Spark plug change from the Dealer- can this be right ??

tstex

Member
Hello to all and I hope you and your families all have a safe July 4th.

Just had the tranny/differential and crankcase fluids all changed, then they told me at 75K, I need to have the spark plugs changed for $275.00 !!!! Are these things gold pr platinum plated? The 2009 GT CX9 has only 6 plugs...$46/plug ??? Besides setting the gap, is there something else they have to do?

BTW, what type of plugs does my CX9 [2WD] use, or what are the best type of plugs and what is the gap setting? Is there anything special you need to change them other than a rachet set...also, what is the torgue setting to install them, or is it get then tight, then 1/4, 1/2 revolutions?

Thank you very much,
tstex
 
I have not changed mine (yet) but according to this forum, the intake manifold has to come off, and intake gasket assembly replaced (not mandatory, but a good idea). While the intake manifold is only like a 20 minute job, the dealer will charge about 2 hours to take it off.

Moral of the story is to replace the plugs yourself. I have bought Bosch Platinum plugs before, but i'm not sure if that would be the correct application for this motor. Not sure about requirements to change them. One thing is for sure - I WOULD NOT PUT FORD PLUGS IN.
 
Thanks CX9 Moderator.

Has anyone taken off the intake manifold before and do they know both the torgue spec's and re-tightening pattern? Is there anything else I have to do to prep for this type of task?

Also, on the IT-Manifold gasket, is that reinstalled dry or does it require some type of applicator for better sealing?

Thank you for your responses,
Tstex
 
I'll take $275 over what it cost for our 2004 Nissan Quest minivan - $600+ and that was the lowest cost among dealers, NTB, etc. You nearly had to remove the engine to get the back 3 plugs on our V-6. Glad to have the CX-9 now !
 
WOW. so $275. to change 6 plugs at $2.25 each? $261.00 in labor? $261.00 buys some tools. Were you wearing a dress or have guppy tatted on your forehead when you got this quote?

I had a '98 Quest. and the back 2 plugs on the VQ are hard to get at. Need a swivel on the ratchet. easy peasy.
 
Plug Replacement

It is very common on newer V6 engines to need to remove the "Intake Plenum" in order to change the spark plugs. The gasket on the plenum is reusable but a new one is cheap and it might leak if you damage it. Plugs these days are expensive (approx $8) each since they last 70-100k miles. The cheaper plugs will work fine, they just wont last as long. Double Platinum was the standard for long life plugs 20 years ago (last approx 60k miles). Newer design is Iridium which last up to 100k miles. Denso, NGK both good brands. Dont get the plugs with the smaller Iridium anode, they wont last as long.
 
Depends on if the engine is transversely mounted or not.

Dont mean to be argumentative, but whether the engine is mounted transversly is not the issue. It is the design of the engine. My Mitsubishi Montero V6 engines are mounted longitudinally and the plenum needs to be removed. It would not matter how you place that engine in the vehicle. You would still need to remove the plenum.
 
Guys, its the dealer...I just got a "coupon" in the mail the other day for them to change my cabin air filter for $64.99! Wow, what a great deal, except I bought a "special" air filter from Amazon for less than $15 and did it myself in less than 2 minutes. When I bought a cabin air filter from the dealer they charged $25 for the part. So let's go with that. the 2 minutes it takes to change the cabin filter totals $20/MINUTE!

Not a bad profit center...
 
My old contour required 2 extensions and a joint to get to the back spark plugs, $25 in tools did a $300 job. One thing I'm not looking forward to in the new car, the proteges are insanely easy to replace the plugs in.
 
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