Man, I feel your pain!! I haven't done the plugs on my 2011 Camaro SS yet, but it is getting about time to replace them. After watching your video, there is no way I am going to even attempt it! It will go to the dealer, and I will gladly pay them to do this job. I have a 2001 Chevy S-10 4.3L that is a PITA to do ANYTHING on. I am experiencing P0171 and P0174 codes on it, and I have replaced everything I know to replace myself. I did the spark plugs and wires two days ago, and it was such an aggravating job!! I did the same job about 9 years ago, and it didn't seem that bad back then. It's impossible to get to the plugs from the top, so the easiest way is to jack up the truck and put it on stands, take off the tires, then you can see all three plugs on each side very easily. The hardest part was getting the boots off, and threading in the new plugs because of the weird angle that they go in. I used a piece of 3/8" fuel line on the end of the plug (old school trick) to get them started. I finally got it done, but it took me about 4 hours from start to finish. So, yeah....I feel your pain!! Thanks for taking the time and effort to make this video for all of us to watch. Take care.
You wouldn't think that a car with such a spacious engine compartment would be such a big deal for plugs but there you have it! I wonder what it's like for Prius (and other little Japanese cars) owners, where the engine basically looks like a microwave oven and the plugs are buried under the battery, washer fluid bottle and alternator lol.
Here's a tip for installing the new plugs, if it hasn't already been mentioned in the comments. Put a piece of rubber hose on the end of the plug when inserting them into the hole (if space allows you to do so). It will keep you from crossthreading the plugs, as the hose will turn if it encounters too much resistance.
I always disconnect the battery , and I always use a old piece of fuel line to start the plugs....so much easier than the socket or your fingers. ... and, I always try to use my quarter inch socket set with a swivel as much as possible .
I was reluctant to take this on myself at the panting and shaking hand stage. Slicing your thumb open "pretty badly" sealed the deal. I'll take it to the dealer...but I just read a horror story about someone who took their Camaro in for spark plug change and it was taken on a BRUTAL, long test drive. I think I'll just drive this thing until it doesn't start!
This has happened to me too. Mechanic joy rode my car, blew my speakers and covered my upholstery in cigarette ash. Of course some mechanics are just fine. You can avoid injury with gloves if you do it yourself but I found I had to take them off at certain points because I don't have enough dexterity with gloves on to carefully place the plugs in their respective holes without dropping them.
Keep in mind that you can squeeze a bit more out of your fuel pump by tuning. HPTuners allows you to override the pressure vs RPM table in your ECM to maintain 400 kpa throughout the powerband up to about 650 HP
Hay i was just ackin like a peach ur good man it was a good vid im still debating on getting it done went out an got the 3 prong spk pugz see hoe they work out
The only thing i needed to know was not said an its a good thing to put in a video like this what im referreing to is the dam size of the socket for the plugs man other then that good vid
Lol did I miss that? To be honest, I didn't even know there were multiple sizes. My tool kits that came with a special "plug socket" always came in only one size and it always fit. I suspected that most if not all passenger cars used plugs with a common form factor but I'm sure there are exceptions. Sorry about not mentioning it.
Im used to tuning up my okd 69 camaro i even put a 454 engine in that but my new cameros seems like its alot. Of. hasel. Just ro access stuff. How are you going to get more power an employee said something about turning off the anti tractiion and using paddles for shifting but he might have been talking abiut my ss. Instead of ls
While it's true that copper is a better thermal conductor (one of the best actually), it doesn't really matter because both iridium and platinum are designed in heat ranges too so the electrode and insulator geometry are modified to achieve the conduction required for a given heat range. Platinum is no good for other reasons (ie. Nitrous will eat platinum) and copper wears out faster. Iridium is the most durable of them all so the key is just to make sure you buy the right plugs for the application.
Idk if this is accurate but if the spark plugs are bad, is it possible it could make it harder and take longer for a car to shift gears and cause shaking in the engine bay due to misfires to make the whole car shake when idle? Ive been told this from 2 friends but dont wanna mess with the spark plugs unless this is a good probability of those issues
If it's misfiring A LOT, it "could" cause a shaky idle but the plugs would have to be really bad. I question how poorly somebody maintains their car to get the plugs that bad. More than likely it's something else like an improper fuel mixture due to a potential vacuum leak or clogged injector or plugged cat or any number of other things. You kind of have to know your car's history a bit and how you treat it in order to suspect the probable root cause. Of course you could scan it for codes to see if there's a clue there. I wouldn't just pull the plugs at random because it's a pain in the ass job and may not be the issue. Try scanning for codes first.
I just started yesterday and only completed the driver side. Passenger side I might need a longer needle nose pliers for support. How did you all do it?
I own the V8 flavour, which has an LS3. The V6 is an LLT/LFX so the architecture is completely different. I haven't needed to change my knock sensors although I have spliced directly into the signal coming from the knock sensor, where it ties into the harness going to the ECU.
Jesus.... not to sure I wanna do this myself anymore. I got a box of sockets and screwdrivers. Sounds like a fire extinguisher, rubber mats, spare parts, ac and a flat belly under 200lb would be best
I mean it's not "difficult" or anything. Procedure is simple enough. But it's a pain in the ass. What you really need is the hands of a girl with the strength of a body builder and the callouses of a brick mason. Put all that on a 50 lb body and you should have an easy time. I didn't have those qualities unfortunately.
Question.. what do you recommend for my first spark plug and wires..ss 13 at 92000.. I only have muffler delete.. x pipe.CAI.ported throttle ..air scoop. Oem?
If the car is stock Ac Delco iridium U won’t need a colder plug til boost even with a cam you still will run stock plugs but with the wires you can go oem or Taylor 409 if you plan on going with headers Msd will work to but they tend to run a little short
8? Not sure I understand, since the question seems a bit too self-evident. You mean if you're just servicing/upgrading or if one of them is bad? If you don't want to change all of them, you have to inspect each plug and look for damage that would require replacing the plug. That will depend not only on mileage but also what you are doing with the car. If you have modified it with boost or nitrous for example, there may be bad plugs but in my opinion, if you find 1 bad plug, you should just change all of them. Spark plugs are pretty cheap compared to other car parts and NOT changing all of them can end up being more expensive if you get unburned deposits in a dead cylinder.
appreciate the response. I have a 2012 Camaro ls and was looking to replace my plugs. wasn't sure on how many I needed to purchase. you seem to be very fluent on your knowledge of Camaros. I have borla cat-back touring exaust and cold air inductions cai equipped in my vehicle but it's not giving me the aggressive sound I was hoping for. I understand I have a v6 and you can only get so much sound out of it, but maybe there is something else I can do to get that real mean growl?
@@cjnguyen3733 Seriously, if you don't know how many spark plugs you need to replace the ones in your vehicle, then you probably shouldn't be working on it. Just sayin'
At 3:00 I describe the socket that I used, which is a 5/8" but one specifically designed for spark plugs. It has a rubber liner for spark plugs. They are pretty universal.
@@ChrisCamaro thanks heaps mate. I am having a issue with my ls3 n I didn't have the right size socket. Cyl 5 keeps misfiring n they are new plugs n leads
@@Stevegeta Is it possible you have bad compression on that cylinder or a clogged injector or stuck valve? If the plugs are not suspect, something else might be causing it.
It's a good suggestion and in fact there are a lot of things I could do to vastly improve the quality of my videos. However it all costs money and I end up spending far more making these videos than I make back. I mean to an obscene degree. I pretty much make these videos for fun and educational purposes.
Man, I feel your pain!! I haven't done the plugs on my 2011 Camaro SS yet, but it is getting about time to replace them. After watching your video, there is no way I am going to even attempt it! It will go to the dealer, and I will gladly pay them to do this job. I have a 2001 Chevy S-10 4.3L that is a PITA to do ANYTHING on. I am experiencing P0171 and P0174 codes on it, and I have replaced everything I know to replace myself. I did the spark plugs and wires two days ago, and it was such an aggravating job!! I did the same job about 9 years ago, and it didn't seem that bad back then. It's impossible to get to the plugs from the top, so the easiest way is to jack up the truck and put it on stands, take off the tires, then you can see all three plugs on each side very easily. The hardest part was getting the boots off, and threading in the new plugs because of the weird angle that they go in. I used a piece of 3/8" fuel line on the end of the plug (old school trick) to get them started. I finally got it done, but it took me about 4 hours from start to finish. So, yeah....I feel your pain!! Thanks for taking the time and effort to make this video for all of us to watch. Take care.
You wouldn't think that a car with such a spacious engine compartment would be such a big deal for plugs but there you have it! I wonder what it's like for Prius (and other little Japanese cars) owners, where the engine basically looks like a microwave oven and the plugs are buried under the battery, washer fluid bottle and alternator lol.
Here's a tip for installing the new plugs, if it hasn't already been mentioned in the comments. Put a piece of rubber hose on the end of the plug when inserting them into the hole (if space allows you to do so). It will keep you from crossthreading the plugs, as the hose will turn if it encounters too much resistance.
i cut an old bosch BMW coilpack up and use it to hand thread all spark plugs when i put them in now, its worked for years =p
I always disconnect the battery , and I always use a old piece of fuel line to start the plugs....so much easier than the socket or your fingers. ... and, I always try to use my quarter inch socket set with a swivel as much as possible .
I was reluctant to take this on myself at the panting and shaking hand stage. Slicing your thumb open "pretty badly" sealed the deal. I'll take it to the dealer...but I just read a horror story about someone who took their Camaro in for spark plug change and it was taken on a BRUTAL, long test drive.
I think I'll just drive this thing until it doesn't start!
This has happened to me too. Mechanic joy rode my car, blew my speakers and covered my upholstery in cigarette ash. Of course some mechanics are just fine. You can avoid injury with gloves if you do it yourself but I found I had to take them off at certain points because I don't have enough dexterity with gloves on to carefully place the plugs in their respective holes without dropping them.
Just got finished doing this to my ‘11 camaro and man I tell you...it was a hassle. ESPECIALLY that passenger side I wanted to give up
Im getting ready to do this and injectors. Great video. Thanks for doing this. Now just need one for the Fuel pump 😁
Keep in mind that you can squeeze a bit more out of your fuel pump by tuning. HPTuners allows you to override the pressure vs RPM table in your ECM to maintain 400 kpa throughout the powerband up to about 650 HP
Hay i was just ackin like a peach ur good man it was a good vid im still debating on getting it done went out an got the 3 prong spk pugz see hoe they work out
The only thing i needed to know was not said an its a good thing to put in a video like this what im referreing to is the dam size of the socket for the plugs man other then that good vid
Lol did I miss that? To be honest, I didn't even know there were multiple sizes. My tool kits that came with a special "plug socket" always came in only one size and it always fit. I suspected that most if not all passenger cars used plugs with a common form factor but I'm sure there are exceptions. Sorry about not mentioning it.
5/8"
There actually pretty easy to do compared to my 92 Camaro
Thankscforvthe heads up ill pass on doing it myself
Im used to tuning up my okd 69 camaro i even put a 454 engine in that but my new cameros seems like its alot. Of. hasel. Just ro access stuff. How are you going to get more power an employee said something about turning off the anti tractiion and using paddles for shifting but he might have been talking abiut my ss. Instead of ls
Don't use iridium or platinum plugs. They are the worst heat conductors. You can cause detonation issues. Use copper or better yet, silver.
While it's true that copper is a better thermal conductor (one of the best actually), it doesn't really matter because both iridium and platinum are designed in heat ranges too so the electrode and insulator geometry are modified to achieve the conduction required for a given heat range. Platinum is no good for other reasons (ie. Nitrous will eat platinum) and copper wears out faster. Iridium is the most durable of them all so the key is just to make sure you buy the right plugs for the application.
So you used electrical silicon or gel? Did you have to disconnect the battery ?
Idk if this is accurate but if the spark plugs are bad, is it possible it could make it harder and take longer for a car to shift gears and cause shaking in the engine bay due to misfires to make the whole car shake when idle? Ive been told this from 2 friends but dont wanna mess with the spark plugs unless this is a good probability of those issues
If it's misfiring A LOT, it "could" cause a shaky idle but the plugs would have to be really bad. I question how poorly somebody maintains their car to get the plugs that bad. More than likely it's something else like an improper fuel mixture due to a potential vacuum leak or clogged injector or plugged cat or any number of other things. You kind of have to know your car's history a bit and how you treat it in order to suspect the probable root cause. Of course you could scan it for codes to see if there's a clue there. I wouldn't just pull the plugs at random because it's a pain in the ass job and may not be the issue. Try scanning for codes first.
I just started yesterday and only completed the driver side.
Passenger side I might need a longer needle nose pliers for support.
How did you all do it?
ChrisCamaro used "cut yourself up badly and pass out from exhaustion". It was not very effective.
Do you by any chance have a video tutorial for changing the knock sensor on a 2013 chevy camero v6
I own the V8 flavour, which has an LS3. The V6 is an LLT/LFX so the architecture is completely different. I haven't needed to change my knock sensors although I have spliced directly into the signal coming from the knock sensor, where it ties into the harness going to the ECU.
Jesus.... not to sure I wanna do this myself anymore. I got a box of sockets and screwdrivers. Sounds like a fire extinguisher, rubber mats, spare parts, ac and a flat belly under 200lb would be best
I mean it's not "difficult" or anything. Procedure is simple enough. But it's a pain in the ass. What you really need is the hands of a girl with the strength of a body builder and the callouses of a brick mason. Put all that on a 50 lb body and you should have an easy time. I didn't have those qualities unfortunately.
Can they cause a voltage drop
At the battery terminals? Nothing appreciable. There's very little energy used to discharge a spark.
Question.. what do you recommend for my first spark plug and wires..ss 13 at 92000.. I only have muffler delete.. x pipe.CAI.ported throttle ..air scoop. Oem?
Ivan Sotelo ac Delco plugs will do good enough. Or ngk iridium tr5
If the car is stock
Ac Delco iridium
U won’t need a colder plug til boost even with a cam you still will run stock plugs but with the wires you can go oem or Taylor 409 if you plan on going with headers
Msd will work to but they tend to run a little short
how many plugs do I need to buy to get them replaced?
8? Not sure I understand, since the question seems a bit too self-evident. You mean if you're just servicing/upgrading or if one of them is bad? If you don't want to change all of them, you have to inspect each plug and look for damage that would require replacing the plug. That will depend not only on mileage but also what you are doing with the car. If you have modified it with boost or nitrous for example, there may be bad plugs but in my opinion, if you find 1 bad plug, you should just change all of them. Spark plugs are pretty cheap compared to other car parts and NOT changing all of them can end up being more expensive if you get unburned deposits in a dead cylinder.
appreciate the response. I have a 2012 Camaro ls and was looking to replace my plugs. wasn't sure on how many I needed to purchase. you seem to be very fluent on your knowledge of Camaros. I have borla cat-back touring exaust and cold air inductions cai equipped in my vehicle but it's not giving me the aggressive sound I was hoping for. I understand I have a v6 and you can only get so much sound out of it, but maybe there is something else I can do to get that real mean growl?
Same as cylinders. If you have 6 =6 if you have 8 =8
@@cjnguyen3733 Seriously, if you don't know how many spark plugs you need to replace the ones in your vehicle, then you probably shouldn't be working on it. Just sayin'
Jeffrey Nobles I wasn’t planning on working on it you fucking bum. Just looking to see how many I need to buy to get someone to do it
What size socket did you use?
At 3:00 I describe the socket that I used, which is a 5/8" but one specifically designed for spark plugs. It has a rubber liner for spark plugs. They are pretty universal.
@@ChrisCamaro thanks heaps mate. I am having a issue with my ls3 n I didn't have the right size socket. Cyl 5 keeps misfiring n they are new plugs n leads
@@Stevegeta Is it possible you have bad compression on that cylinder or a clogged injector or stuck valve? If the plugs are not suspect, something else might be causing it.
@@ChrisCamaro it's hard to say I'll get it looked at though. Thanks mate
why not get a tripod dam..n this is frustrating i cant do shit with this video.
It's a good suggestion and in fact there are a lot of things I could do to vastly improve the quality of my videos. However it all costs money and I end up spending far more making these videos than I make back. I mean to an obscene degree. I pretty much make these videos for fun and educational purposes.