Copper/iridium plugs

Tiny
JESSYO3264
  • MEMBER
  • 2006 BUICK LUCERNE
  • 3.8L
  • V6
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 200,000 MILES
My car calls for iridium plugs, I have been having a lot of problems with my car not running right. Can the fact that the shop put copper plugs make a difference in performance?
Friday, May 11th, 2018 AT 10:18 AM

4 Replies

Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,796 POSTS
Good evening.

Absolutely. Those are special plugs and the spark patterns are different that copper plugs.

The reason they put them in is most likely from a money issue. The iridium plugs are about three times the price of the copper plugs. They should be replaced with the correct plugs.

Roy
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
+1
Saturday, May 12th, 2018 AT 3:38 PM
Tiny
JESSYO3264
  • MEMBER
  • 15 POSTS
I replaced the copper plugs with the correct ones. The car is still not running well at all. Today I put the car on ramps to look underneath. To be honest with you I absolutely have no clue what I am looking for. I had it towed to the dealer ship to be put on a machine, they charged me $65.00 to tell me that on the computer the car does not read out anything, but they had no problem taking an extensive look at the car for $75.00 an hour, then when they find the problem it will be $75.00 an hour not including parts or labor. Needless to say I had the car towed back to my house that day. I have put well over a grand in this car, in parts in labor. Please help me I am at my wits end.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Sunday, May 13th, 2018 AT 10:47 PM
Tiny
JESSYO3264
  • MEMBER
  • 15 POSTS
I replaced the copper plugs with the correct ones. The car is still not running well at all. Today I put the car on ramps to look underneath. To be honest with you I absolutely have no clue what I am looking for. I had it towed to the dealer ship to be put on a machine, they charged me $65.00 to tell me that on the computer the car doesn't read out anything, but they had no problem taking an extensive look at the car for $75.00 an hour, then when they find the problem it will be $75.00 an hour not including parts or labor. Needless to say I had the car towed back to my house that day. I have put well over a grand in this car, in parts in labor. Please help me I am at my wits end.
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Sunday, May 13th, 2018 AT 10:47 PM
Tiny
ASEMASTER6371
  • MECHANIC
  • 52,796 POSTS
Okay, did the car run okay prior to the replacement of the plugs?

Roy
Was this
answer
helpful?
Yes
No
Monday, May 14th, 2018 AT 2:14 AM

Please login or register to post a reply.

Related Engine Misfire Content

Intermittent Misfire
VIDEO
Intermittent Misfire
Instructional repair video
Misfire Random Code P0300
GUIDE
Misfire Random Code P0300
The world of automotive diagnostics can be complex, with numerous codes and potential issues to keep track of. One of the more common engine diagnostic codes is P0300, which...
VIEW MORE