mazda 3 spark plug

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DarkRyder

Member
Contributor
:
11' Mazda 3i Touring
what is the best brand of spark plug to run in a 11' mazda 3 2.0l?

I used to run autolite and ngk in my previous cars and trucks and good luck with either and bad with the only set of bosch that i ran. What do you guys prefer and what model do you suggest to run?

Also, on the iridium plugs for this model, how do you guys gap them?
 
i think the autolite xp5364 is the one that i found i was going to get. anyone have suggestions?
 
I like staying with the stock ones. NGK's. NGK 4344 {#LTR5IX11}

Second choice would be ND's.

Never liked the uncoated finish on the Autolites, always seem to get rusty and corroded.
 
Last edited:
mazdadude said:
I like staying with the stock ones. NGK's. NGK 4344 {#LTR5IX11}

Second choice would be ND's.

Never liked the uncoated finish on the Autolites, always seem to get rusty and corroded.
Click to expand...

what is the best way to gap the iridium plugs? I really dont want to take the change of bending/breaking the core wire.
 
DarkRyder said:
what is the best way to gap the iridium plugs? I really dont want to take the change of bending/breaking the core wire.
Click to expand...

Since there are sometimes iridium or platinum pads on both the center electrode side and the ground electrode, I would recommend against using the old "coin / ramp" style gapping tools.

While 99% of the time they are fine out of the box, I feel that the wire-type works the best if you do want to check the gap. You are not going to want to force anything into the gap. Be gentle.

4AB5A273E935452EB6DAB30436E8630B.ashx


Here is the NGK video...

 
Last edited:
mazdadude said:
Since there are sometimes iridium or platinum pads on both the center electrode side and the ground electrode, I would recommend against using the old "coin / ramp" style gapping tools.

While 99% of the time they are fine out of the box, I feel that the wire-type works the best if you do want to check the gap. You are not going to want to force anything into the gap. Be gentle.

4AB5A273E935452EB6DAB30436E8630B.ashx


Here is the NGK video...

Click to expand...

Nice info! Thanks a lot man. :)
 
what gapping would you suggest? I have see in some places where users have ran a smaller gap and got better mpg..
 
I usually shoot for the middle of the factory spec range.

When removing plugs lay them out in order, or mark with a sharpie on masking tape 1-4 and stick on each plug, etc.. whatever is easy for you, so you can read each of them and see what is going on in each cylinder. You can check the gap on the old plugs as well and see what they have opened up to.

For what it is worth, On a recent set of 140k mile old NGK Laser iridium plugs I saw no more than .002 difference from factory spec.

In addition NGK recommends AGAINST using any anti-seize compound when installing the plugs.
 
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i put in LTR5IX-11 plugs, and i can tell the difference. It runs smoother, idles better, and has quicker responsiveness. and i used the wire type gapper and it worked like a charm. thanks mazdadude (2thumbs)
 
as far as gap.. i'd say just under .50 to .55. when i gapped the new ones i tried to get them as close as i could to factory spec at .52-.53ish
 
mazdadude said:
Great to hear!

How did the old plugs look? All consistent?
Click to expand...

I was also referring to the condition of each as far as the color/texture of the outer rim of the plug, the color/texture of the ceramic insulator, the wear on the center electrode, and the heat line on the ground electrode.
(crazy)
I know, I know, I overthink things... LOL

Spark-Plug-Condition-Chart-1.png
Spark+Plug+Reading.jpg
 
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Honestly i did not feel the 4344 ngk iridiums performed as well as the lasers in my 2.3L 08 i put them in and mpg and throttle response decreased markedly. so after 4,000 miles they came out and laser iridiums went in and mpg and response returned and were better than old plugs. the 4344 is a iridium ix and is less iridium than the laser (there is a reason they cost less) and the gap is also all wrong. plus the core wire material in the plugs are not the same. I did some research on these afterwards and i would stick with lasers unless you are going to a track day, as the ix make better track day plugs for high demand ignition parts but you will sacrifice economy and longevity of the plug by doing so. ix irdiums are 30-50k change interval plugs lasers are 75-125k. spend more get the more oe like plug you will be happier overall. my 2011 3 will be getting oe lasers in about 10k miles when change time comes
 
is it possible that changing the plugs could cause a cel for the MAF sensor running too lean?
 
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