middle, and this missing digit
>> denoted that the plugs were "high output".
>
> That missing letter probably indicated no internal resistor.
>


Agreed. Whatever it indicated, it was important.

Jeff Strickland

"DougW" <post.replies@invalid.address> wrote in message
news:DhPRh.53795$nh4.3369@newsfe20.lga...
> Jeff Strickland wrote:
>
>> I once owned a GM car that needed something special in the plug. The
>> catalog at the parts house gave a listing for a plug that was missing
>> a letter or number somewhere in the middle, and this missing digit
>> denoted that the plugs were "high output".
>
> That missing letter probably indicated no internal resistor.
>


Agreed. Whatever it indicated, it was important.

Mike

"Jeff Strickland" <crwlr@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:%rORh.5187$Cl.3582@trndny08...
>
> "Mike" <mik@localnet.com> wrote in message
> news:g5DRh.6249$B25.4126@news01.roc.ny...
>>
>> "Jeff Strickland" <crwlr@verizon.net> wrote in message
>> news:2RCRh.265$eC.105@trndny03...
>>>
>>> "Mike" <mik@localnet.com> wrote in message
>>> news:WiiRh.6165$B25.4846@news01.roc.ny...
>>>>
>>>> "Jeff Strickland" <crwlr@verizon.net> wrote in message
>>>> news:qWgRh.5945$bM1.1484@trnddc03...
>>>>>
>>>>> "tinman" <tintinrao@gmail.com> wrote in message
>>>>> news:1175812171.360267.184210@l77g2000hsb.googlegr oups.com...
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Thanks, Doug. I'm just going to insist he replace them with regular
>>>>>> plugs and I'll take the *chance* of the engine blowing up :)
>>>>>>
>>>>>> thx.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -Tin
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> There's no danger of the motor blowing up. It just won't run well.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The platinum plugs will last longer but there will be no difference
>>>> in the way the engine runs no matter which plug is used.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Not true IF high power plugs are required.
>>
>>
>> Never heard of "high power plugs", care to explain what they are and
>> when the are required ?
>>
>>
>
>
> Poor choice of words. There are different varities of plugs, some of them
> are designed to provide high output. If high output plugs are called for,
> they must be used. I agree with you, if high output plugs are not called
> for, they probably are not worth the added cost.
>

There is no such thing as " high output plugs".



> I once owned a GM car that needed something special in the plug. The
> catalog at the parts house gave a listing for a plug that was missing a
> letter or number somewhere in the middle, and this missing digit denoted
> that the plugs were "high output". I attempted to use the plugs, and the
> car would not run for crap. Since I was not able to understand all of the
> digits of the part number, I missed the significance of a digit that was
> not on the new plugs that I had in my hand.


I'll say it again, there's no such thing as "high output plugs". My bet
is that the parts guy gave you a shorter reach spark plug instead of a long
reach plug. I have run across that before on the older GM's and they will
run like crap with the shorter plugs installed. If the missing digit had
been at the end it would have been an "R" designating a reistor plug. That
wouln'd make the car run poorly. A missing digit in the middle would either
be plug reach or heat range.

I'll bet what the parts guy was trying to tell you is that the sprk plugs
were listed for the "high output" engine option, not that it was a "high
output" spark plug

>
> I am not saying that the OP needs platinum plugs, I'm saying that there is
> benefit in some motors for them.


Platinum plugs will last longer, that's all. They will not make the
engine run an different.



>
>
>
>
>
>
>>>
>>> I agree that platinum plugs won't hurt, and they could help. But if they
>>> are REQUIRED then they have to be used.
>>
>> I have never seen an engine that REQUIRED plantinum plugs. Platinum
>> plugs are usually used in applications where the plugs are a bitch to
>> replace. The are generally good for 60,000 - 100,000 miles. I have seen
>> regular plugs used in place of platinums quite often and they perform no
>> differently except they don't last as long.
>>
>>
>>>
>>> Having said that, I do not believe they are required.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>

Mike

"Jeff Strickland" <crwlr@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:%rORh.5187$Cl.3582@trndny08...
>
> "Mike" <mik@localnet.com> wrote in message
> news:g5DRh.6249$B25.4126@news01.roc.ny...
>>
>> "Jeff Strickland" <crwlr@verizon.net> wrote in message
>> news:2RCRh.265$eC.105@trndny03...
>>>
>>> "Mike" <mik@localnet.com> wrote in message
>>> news:WiiRh.6165$B25.4846@news01.roc.ny...
>>>>
>>>> "Jeff Strickland" <crwlr@verizon.net> wrote in message
>>>> news:qWgRh.5945$bM1.1484@trnddc03...
>>>>>
>>>>> "tinman" <tintinrao@gmail.com> wrote in message
>>>>> news:1175812171.360267.184210@l77g2000hsb.googlegr oups.com...
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Thanks, Doug. I'm just going to insist he replace them with regular
>>>>>> plugs and I'll take the *chance* of the engine blowing up :)
>>>>>>
>>>>>> thx.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -Tin
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> There's no danger of the motor blowing up. It just won't run well.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The platinum plugs will last longer but there will be no difference
>>>> in the way the engine runs no matter which plug is used.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Not true IF high power plugs are required.
>>
>>
>> Never heard of "high power plugs", care to explain what they are and
>> when the are required ?
>>
>>
>
>
> Poor choice of words. There are different varities of plugs, some of them
> are designed to provide high output. If high output plugs are called for,
> they must be used. I agree with you, if high output plugs are not called
> for, they probably are not worth the added cost.
>

There is no such thing as " high output plugs".



> I once owned a GM car that needed something special in the plug. The
> catalog at the parts house gave a listing for a plug that was missing a
> letter or number somewhere in the middle, and this missing digit denoted
> that the plugs were "high output". I attempted to use the plugs, and the
> car would not run for crap. Since I was not able to understand all of the
> digits of the part number, I missed the significance of a digit that was
> not on the new plugs that I had in my hand.


I'll say it again, there's no such thing as "high output plugs". My bet
is that the parts guy gave you a shorter reach spark plug instead of a long
reach plug. I have run across that before on the older GM's and they will
run like crap with the shorter plugs installed. If the missing digit had
been at the end it would have been an "R" designating a reistor plug. That
wouln'd make the car run poorly. A missing digit in the middle would either
be plug reach or heat range.

I'll bet what the parts guy was trying to tell you is that the sprk plugs
were listed for the "high output" engine option, not that it was a "high
output" spark plug

>
> I am not saying that the OP needs platinum plugs, I'm saying that there is
> benefit in some motors for them.


Platinum plugs will last longer, that's all. They will not make the
engine run an different.



>
>
>
>
>
>
>>>
>>> I agree that platinum plugs won't hurt, and they could help. But if they
>>> are REQUIRED then they have to be used.
>>
>> I have never seen an engine that REQUIRED plantinum plugs. Platinum
>> plugs are usually used in applications where the plugs are a bitch to
>> replace. The are generally good for 60,000 - 100,000 miles. I have seen
>> regular plugs used in place of platinums quite often and they perform no
>> differently except they don't last as long.
>>
>>
>>>
>>> Having said that, I do not believe they are required.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>

Mike

"Jeff Strickland" <crwlr@verizon.net> wrote in message
news:%rORh.5187$Cl.3582@trndny08...
>
> "Mike" <mik@localnet.com> wrote in message
> news:g5DRh.6249$B25.4126@news01.roc.ny...
>>
>> "Jeff Strickland" <crwlr@verizon.net> wrote in message
>> news:2RCRh.265$eC.105@trndny03...
>>>
>>> "Mike" <mik@localnet.com> wrote in message
>>> news:WiiRh.6165$B25.4846@news01.roc.ny...
>>>>
>>>> "Jeff Strickland" <crwlr@verizon.net> wrote in message
>>>> news:qWgRh.5945$bM1.1484@trnddc03...
>>>>>
>>>>> "tinman" <tintinrao@gmail.com> wrote in message
>>>>> news:1175812171.360267.184210@l77g2000hsb.googlegr oups.com...
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Thanks, Doug. I'm just going to insist he replace them with regular
>>>>>> plugs and I'll take the *chance* of the engine blowing up :)
>>>>>>
>>>>>> thx.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> -Tin
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> There's no danger of the motor blowing up. It just won't run well.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The platinum plugs will last longer but there will be no difference
>>>> in the way the engine runs no matter which plug is used.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Not true IF high power plugs are required.
>>
>>
>> Never heard of "high power plugs", care to explain what they are and
>> when the are required ?
>>
>>
>
>
> Poor choice of words. There are different varities of plugs, some of them
> are designed to provide high output. If high output plugs are called for,
> they must be used. I agree with you, if high output plugs are not called
> for, they probably are not worth the added cost.
>

There is no such thing as " high output plugs".



> I once owned a GM car that needed something special in the plug. The
> catalog at the parts house gave a listing for a plug that was missing a
> letter or number somewhere in the middle, and this missing digit denoted
> that the plugs were "high output". I attempted to use the plugs, and the
> car would not run for crap. Since I was not able to understand all of the
> digits of the part number, I missed the significance of a digit that was
> not on the new plugs that I had in my hand.


I'll say it again, there's no such thing as "high output plugs". My bet
is that the parts guy gave you a shorter reach spark plug instead of a long
reach plug. I have run across that before on the older GM's and they will
run like crap with the shorter plugs installed. If the missing digit had
been at the end it would have been an "R" designating a reistor plug. That
wouln'd make the car run poorly. A missing digit in the middle would either
be plug reach or heat range.

I'll bet what the parts guy was trying to tell you is that the sprk plugs
were listed for the "high output" engine option, not that it was a "high
output" spark plug

>
> I am not saying that the OP needs platinum plugs, I'm saying that there is
> benefit in some motors for them.


Platinum plugs will last longer, that's all. They will not make the
engine run an different.



>
>
>
>
>
>
>>>
>>> I agree that platinum plugs won't hurt, and they could help. But if they
>>> are REQUIRED then they have to be used.
>>
>> I have never seen an engine that REQUIRED plantinum plugs. Platinum
>> plugs are usually used in applications where the plugs are a bitch to
>> replace. The are generally good for 60,000 - 100,000 miles. I have seen
>> regular plugs used in place of platinums quite often and they perform no
>> differently except they don't last as long.
>>
>>
>>>
>>> Having said that, I do not believe they are required.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>