Yesterday night I was driving about 85-90mph on the highway and suddenly I heard a big POOF! followed by a loud RICCETICCETIC! I thought I blew my front exhaust manifold gasket. I pulled over and after a short diagnose I decided to drive home, engine was still running. Yesterday I found out that the inner part of a sparkplug was completely blown out! These plugs are almost new (less than 500 miles). The tip is melted as you can see.
Well, this isn't the first occasion, I have had one plug failing almost the same way before on my old GT!! This makes me think the Champions are bad. I've used NGK's and they never gave trouble. Or could something else be wrong??
When I checked the rest of the plugs I found out four of them were a bit loose so I re-tightened them again. I will check this more often now!!
Last weeks the engine seemed to miss once in a while ( I know now why ) and I could see it on the tachometer dropping a bit once in a while. because the tachometer is wired to the ignitionmodule I was thinking of a ignitionproblem like coil/module/tachofilter but it seems that a bad sparkplug can have influence on the tachometer also! I didn't expect that
I put in a NGK sparkplug and the engine runs better than ever....luckily it wasn't the gasket...
Originally posted by Fie Ro: Yesterday night I was driving about 85-90mph on the highway and suddenly I heard a big POOF! followed by a loud RICCETICCETIC! I thought I blew my front exhaust manifold gasket. I pulled over and after a short diagnose I decided to drive home, engine was still running. Yesterday I found out that the inner part of a sparkplug was completely blown out! These plugs are almost new (less than 500 miles). The tip is melted as you can see.
Well, this isn't the first occasion, I have had one plug failing almost the same way before on my old GT!! This makes me think the Champions are bad. I've used NGK's and they never gave trouble. Or could something else be wrong??
When I checked the rest of the plugs I found out four of them were a bit loose so I re-tightened them again. I will check this more often now!!
Last weeks the engine seemed to miss once in a while ( I know now why ) and I could see it on the tachometer dropping a bit once in a while. because the tachometer is wired to the ignitionmodule I was thinking of a ignitionproblem like coil/module/tachofilter but it seems that a bad sparkplug can have influence on the tachometer also! I didn't expect that
I put in a NGK sparkplug and the engine runs better than ever....luckily it wasn't the gasket...
LOL.........YES there are many reasons that I don't use Champions. You have just experience one of them. I had the same thing happen on a 88 cpe. If I ever see Champions in a car that I own, I immediately pull them out and put in AC's.
Phil
------------------ GTDude OVER 25 years GM experience
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08:48 AM
mrfixit58 Member
Posts: 3330 From: Seffner, Fl, USA Registered: Jul 99
The only place I'll use them is on my lawn mower. In 1979 I replace the factory spark plugs in my 1978 Corolla. It only had 10k miles and probably didn't need it but it was the first car I'd owned that didn't burn oil so I figured it was about time. Anyway, I used Champions and they didn't last 20 miles. It seems that between the sub-zero weather in North Dakota and the rapid heating of the motor that the massive change in temperature was too much for the cheap spart plugs to bear. They fouled out and dumped about a gallon of raw fuel into the crankcase. That's the LAST time I've used them.
------------------ Roy :D Just another stock Blue 87 GT Suncoast Fieros YELLOW 1988 GT w/ T-Tops, 5-Speed, and Performance Sound.GONE!
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09:57 AM
thomas_l Member
Posts: 1197 From: Alpharetta, GA, US Registered: Apr 2001
I've seen ACs and others do that. Sometimes you get a bad one. The only thing I have seen across brands is some just happen to hit the heat range just right. On GM COC engines using plain copper core plugs, the best brands other than AC are Bosch and NGK. Those would be followed by Champion and Autolite (aka Motorcraft) in that order.
I managed a quick lube/tune up business from 89-92 and across 6 locations saw 1000s of Champion plugs go out the door with only a few problems. After the first year we switched to Bosch - only because they were cheaper (68¢ vs 75¢ at the time). The Bosch plugs fared as well as the Champions with some minor differences in what models just didn't work.
Bottom line spark plugs are like light bulbs. There's no magical properties in there to justify all the attention people spend on them.
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11:13 AM
StuGood Member
Posts: 3172 From: Wichita, KS, USA Registered: Jun 2000
I have used Chapion plugs in my '84 SE for about 4 years with no problems. I also have an MSD6A and MSD blaster coil. I open the gap in the plug to.070 from the recomended .060. Seems to run OK for me.
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[This message has been edited by fotofrank (edited 09-05-2002).]
It's just one of those love em or hate em type things. I've used Champions for years, in many other makes & models with good results, but don't in the Fiero, simply because of what I've read here. The archives has several topics on plugs having the centers blown out, on all kinds of different plugs, not just Champions. Do a search, with the search term-"in a dogs butt".
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04:14 PM
fiero86SE28 Member
Posts: 189 From: Sadsburyville, Pennsylvania , USA Registered: Aug 2002
Here we go again. My Fiero is currently down waiting on a EGR pipe so I thought I'd replace the plugs. As little as 30 minutes ago I put the last "CHAMPION" in and now I'm reading that there crap. It took 2 hours with 20 minutes on the front drivers plug which I couldn't get the socket to come off. Anyway Thanks for the tip. I'm gona leave them in but the first sign of trouble I will change them for a premium plug.
------------------ 1985 Trans Am / 1986 Fiero SE 2.8 / 1960 Pontiac
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07:03 PM
DarkRain Member
Posts: 609 From: Calgary, Alberta Registered: Jul 2002
It makes changing the inboard (fore) sparkplugs a gazillion times easier, no more wrenching your hands off
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07:11 PM
PFF
System Bot
Leper No longer registered
Report this Post09-05-2002 08:20 PM
Leper
posts Member since
I had a Bosh Platinum lose it's tiny platinum electrode when it was installed in my motor. Luckily it was caught by the ground electrode. While bought another one to put back in, I don't plan on buying them anymore.
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08:20 PM
30+mpg Member
Posts: 4061 From: Russellville, AR Registered: Feb 2002
Originally posted by salo4587: i have bosch in mine now. i know alot of you dont like them... why? mine are keepin my car strong.
They are good plugs I think. I had them in my 1982 Corolla and they worked when none other would keep up with the fact that it burned oil and was running a tad rich. The platinums damn sure came through for me.
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11:37 PM
Sep 6th, 2002
White88cpe No longer registered
Report this Post09-06-2002 05:20 AM
White88cpe
posts Member since
quote
Originally posted by rockcrawl: Has anyone seen my dog?
quote: What is the code number? Are they RV15Yc's? Maybe Ro was using the wrong heat range.
take a close look at the picture: they're RV15Yc's! As for changing the front plugs, sometimes its easier to reach the plugs not from the top but from the left site. Kama Sutra for your arms! I also kinda customized a sparkplug wrench so it's a bit easier to work on the front plugs.
As I can read here this kind of failure can happen to all brands of plugs and from now on I will keep some spare plugs also in my , already loaded, trunk!
Originally posted by GTDude: LOL.........YES there are many reasons that I don't use Champions. You have just experience one of them. I had the same thing happen on a 88 cpe. If I ever see Champions in a car that I own, I immediately pull them out and put in AC's.
Phil
I must agree all the way. I didn't know champion could make a plug. That's what I'll tell the parts man if they happen to set any champions on the counter for me. When parts folks say, sure they do, I'll look really close at a plug and say, Yea that looks like a spark plug but on close examination it just decorations. The last parts man that told me that was all they had got a reply of, yall ought to sell spark plug at a parts house.
I refuse to install a champion in anything. Its like installing a headache, just a problem waiting to happen.
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12:27 PM
chester Member
Posts: 4063 From: State of insanity...moved in and comfortably numb... Registered: Jun 2001
what happened to the end part of the plug, it looks to me like it broke off if that tip is still inside the cyl it will f-up the motor quickly my wifes ford escort did that and holed the head from the little creamatic tip bouncing around inside that was with the right ford plugs!! be very sure you get all the bits out!!
------------------ Question wonder and be wierd
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12:46 PM
PFF
System Bot
Cozmo Member
Posts: 421 From: Ybor City, FL Registered: Feb 2001
Champions.........the premium choice.....for your lawn boy or toro.
I would never use em in a car. I dont know, just kinda the way i grew up, or the people i hung out with, i havent experienced any failure like that before with any plug, but champions are what i used in my lawnmowers.
------------------ '88 Red SE (4.9 PFI in progress, currently in wiring stage) '99 Black Dodge Intrepid (daily driver)
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06:17 PM
Sep 7th, 2002
USFiero Member
Posts: 4879 From: Everywhere and Middle of Nowhere Registered: Mar 2002
I had a bad experience with some Autolight platinums that I used instead of the Bosch..the center electrode and insulator looked like it burned away....never had any problems with the Bosch Platinums, never used any other of their brand
------------------ John DuRette 85 SE
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12:16 AM
Sep 8th, 2002
30+mpg Member
Posts: 4061 From: Russellville, AR Registered: Feb 2002
What is the code number? Are they RV15Yc's? Maybe Ro was using the wrong heat range. take a close look at the picture: they're RV15Yc's.
DUHH, the question was for FOTOFRANK who said he had good results w/ Champions. I GOT the code from your photo. You probably were using the wrong HEAT RANGE, not the wrong brand.
Have been racing big block buick for years and cantell you that A/C Delco plugs are good to about 9000 rpms with mallory Hyfire and unilite setup on my 9sec. car the plugs also index better than jap or germ plugs. save your money and use the plugs GM intended for your car. Champions burnt out in my cars in less than one 1/4 mile run. ever see exploaded views of champions whats with the non solid cores? split fire plugs sound great on paper but electicity always takes the path of least resistance (just one) so no matter who many points to jump off fire is always in just one place. Price doesn,t mean quality is better.
just want to throw my log on the fire. I've got an 87gt w/3.4 and recently took out my working just fine bosch platinum plugs to experiment with the hyper expensive DENSO iridium plugs. A slight but noticable improvemnt all around, actually does feel like there's a hp gain. Quick smooth starts, great idle, and a noticable throttle reponse improvement. 4 months now not a problem.
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03:14 PM
Sep 10th, 2002
Jim Jimenez Member
Posts: 63 From: Two Rivers, WI Registered: Jul 2001
Chim--Pan--Zees-- They'll make a monkey out of you. Once had a set in a Corvair that wouldn't fire after the car ran about a mile. Spent hours-even days diagnosing that one. Installed a set in a Honda once, ran so bad that I reinstalled the customer's USED NGK's and the car ran fine. But you can put em in a MOPAR and they're "perfect" Go figure. I have best luck with AC's in a Fiero-brought to you by the same folks that designed your Fiero's engine, but Bosch and NGK's are OK too, if they are the proper heat range.
) and I could see it on the tachometer dropping a bit once in a while. because the tachometer is wired to the ignitionmodule I was thinking of a ignitionproblem like coil/module/tachofilter but it seems that a bad sparkplug can have influence on the tachometer also! I didn't expect that 
Ray | 
