Pending Dodge Maintenance is Depressing.

[turkeyrun]

Changing plugs every 30K is so 1970.

Go get some double platinums or iridiums and be done with it for another 100K.

SOOOOOOOOOOOO TRUE ........... MY FORD has 130, 000 on factory plugs, runs GREAT! Didn't change my Mustang plugs until 150,000, because 1 was mis-firing.


IF it ain't broke .......... don't fix it. If it broke ...... fix it yourself or take it ANYWHERE but the dealer. Would ONLY go to dealer for warranty work.

 

[piston10]

Love these threads. Guy Had to spend $2000 last week with me because he "diy" on his car. That was on top of what he already had spent on the parts I had to take off and replace. As long as you know what you are doing, do it yourself, if you don't, stop being a cheapass and get it done by a professional. As far as cost goes, most independent shops are as much, if not more expensive than dealers. I have worked in dealerships for 17 years and have seen bills from independent shops that are double what I would have done it for and most of the time it's not fixed right. Had another guy last week that paid $2000 to fix his oil leak with a independent and we had to do the same repair again because it was still leaking and not done correctly. It's like any business, there is crooked lawyers, plumbers, vacuum repair men, you name it. Don't blanket slam the entire industry, most of us are hard working honest people. Ask any of the folks on this forum who know me and they will tell you I'm not a thief like some of you all imply.

 

[farmerbyron]

Google "5.4L plugs breaking off in heads" and you will see a real problem. Hard to get to plugs is one thing but when they have to develop a specialty tool to retrieve a broken plug from the head is something else entirely. I paid a ford mechanic to do my 04' F150 at his house instead of the dealer. He charged $200 and had 2 plugs break off in the head. Glad I paid a guy that deals with that **** everyday and had the special tool to fix Fords F up. I would have been up a creek without a paddle had I tried to change them myself.

 

[silversurfer]

If it starts and runs fine, why mess with a good thing.

 

[Boehlertaught]

I'm in the group of don't change the plugs if your rig is running OK. If you want a recommendation on a local shop try Stewart's Auto in Tulsa (46th & Sheridan area 918.627.8885). Phil & Steve have been in business over 30 years and took the business over from their father who had it 30 years before that. Good Christian folks that fix only what is broke and they stand behind their work.

 

[vvvvvvv]

I don't see removal of the intake or an engine mount...

 

[XD-9Guy]

Google "5.4L plugs breaking off in heads" and you will see a real problem. Hard to get to plugs is one thing but when they have to develop a specialty tool to retrieve a broken plug from the head is something else entirely. I paid a ford mechanic to do my 04' F150 at his house instead of the dealer. He charged $200 and had 2 plugs break off in the head. Glad I paid a guy that deals with that **** everyday and had the special tool to fix Fords F up. I would have been up a creek without a paddle had I tried to change them myself.

I own a 5.4 too, one dealership wants around $500 and if the break them the fix is included. I've been told that dealerships typically charge an additional $150-$200 for each break-off. I don't know what I'll do yet, I typically change my own but no experience in removing the busted ones kinda spooked me.

 

[Shadowrider]

That was my question--what kind of garbage ignition system is Dodge running that it needs a plug change at 30K miles?

The old school cheap azz COPPER plugs. I'm wondering how they get 30K out of them with the crazy voltages of coil on plug packs of today. Unless they've throttled that down too.

 

[yukonjack]

I don't see removal of the intake or an engine mount...

And if you do it just like the dude in the video it only takes 15 minutes and 10 seconds. No way should a stealership be charging you $500 for that.

 

[vvvvvvv]

And if you do it just like the dude in the video it only takes 15 minutes and 10 seconds. No way should a stealership be charging you $500 for that.

It's a sped up video... I'd guess 60-75 minutes at the stealership, and 2 hours myself. $4x16 = $64 for plugs, so unless I'm making $218/hr doing something else with that time it'd be a pretty easy decision for me.

I do gotta get me some of them magnetic sockets, though...