Spark Plug Replacement?

Thank you MMPrince for the reply.

There is no black smoke coming out of the exhaust. It is grayish whiteish smoke/vapor on cold days. But when I smell the exhaust it is strong.I smelled the exhaust of my wife's newer car but did not get the same strong smell there.

It is my first time trying to change spark plugs. And I failed even pulling out the wire. The first wire now has damage, I can see inside the black/gray wire (whiteish inner part).

I had to order new plug wire set but before that would it be dangerous if I just cover the damaged area (1/5th of an inch tear on the wire-black rubbery silicone part- closer to the boot) with electrical tape and drive like this before I install the new wires?

The extension I had turned out to be too short to reach the plug. So I have not been able to change the plugs today.

I am thinking of changing the wires and the plugs one by one, replacing the old wire and plug with the new wire and plug one at a time. Is this the right way of doing it?

Thanks again :)

What size of socket and extension do I need to remove the plugs? I have 5/8 socket and 6 inch extension.I tried putting it on the plug but I do not feel any resistance to show that it is on the plug.I tried the socket on one of the new plugs and saw that it does fit. What am I doing wrong?

Also, how do I remove the wire from the distributer end? I see a clasp-like thing to fasten the wire there. How to remove it?

Thanks.

Thanks for your reply/help mmprince,

I found out that the plugs were Bosch Platinum+4 type plugs.
I am adding pictures of old plugs here hoping that they are clear enough to produce a diagnosis. As far as I see there is no black deposits on the electrodes, but on the body of the plugs I see black stains/coating. Is that normal?

I had 3/4 full tank when I changed the plugs and wires, I filled up when the trip odometer indicated 203 miles or so and I calculated that with mixed city/highway driving the mileage came to be 22-23 MPG. But I drove longer distances on this tank than before. Also the weather was warmer most of the time.I am not sure if the change of plugs and wires were the only reasons for the improvement but I am happy. What do you think?

If the diaphragm is ruptured, would I need a new FPR?I am all for stock OEM replacement parts and I do not see OEM FPRs for sale anywhere.

I compared the previous pictures of the engine compartment I took of my car with the new ones and I see that I installed the wires the upside down and the shortest wire has a sharp angle with the boot. Is it OK if I leave it like that or should I change its position so that the wire sits straight? I do not want to play with it anymore to be honest. Unless I have to.

The previous owner installed the headers. Car has newer full polished stainless 2.25 inch exhaust from the engine back(4-1 header, flex pipe, high flow magnaflow cat, resonator, and magnaflow street muffler), new Bosch O2 sensor was also installed with the new exhaust by the previous owner. I would have preferred Denso or NGK oxygen sensor.I would have preferred newer stock exhaust.

Maybe because it failed emissions test and he thought it would solve the problem but from carfax report I see that it failed again so they sold the car to me without telling me anything about the 2 failed emissions tests.(Thank God, the state of WI changed its laws so that cars older than 1996 model eyar will not need emissions tests anymore.) The previous owner also told me that he used to get up to 46 MPG on freeways. What happened to the car that caused much lower mileage and fail emissions tests, I do not know.

Today I had a weird experience with the ABS. While climbing up the ramp out of a closed multi storey parking lot the blue ABS light came on, the yellow light went off. And I kept hearing click clicks coming from the modulator on the right side of the car and the brake pedal kept pulsating for a while, the yellow ABS light stayed off for longer than ever although my speed was 30 miles per hour. But eventually the dreaded yellow ABS light lit up again. :(

Can this be a good news to suggest that the sensor is not dead and the problem might be a slightly disconnected sensor or wires? I hope so. I hope it is not another sensor dying.

Thanks for your help, thanks for your informative replies MMPrince.

I'm curious what the best spark plugs for my 94 Prizm would be. Considering it is a Toyota engine made for Chevy with Bosch components. I didn't know if I should go with NGK, Bosch, or other. Also, platinum or iridium?

Geo Prism, 1990, 171,000miles 1.6 engine. New plugs and wires are good, but keep getting carbon deposits on all 4 plugs. How do I fix to not get these deposits on the plugs? Thank you.
Rudy S.

By John Garett

When Karl Benz has been credited for being the first to released the very first "official" automobile that ran on the internal combustion engine, the German-born engineer was most likely unaware that his creation, and name for that matter, would soon become a global phenomenon. A century and three decades after its official start in 1871, Mercedes Benz is now one of the premier car makers in the world, continuing the pioneering spirit of its founder with its successive models throughout its lifespan. Garnering a reputation of never compromising quality and durability, Mercedes Benz has survived two World Wars, in which, the aftermath of both campaigns crippled the local German economy. Despite the adversity, the original vision of Karl Benz persisted, making the Mercedes Benz name famous among the current generation's celebrities by providing sports cars and limousines, all of which have kept the inventive spirit of its creator, changing the automotive industry several times throughout the industry's history. Despite numerous innovations in engineering and car electronics, such as the crumple zones, anti-lock brake system (ABS), PRE SAFE, fuel injection, just to name a few, the Mercedes Benz brand has yet to forget the bare basics of automotive technology. After all, as the company that supposedly started it all, no one understands the importance of the basics of the internal combustion engine like Mercedes Benz. The fact of the matter is, for an engine to work, you need compressed fuel that is combusted and turned into mechanical energy. The key proponent that makes this procedure possible is arguable, but one can never ignore the importance of spark plugs when discussing fuel combustion. Mercedes Benz spark plugs aren't anything fancy compared to the other car manufacturer spark plugs, its still screwed into the combustion chamber, made up of a conductive core inserted in a ceramic insulator.