Anyone Using Bosch Platinum Sparkies In 2010?

[KrazyKong]

im not a mechanic, gonna say this right now lol, so i can say some dumb things.

i can and have serviced vehicles before (but never a turbo), but the turbo pipe????(i think haha) running over the engine block baffles me and i did not want to take it off and put it back myself just in case i buggered up. So i took it down to the mechanic for a check up and book in for a service. They want to charge me 440 for a major service using platinum plugs, or 240 using standard plugs, im guessing coppers, but after reading this im not sure if its worth the extra money?

I have an R33 GTST at 84K with stock boost.

The reason for the major service now is that i dont have any paperwork for the car ie. service history.

$200 difference to go with platinum plugs vs coppers eh. I bought my 6 pack of Bosch Platinums for $38 from Super Cheap Auto. And someone mentioned here previously that this week they are $32. The $200 different would only be if they used proper NGK Iridiums or a very expensive platinum plug. Even then you're looking at just over $100 for 6, so they are adding on $80-100 profit just for the plugs.

I'd say change them yourself. It's not that difficult and all you need for tools is a good socket set, extender and spark plug socket.

As far as a major service goes, what are they proposing to actually do? I have a feeling they won't do much judging by the price discrepancy of the sparkies. Probably do things like check all your levels, maybe do an oil change, but again you're better off doing it yourself so you know for sure what's been put in there.

Changing the oil and spark plugs are probably the two simplest services you can do on your car. Well worth a shot and giving it a go.

[wilo13]

cheers guys, sorry to hijack your thread Krazy

[Galois]

here's the service schedule for an r34, its probably similar for r33/32.

when i was learning what to service a mechanic quoted me $250 for a basic service: oil+filter, air filter and top up of fluids.

to do yourself:

good oil + filter $100 and cleaning your air filter is free!!

major services usually include a coolant flush (prob just radiator though), as well as plugs and a few other minor things ive forgotten. the attachment is much more detailed, i doubt many mechanics would follow it...

R34servicemanual.pdf

[wilo13]

As far as a major service goes, what are they proposing to actually do? I have a feeling they won't do much judging by the price discrepancy of the sparkies. Probably do things like check all your levels, maybe do an oil change, but again you're better off doing it yourself so you know for sure what's been put in there.

they were gonna do all fluids, plugs and leads, all filters, all flushes and some other things. i think haha.

got some prices for plugs, bosch platinums 6/78 and champion iridiums 6/150, that was from repco. Might head to supercheap tomorrow before i do anything.

from what i have been reading, the only reason to use platinums is because of their increased life, yeah? other than that it will giuve the same result as coppers?

with all this help ill be able to save myself some significant dough

[KrazyKong]

Ah ok, that doesn't sound too bad then wilo. I doubt the coolant flush would have been an extensive one however. To do it properly takes quite a bit of time. If I were to guess, I'd say they would have simply drained the radiator then refilled. Leads? What are they referring to I wonder. We don't have any spark plug leads if that's what they were referring to.

Fluids are easy to check yourself. You have your brake fluid, power steering, transmission if you have an auto, oil, window washer fluid and the main radiator coolant stuff.

Wow that repco price for the Bosch Platinums is near double Super Cheaps Price. Definitely head in SCA and grab a six pack. No matter what store you end up going with the part # is P1-6 (FR7DPX). It's a six pack of plugs sealed in a clear plastic covering.

The copper vs platinums/iridium debate is a forever on going one. If you take out the performance part of it, then it comes down to what lasts longer. And then the consensus is platinums/iridums last longer than coppers. Some people get 5000kms with coppers, some 20,000kms. And some people state they only got 5000kms with their platinums and others got 50,000-80,000kms.

[wilo13]

i have no idea what they are referring to then in regards to leads. They usually let me watch and ask questions there, so i might take it to them anyway for the first time and see how they do it and ask my myraid of questions and take it from there!

[KrazyKong]

I'd recommend you take your car to a few other shops and get quotes too. The quote you were given was outrageous. Charging you $200 extra for platinums which you can get for 40 odd dollars yourself is cause for concern. I understand you wanting to learn and ask questions, I just don't think this is the shop for you.

[Galois]

+2 to krazykong, 1: charging an extra 200 is nuts for iridiums, and 2: there aren't leads to each plug as each plug has its own coilpack.

i think some mechanics throw the term "flush" around quite loosely lol. there are diy's for pretty much anything you want to do here in the forums: usually check forced induction/na/gen maintentance stickys, even drivetrain and transmission stickys, and the diy thread. all great info on what to do.

there's nothing like the sense of achievement when you do the job yourself and save many hundreds of dollars

[jazzy_]

Put a set of FR7DPX in mine this morning.

Was running 10psi and it was stuttering like crazy over 4k, Dropped it back to 7psi and now its reving way faster and smoother than it was with the NGK coppers i had in there(coppers were stuttering too @ .9 gap) Tried the coppers at .8 gap and it just seemed to rev really slowly

New coilpacks will fix it i hope.

[GTR-32U]

Personally I think NGK are way overpriced and overrated as well. I recently put a new set of Bosch plugs in my daily and it runs like a dream - stuffed if I am gonna fork out so much cash for Fashion label spark plugs

[wilo13]

talked the mechanic into doing it for 300. So i still went with him. He used NGK double platinums????

Goes like a dream! No more stutter, extra peformance ect etc

im still thinking i got a little ripped off, but he also tightened my hand brake, replaced a tyre in the cost.

[BASHO]

Personally I think NGK are way overpriced and overrated as well. I recently put a new set of Bosch plugs in my daily and it runs like a dream - stuffed if I am gonna fork out so much cash for Fashion label spark plugs

I'm with you on that I've just changed my plugs NG friken K plats @$126.00 just because I was to friken cowardly to take a punt that the Bosch were good What was I thinkin I used Bosch back in the day in shitloads of rides with no probs.

[Galois]

hey kong, how were the bosch's going prior to the coolant issues? interested in getting them myself. sorry to see the coolant probs, hope it works out

[KrazyKong]

hey kong, how were the bosch's going prior to the coolant issues? interested in getting them myself. sorry to see the coolant probs, hope it works out

The Bosch's are going great. Car feels very good, but as you know from some of my previous posts, I did do quite a few things at once, so I can't then say for sure if the new plugs helped. But let's put it this way, they didn't not help either. And for the price, you're paying for coppers basically and getting platinums.

[Galois]

that's exactly what i was thinking!!! lol will pick some of them up soon, got a service coming up

[KrazyKong]

Don't mean to necro an old thread, but figured it was better than making a new post.

I've had my Bosch Plats out of the car for awhile as I was testing to see if I had a spark or coil pack issue. Issue was car not able to go full power, and doing this hiccuping, spluttering thing. So I gapped my old plugs down to about 0.9 and the car felt better than ever. Last week my AFM died on me and I had to drive it with the AFM disconnected. The plugs fouled of course. I got my replacement AFM today, and at the same time, cleaned and gapped my Bosch Plats down to 0.8. Took it for a drive tonight and my goodness does this car deliver the power now. We'll see how it lasts, but right now the car is humming along nicely.