Spark Plug Gap
- Thread starter Larry
- Start date
laborsmith
New member
Wise decision. Larger that .28 has caused problems, which you probably read about on CruzeTalk. Less than .24 also a source of problems.
Laborsmith
Laborsmith
Over at the cruze forums a lot of reports show the spark plug gap to be off a lot and varies between 0.020"-0.029". I will check mine soon and make sure it is correct.
I ask rather than check myself because besides not having the tools for the job, I'm terrible at even simple car work and don't want to screw anything up. I asked the dealer if they would check while my car was being serviced the last time since it's become a widely known problem on the net and they refused unless it threw a code, which this apparently won't.
If you lived nearby I would do it for you. It's really easy and takes about 30 minutes total.
severous01
New member
you can set the gap to whatever you want. but with platinum and iridium tips you dont EVER want to set the gap after they have been run even once warmup cycle in the engine. the tip can break and do permanent damage to piston and cylinder wall.
definitely not worth the 10 bucks to me....however, do what you will because you know better than anyone else.
also, when you're dealing with nitrous and boost. you want a smaller gap due to the seriously higher compression in the combustion chamber. also, you would rather the system get some spark than none and lean out or detonate. definitely dont want any detonation...which is why the 'temperature' of the plug is cooler too.
definitely not worth the 10 bucks to me....however, do what you will because you know better than anyone else.
also, when you're dealing with nitrous and boost. you want a smaller gap due to the seriously higher compression in the combustion chamber. also, you would rather the system get some spark than none and lean out or detonate. definitely dont want any detonation...which is why the 'temperature' of the plug is cooler too.
CoHPhasor
Active member
Exactly what I was getting at.
boosted engines can suffer from spark blow out - basically the force acts on the spark like it was the candle in a birthday cake.
Knock sensors be damned, detecting detonation isn't good enough when it's a reactive process and the first boom can be the piston's last.
sx sonic
New member
To add to severous01s post. Do not pry agianst the electrode tip to set the gap!! Some gap tools have a hole that you loop thru the ground strap to open up the gap, or you can use pliers to open them up... I close the gap up by tapping the plug bottom down agianst a hard surface until the gap gets closer and then opening it up. (There's prolly a better way but that's what I do)
-tyler
-tyler
FREEYOURMINDSS
New member
I just checked my spark gaps a couple days ago as I have a rough idle/slight miss and symptoms that feel exactly like improperly gapped plugs. I found the factory gaps to be: .026, .025, .026, .027.
2,000 miles on the car now... no CEL (yet) but I'm beginning to suspect the ign. coil is already on its way out as Papasonic and a couple others had this issue. I may just shotgun the iridium autolite plugs and a new coil at it and see if that clears it up.
2,000 miles on the car now... no CEL (yet) but I'm beginning to suspect the ign. coil is already on its way out as Papasonic and a couple others had this issue. I may just shotgun the iridium autolite plugs and a new coil at it and see if that clears it up.
CoHPhasor
Active member
The sillyness of this thread (Not the thread, but the situation) has got me itching to get some time to go out and check mine as well.
What a shame.
I HATE that misinformation about the ability to gap newer plugs has even FACTORIES ****ing up and not checking plugs.
The can be gapped, just don't touch the tip - how hard is that? *sigh*
Properly gapped plugs so the engine runs efficiently and stays correctly timed? *psh!*
What a shame.
I HATE that misinformation about the ability to gap newer plugs has even FACTORIES ****ing up and not checking plugs.
The can be gapped, just don't touch the tip - how hard is that? *sigh*
Properly gapped plugs so the engine runs efficiently and stays correctly timed? *psh!*
Those gaps are pretty far off. Now I'm thinking of tempting fate and checking mine myself. Would there be any benefit of going ahead and getting "better" plugs to put in if I'm going to go ahead and take them out in the first place? I wouldn't know the quality of the OEM Sonic's or if there would even be a real difference.