Parts stores suck

[em1toevo]

Well, as y'all know, my car has been running like crap lately. I decided to get some spark plugs, but therein lies the problem. Parts stores just don't carry normal maintenance items for foreign cars. I spent a great deal of time on the phone yesterday looking around for some NGKBPR7EIX iridium plugs. Most of the parts stores that I spoke with couldn't even order them. That is frickin' ridiculous!!! Advance Auto Parts said that they could actually order them, but it might take a couple of days. I eventually, as a last resort, called Napa Auto Parts(which is a domestic parts store). They actually had one set of 4. I rushed down there to get them. The parts guy looked at me and said, "What are you puttin' these things in, son?". I told him that I was putting them in my car. Then, he went through several rounds of questions about my car and why I needed such plugs. He told me that he doesn't stock them normally, but he had to order them for someone who never came and picked them up. I also have had this happen when trying to find an oil filter for my wife's '04 Mazda 6(very common car). Nobody seems to stock them either. Do the parts stores actually want to make some money, or what? Why not stock common maintenance parts for ALL cars. I am done ranting....

[alg626]

lol poor Brett

[mike.p]

why are you running iridiums?? your car isnt a nine or mivec....you be perfectly fine running bpr7es or br7es's....and its like 5-10 dollars vs 30 + dollars

[pEd]

Almost the exact same thing happened to me.
I found the plugs I was looking for at NAPA, went up there to get them and the guy started in with... "What kind of car are you putting these in?? There's no way I'd spend $8.50 on one plug for a car, that's insane". Same round of questions as you.

Crazy guys, that's the first time I'd been in a Napa in ages, and there they are trying to talk me out of spending money in their store...

[alg626]

You run iriduim if you don't want to change your plugs every 5,000 miles the bpr7es are copper plugs, there also iriduim from the factory, i've run them for 122,00 miles( not the same plugs lol)

most people run the Iriduim plugs in the Evo's that are not heavy modded

[BlewByYouEvoVIII]

why are you running iridiums?? your car isnt a nine or mivec....you be perfectly fine running bpr7es or br7es's....and its like 5-10 dollars vs 30 + dollars

I would have to agree. I run br8es or bpr8es (forgot which) in mine just because its heavily modded and I need it a bit colder. Never had a problem running the 7 or 8s though.

[em1toevo]

I like the idea of increased performance and longevity out of the iridiums. I could have gone with the copper ones, but it's not that much difference in price. Btw, the parts stores that I went to didn't even have the copper ones!! I would have had to order them as well. Go figure.

[mike.p]

I would have to agree. I run br8es or bpr8es (forgot which) in mine just because its heavily modded and I need it a bit colder. Never had a problem running the 7 or 8s though.
i am running the same ones..i have 500+hp and have put 10k miles one them..work beatufull...no spark blow or anything.....and the copper ones are no were in the sme price range as the iridium ones!!!! and em1toevo.....for your application ngk bpr7es" would be more than enough
copper ngk's ftw

[em1toevo]

How long do the copper ones last?
I noticed on lancershop.com that they recommend changing out the copper ones along with each oil change. They are probably just trying to push their product.

[em1toevo]

I guess, this time around, it doesn't matter anyway since I already bought the iridium ones.

[alg626]

How long do the copper ones last?
I noticed on lancershop.com that they recommend changing out the copper ones along with each oil change. They are probably just trying to push their product.


Also on Evom.net alot of the guys recommend every or every other oil change as well, so you buy copper ones for cheaper but change more often or iriduim ones for more money and change them less often its however you want to handle it. I've always used iriduim and they last about 25,000-30,000 miles. Maybe longer but i change them them at those miles

[em1toevo]

^^My thought exactly.

[TripperFx3]

I change mine at every oil change (BPR7ES). Just for the hell of it and I notice the car performs a bit better after they are changed (smoother idle, easier start up mainly).

[em1toevo]

Well, it WAS the spark plugs. I took the old ones out and they were the copper(BPR7ES) ones. Probably too many miles on them even though they looked fairly ok. I took it out for a little spin and DAMN what a difference. The car feels brand new now. It pulls so strong and smoothly-all the way to redline. I appreciate everyones' help with diagnosing the problem.

[BlewByYouEvoVIII]

Glad to see it was an easy fix and nothing serious. As for the spark plug comments, I dont think you can really go wrong with either setup as long as they are changed at the appropriate time. I guess it really comes down to personal preference. Honestly I have never really paid that much attention to it except to just change them when they need to be changed. I may end up trying the iridiums one day. I have never had issues with the copper ones though.

[TripperFx3]

Well, it WAS the spark plugs. I took the old ones out and they were the copper(BPR7ES) ones. Probably too many miles on them even though they looked fairly ok. I took it out for a little spin and DAMN what a difference. The car feels brand new now. It pulls so strong and smoothly-all the way to redline. I appreciate everyones' help with diagnosing the problem.

Glad everything worked out! Wasn't it a boost problem too? I was just thinking it could have had the same problem Ryan's car was having when i installed his spark plugs and didn't tighten them enough. Your car actually loses cylinder pressure if the spark plugs are loose and i learned that through Ryans car... lol Sorry buddy!

[BlewByYouEvoVIII]

lol ya, failure at my expense. Thanks man. :)

[TripperFx3]

lol ya, failure at my expense. Thanks man. :)
Anytime! :D

[em1toevo]

I think it was misfiring because of the spark plugs. All I know is that it is a different car now.

[WJM]

I'm a bit late to the party...but...

Copper plugs have a MUCH better performance ability when new. They provide a better and stronger spark. However, they do not last long in EVO's...which is why you see people changing them out all the time (every or every other oil change...or after 1 run down the strip...etc).

However, copper's are SUPER cheap. if you get the ungapped ones at a discounted rate...you are paying $1.84 each for plugs. Even then you can go to a SUBARU dealer, walk in and buy the 22401AA310's for $2.78 each (normal list price). They are the BPR6ES-11 NGKs. Of course, you'll need to re-gap them to 0.028.

PLUS its an EVO and it takes all of 3 minutes to change the plugs.


The WRX and STi use Iridiums from the factory at $12.95 each...average person it takes them an hour to change the plugs. I can do it in 10 mins, its not big deal to me.

However, they dont eat copper plugs up like the EVO's do. It usually takes the average person 30k miles to eat a copper set up. Someone who runs it hard...15k or so.

The Iridiums last over 100k miles on a stock-average driver car. However, at 60k their performance starts to degrade severely. If it sees a hard life they are usually done at 40k~50k.

Iridiums do not have the raw performance of a copper, but they last twice as long on average.

Personally...I'd never buy an iridium. Coppers work great for me and I dont mind taking care of my cars.

[em1toevo]

They seems to work fantastic. I have put 6-700 miles on them in the last few days, and I can definitely say that they work great. I never had copper plugs when they were new so I have no comparison. It pulls super hard again(compared to a civic, lol)!