Plugs Poll

Probably asked already but could not find. I gotta know.

Over 200,000mi and always dealer supplied OEM champions as well as OEM wires, caps and rotors...

Standard Bosch Platinums. Everything else Accel.

--Matt

Not just plain old champions? The ones from the dealer are
somehow better?

I've changed a lot of plugs over the years and never once had a
particular plug make any kind of a difference (good or bad).

I buy most of my parts from the dealer I bought the jeep from, got a 20% discount from them. One friday I was headed home and stopped to pick up the standard tune up parts, he only had 4 of the plugs so I got those and stopped at a parts store to pick up two more. When I got home and was pulling them out to gap them the two from the parts store were different, thinner electrodes, thinner ceramic, same part number but different, cheaper to my eye. Was it a fluke, don't know, just know I have never been burned by the dealer with parts that don't fit or don't work right.
Now I get my parts from the small local dodge dealer once I found out he can order whatever I need and he gives me the same discount, all I have to do is take the vin in with me. I have also been sending all the local jeep owners to him for parts to the point that he now keeps a pretty respectable jeep parts inventory for TJ's and XJ's for normal items and he gets stuff that needs to be ordered in 1-2 days, probably from the same warehouse as the jeep dealer. Difference is I don't have to drive an hour there and back...
As for those two oddball plugs, when it came time to change them again next spring the gap on the 4 OEM plugs was like .050, the gap on the two oddballs was .060-.065 and they were carboned up badly.
I'm also one of those who buys most of my stuff from the dealer. I use Mopar anti-freeze, belts, hoses and until I switched to mobil-1 I used mopar oil filters too, bought a case of them when I picked up the jeep new as well as the FSM. I tried purolator oil filters twice but they took too long to build up oil pressure on morning startups and after I finished 8 hours at work which I was not comfortable with, mentally counting to 5 for the oil light to go off when I had my idiot light dash bothered me no end. Never had that issue with Mopar, Mobil-1 or K&N filters. I did have K&N filters loosen up on me a couple of times and they were put on tight, I use one of those oil filter sockets and a ratchet so I know they were not loose to begin with...tried them again this past summer and the problem has not come back so it might have been the material they used on the O ring. All three of our jeeps and the wifes Oldsmobile run mobil-1 as well as mobil-1 or K&N filters, when they go on sale at the local AA or National auto I stock up.
Reminds me, gotta stop at the dealer today and order a PS pump and fan shroud, plus some other odds and ends for my sons TJ and my daughters TJ...the 4" suspension lift and 2" body lift are going in this week.

You did not post what year your XJ is. IF you are running a NON-HO (RENIX) motor, do NOT use bosch platinum's or anything else fancy. Use standard Champions, Autolite's, etc. We have seen many early XJ 4.0's with platinum plugs causing all kinds of havoc in the Renix ignition systems.

John

put champion plugs in my 93....ran great...put champion truck plugs in my 00...didnt make a diff. dont spend the extra money on the truck plugs b/c they dont make a diff. imo. No change in idle, gas mileage, accel. plain old champions are fine...here in milford, 65 cents cheaper at auto zone than at the stealership.

I like NGK.

Autolite platinums.

PaulJ said:

I like NGK.

Click to expand...

import wannabe.....

im just playin they are pretty good plugs
but i think i am still gonna stick with the champions over at autozone.

Went and got plugs from dealer, they gave copper plus champs. those stock?

Avanteone said:

You did not post what year your XJ is. IF you are running a NON-HO (RENIX) motor, do NOT use bosch platinum's or anything else fancy. Use standard Champions, Autolite's, etc. We have seen many early XJ 4.0's with platinum plugs causing all kinds of havoc in the Renix ignition systems.

Click to expand...

Innnnteresting...I only got about 175,000 miles on my 89 XJ 4.0L renix with no problems while using Bosch Platinums. Add in another 100,000+ from this owner in a 96 XJ 4.0L HO using those same plugs and I've had plenty of other problems but not ignition ones.

Yucca-Man said:

Innnnteresting...I only got about 175,000 miles on my 89 XJ 4.0L renix with no problems while using Bosch Platinums. Add in another 100,000+ from this owner in a 96 XJ 4.0L HO using those same plugs and I've had plenty of other problems but not ignition ones.

Click to expand...

Why keep them that long, heck I do my plugs, cap, rotor, wires and plugs every year or so, usually about every 70,000mi or so. Though I couple of times I did skip a year. I try to remember to do them in june or july.

PaulJ said:

I like NGK.

Click to expand...

same here, that's what I put in my 94 ZJ 4.0l.

Basic Autolite Copper for me. Runs quiet and smooth. No issues at all.

I have an 89 MJ 4.0. I run bosch platinums with no problems. I haven't run champions so I can't offer an opinion there.

Just did a tune up, replaced a set of Champions that had about 60,000 on them. They didn't even look that bad, a little fowled and a couple of plugs gaps were a little off. But gotta stick with what works for me, OE Champions.

autolite or bosch... whichever there are 6 of when i go to get'em...

Avanteone said:

You did not post what year your XJ is. IF you are running a NON-HO (RENIX) motor, do NOT use bosch platinum's or anything else fancy. Use standard Champions, Autolite's, etc. We have seen many early XJ 4.0's with platinum plugs causing all kinds of havoc in the Renix ignition systems.

John

Click to expand...

89XJ, 4.0, 170K, Nothing but Bosch Platinum +4's since day 1, No problems...same in all of my vehicles.

Champions all the way.
Going on 80,000 miles on the current set.
Never gapped, never cleaned and still get 21 mpg on the highway with 31's and the stock 3.55 gears.
(will light up the rear tires too )