balbs

My car is just over 60K miles and I want to change the spark plugs just for the hell of it.

1. Do I have to buy anything else besides the plugs themselves such as ignition coils, wiring connectors, gaskets?

2. I notice on ecstuning.com and bavauto.com there's a Bosch BMW genuine part and a regular Bosch part. The BMW genuine part cost about twice as much. Is the BMW Bosch one pre-gapped for our cars compared to the non-BMW one? What's the difference between the two?

Thanks!

pcy

Nothing else is needed, unless there are any problems with other components.

Spark plugs are pre-gapped when you receive them; however, it doesn't hurt to check the gap before installing.

jaycal3

What car do you have? If its the v8, good luck getting to the back 2 plugs near the firewall! And you should still have 40k left on your plugs.

balbs

6-cyl. N52 (525i). Should I get the cheaper plugs then? I'll check the Bently book for the gap.

AUSaxon00

I used the Bosch Platin FR7NPP332 which I got from Rock Auto (around $10 ea 2 yrs ago) for my 525xi N52. Originals were NGK R5 (ILZFR6D11). The Bosch's came pre-gapped (they're plantinum and you shouldn't regap them) with plastic covers to protect the tips during shipping. I also replaced mine at 60,000 miles and the engine has run like a champ since, although it ran great before too. The job is fairly easy, the only tight spot is the cylinder closest to the firewall on the passenger side. A universal joint on the ratchet comes in handy for that one as you have to snake around a few obstacles.

530inOK

I went with NGK at 100K miles.
http://www.ngksparkplugs.com/part_finder/index.asp

Ordered from here:
http://www.sparkplugauto.com/ngk/laser-iridium/

And used these posts for reference:
https://5series.net/forums/topic/688...1#entry1127713
https://5series.net/forums/topic/919...6#entry1174996

Have fun!

BIM530I

I replaced my spark plugs at 68,000 miles last month. The old plugs were as good as new; and the new plugs did not make my car run any better. My car is a 2006 530i. Unless you have engine shaky issues, save your time and money for a nice movie and popcorns. I am convinced the original plugs are good for 100,000 miles.

If you still want to do it, disconnect one from your engine and check it out for yourself. If everything looks good, you can use fine sandpapers to clean it up a bit better before you put them back. Otherwise, here is a link to where I bought my plugs (NGK Laser Iridium) at a very good price: http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/se...006&vi=1431869

Good luck and have fun!

ironb

I just replaced my plugs and coils at 63,000 miles and the old plugs looked good. getting to the back plugs near the firewall was tough but not impossible. Makes sure when you reconnect your coils that the connectors are pushed all the way until there is no gap.

txag_530i

I bought my NGK plugs at O'Reilly Auto. They were pre-gapped.

I also bought a spark plug tool made by Gearwrench from Advanced Auto for about $10. I wanted the socket to be connected to the extension because it is a long way down to the spark plug from the top of the head. Alternatively, you can wrap tape around the 5/8" socket and extension.


IMHO $40 in preventative maintenance is well worth the time and effort.

roboe60

I bought the NGK Laser Iradium plugs from Advance Auto right before Dec 31st when they had 15% off. Brought the price down to $8 and some change.

I use a piece of rubber hose to back out the plugs once they break free and to hand tighten the new ones. It fits snugly over the end of the plug so it won"t fall off and you are also sure you will not cross thread the new plugs.