Spark Plug Change *PICS* How do I get this???

[longhornsqx4]

Just took a quick peek at what its gonne be like to get my plugs out, since Ive never done it before. And it seems pretty straightforward IF YOU HAVE ACCESS

Damn those things look like a tight fit.... I pulled my airbox and pulled one easy plug (driver side front) to see what plug was in there.

The only one I see being IMPOSSIBLE to get out, is the one right under the t/b. It doesnt look as if I have to remove the t/b though, if I can just remove the little black plastic sensor right under it with the blue connector plug..... I think it may slide out??? Here a pic



So does it just remove with the 2 screws and wont mess anything up?

I also dont have the $140 for the NGK PLFR5A-11 plugs, as there $22 each locally, like $80 shipped off the net. So I opted for some champion double platinums, which were $13 each but I get them for free from my dad!!!! They were in his book as oem replacements...... I should be ok right, I just liked the osund of free

Heres the passenger side bank of plugs aswell..... dunno how my fat hands are gonna get in there.....

The one plug that concerns me on this side is the front one, doesnt look like the rest.....



You can see the funny plug near the center right of the pic, beige looking block piece, just a different style coil?

THANKS!

[nissandoms47]

that beige thing in the 2nd pic isnt a coil, the 2 foward most coils are on the sides of that beige thing, then the 3rd one is obviously behind the 2nd lol. Remove the TB to gain access to the drivers side coils, and you just gotta move stuff around to get to the pass side coils.

[longhornsqx4]

you HAVE to remove the t/b? cant remove that sensor? I dont have a new t/b gasket if I ruin it, and it just seemed much easier to remove that sensor, if I wont screw up the calibration of it etc, dont know what it is.

I dont get what you said about the pass side coils, I can easily see the 2 that are closest to the firewall, but couldnt spot the 3rd, only that tall beige piece that was bolted down like the rest of the coild were, I thought it was just a different looking coil or soemthing (front of engine pass side)

[longhornsqx4]

these are the plugs I got btwhttp://www.autopartswarehouse.....html

anyone else use em

I did go out and take a peek at that passenger side front coil again, and that beige tall piece is defientely the only thing I see that resembles the 3rd coil, its perfectly spaced with the others and in the right spot, just doesnt look like the other ones..... info anyone?

[nissandoms47]

i tried uploading your picture with the coil pictured but imageshack or photobucket isnt working for me, the front most coil is directly in front of that beige thing.. if you look in your picture, you see the huge wiring loom with the wire going down into the AC line from what it looks like, make a triangle between the 2 wire harnesses and the 3rd coil CONNECTOR is right there... its a different shape then the others in order to clear the timing chain cover.

[SixGuns]

I think you're going to regret running Champions...Need to stick to NGK's on Japanese stuff...true even in my dirtbike...just runs like crap with non-Jap stuff...Don't get me wrong, Champions are great spark plugs for....say, lawn mowers. But that's about all I'd put them in.

[longhornsqx4]

Well they were free so Im defientely going to try them, I will keep the stock ones no matter what and clean them if they do actually for some reason foul up on me

Im going to do this right now if its nice enough outside

[longhornsqx4]

ACTUALLY

Just noticed that NOBODY answerred if I can remove that sensor under the t/b and not affect its calibration or anything (i dont know what it is)

[thaomyt]

I did remove that black sensor to replaced that spark plug. I didn't notice any changes in my qx4.

[longhornsqx4]

Whats the sensor called? From what Ive worked on my other cars, and by the hole in the t/b going to its cavitiy, Im thinking its only an IACV?

[Densetsu]

The only one I see being IMPOSSIBLE to get out, is the one right under the t/b. It doesnt look as if I have to remove the t/b though, if I can just remove the little black plastic sensor right under it with the blue connector plug..... I think it may slide out??? Here a pic

Hmm... I just had a peek at my '03 Pathy and the TB is between the #4 and #6 plug, so it never posed a big problem for me. And yep, the little black canister below the TB is the IACV.

On my Pathy all the coils are black pieces of plastic with a white 'O' printed on the top. Shouldn't be a beige box.

[pathfinder9035]

good luck removing that sensor (IAC valve)...when i changed my sparker i tried to remove it and it was impossible....so i just took the throttle body off...less of a hasle.

[nnorton44]

Its easy I changed my plugs (45 min) with the grey coils (before 01/01 I believe)

[dflipmode]

First, I would stick with the NGK's then second, I found that the easiest way is to just remove the TB. I actually removed the whole intake tube to make it easier for me. TB is just 4 bolts hex bolts. just make sure that when you take it off, slowly pry it off so that you dont damage the gasket. Other than that, is pretty straightforward on everything else.

dennis

[pathfinder9035]

thats right..and if u damage the gasket, you will get a code thrown mostly likely be a running lean code. Thats what happened to me. so i just got a new throttle body gasket and the code went away.

[longhornsqx4]

umm fyi I did all the plugs WITHOUT removing the T/B, removing the iacv below the T/B gives more than enough clearance to pull out the plug and its only 2 screws, much much much easier.

I broke a coil on the other side though. Gonna make a new thread for that. Im running on 5 CYLINDERS lol!!!!!!!!

[pathfinder9035]

thats not good man. When i change my plugs as many of u know i forgot to plug cylinder 2 in and i was also running 5 cylinders. That ruined alot of things. Almost ruined my cat..destroyed my ozygen sensors and destroyed my maf.

by the way i couldnt remove the iac valve thats why i took off the throttle body. it was tightly in.