How important is to change plugs and wires at 60K service

[dmt1911]

Have a 03 Disco II HSE7 with 74K that I purchased used. The 60k service was not done. How important is it to change the plugs and wires right now? I'm planned on doing everything else but dread paying the cost of changing the wires (3.5 hours labor).

[roverhouse]

change the plugs, you can buy them from Napa just make sure they are platinum and listed for that application. Get a plug wire puller and be careful wires are as needed

[Disco Mike]

How important is it, how expensive is you monthly gas bill???????????????
Plugs are a must, plug wires should be done. How mechanical are you, we could walk you thru the process. By the way, plug wire labor on an 03 with secondary air is 5.5 hours I believe, not 3.5.
When you get ready to do it, order some 8mm Magnecor wires from Tony at Cerrone's, 650-365-4145, he has a pretty good price on then. You want to use these instead of the junk wires that most auto parts stores have, because they will last and perform much better.
Mike

[brian4d]

Mike, I heard you have to take a certain part of the engine off to reach the back plugs, is this true? I don't mind doing the work when it's time but the only spark plugs I've ever changed is my lawn mower. How hard is it?

[Elemental]

Do not use Bosch platnium plugs. If you want to, I promise you are better off just leaving what you have in there. They are that bad.

[brooksa]

Originally Posted by Elemental

Do not use Bosch platnium plugs. If you want to, I promise you are better off just leaving what you have in there. They are that bad.

Curious, Why are they bad?

[Disco Mike]

Cause Elemental says they are!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This has been an on going button for him for years, figures if That is what Rover planned for these engine, there is nothing else that can be used even thought GM ran AC Delco plugs in them for 18 years.
Bosch is fine, and is sold at a number of Rover sites, like Atlantic British.
Use what you want, I am running Bosch Fushions with great luck.
Mike

[OkieRover]

I just finished changing mine and wrote it up for my website.
It's NOT a fun job.

[auwesman]

Originally Posted by brian4d

Mike, I heard you have to take a certain part of the engine off to reach the back plugs, is this true? I don't mind doing the work when it's time but the only spark plugs I've ever changed is my lawn mower. How hard is it?

You don't HAVE too take the intake off to do it. I didn't, and no I don't have tiny hands (but got a few bloody knuckles in the process.) Did mine in less than 2 hours.

If you have secondary air...well...that's another issue

[ArmyRover]

I agree with magnecor plug wires, but in the end plugs are what makes you happy. I tend to agree with Elemental that the old copper cores work great in these engines.

[bartell]

Originally Posted by ArmyRover

I agree with magnecor plug wires, but in the end plugs are what makes you happy.

The stock wires are not great. Magnecor themselves will advise the use of their 7mm wires. They will tell you there is absolutely no advantage in the use of the 8 or 10.5 unless you are running a racer's engine bay heat and electronics.

The cheapest place I have found on three continents for Magnecor is, funnily enough, Magnecor US.248-471-9505 It is run by a very forthright fellow from Sydney.

All the favorite plugs in the UK for these engines are NGKs. The stock plug used is BPRES. There is a platinum version, BPR5EGP and if you want an iridium tip, the number is BPR5EIX

James

[ArmyRover]

never debated 7mm or 8mm but I run 8.8mm accel wires anyways

[Elemental]

Yeah, go ahead and use them. Then in a month, come on here and say"I dont know why I have a check engine light, and my truck runs like shit. I know it can't be the spark plugs because I just changed them."

Mike is a retired Service manager and Advisor.

I wasa advsior,manager, ran parts, still am a Double master Tech, with L1 and a instructor.

Heres a bet...Search discoweb.org -- for "bosch plugs". Get back to me what you find.

If mike could fix a car, he would have made MORE then he did as a manager doing it. THink about it.

[OkieRover]

Originally Posted by auwesman

If you have secondary air...well...that's another issue

Secondary air....DON'T START ME!
What the hell? All that for a couple of gallons of fuel a decade? Heavy sigh.

There is a pair of hoses going across and on top of the coil packs. I'm pretty sure you can't swap them with out them removed. But I'm only an amateur mechanic. But my old man was a television repairman, he's had this ultimate set of tools. I can fix it.

[Disco Mike]

Originally Posted by Elemental

Yeah, go ahead and use them. Then in a month, come on here and say"I dont know why I have a check engine light, and my truck runs like shit. I know it can't be the spark plugs because I just changed them."

Mike is a retired Service manager and Advisor.

I wasa advsior,manager, ran parts, still am a Double master Tech, with L1 and a instructor.

Heres a bet...Search discoweb.org -- for "bosch plugs". Get back to me what you find.

If mike could fix a car, he would have made MORE then he did as a manager doing it. THink about it.

Well, we got a reply back. Hey Elemental, you never replied back to my suggestion you research how Rover received a large pay out from Champion to use their products, it wasn't based on Rovers engineering.
Oh and I know you believe this engine was designed to run on Champions but GM had great results with their Delco plugs.
I look forward to seeing if this poster will try the Bosch, would make for an interesting reply a month or so from now, course you will have another good reason to stay away from their use.

By the way, I never had a desire to be a wrench and I did make more then you for a number of years.

Mike