So I finally changed my plugs and wires.

iboughtatahoe23 · May 24, 2024

Bought them last summer and just now getting to them. I have a few questions. It was a pretty easy but I noticed some of the plugs tips were ashy red, some were ashy white and some had oil on the threads. At 175k my dad keeps saying it’s normal for high miles. Need a second opinion. I was gonna hit the o2 sensors next.

In this photo the plug has all three symptoms: oil, white and red ash on tip.

j91z28d1 · May 25, 2024

I'd have to Google what the red tip is from.

that plug is rough, but also no telling how long it's been in there. I would put a catch can on it soon and check whatever the worse plug was in the next 5k to 10k miles to get a feel for how bad the oil burn is.

does it at least run better with new plugs?

iboughtatahoe23 · May 25, 2024

j91z28d1 said:
I'd have to Google what the red tip is from.

that plug is rough, but also no telling how long it's been in there. I would put a catch can on it soon and check whatever the worse plug was in the next 5k to 10k miles to get a feel for how bad the oil burn is.

does it at least run better with new plugs?

Yea seems to be running a lot smoother and even shifting a lot smoother. Idk how to explain but the acceleration feels much smoother and not as rough or uneven if that makes sense. The nice gentleman who was nice enough to show me how to change my plugs and wires says it could just do too high mileage, he thinks the red tips might be from E85.

GlennSullivan · May 25, 2024

Man that is some big gap, how many miles are on them / the vehicle?

mikez71 · May 25, 2024

red color I thought was fuel additives. Google (Rick's free auto advice) tells me it's a type of octane booster..

Octane booster causes a red tint on spark plug electrodes and insulator discoloration

If a fuel additive contains an iron component, it can cause red deposits on the insulator nose, center electrode, and side electrode. The iron coating is electrically conductive and can cause misfiring.

iboughtatahoe23 · May 25, 2024

GlennSullivan said:
Man that is some big gap, how many miles are on them / the vehicle?

174k and those are pre gapped. I think they are the same plugs that are in 2010 Camaro.

I replaced them with ones for the Tahoe Instead which are also pre gapped from factory. Either .35 or .40mm I believe. I could be wrong

iboughtatahoe23 · May 25, 2024

mikez71 said:
red color I thought was fuel additives. Google (Rick's free auto advice) tells me it's a type of octane booster..

Octane booster causes a red tint on spark plug electrodes and insulator discoloration
If a fuel additive contains an iron component, it can cause red deposits on the insulator nose, center electrode, and side electrode. The iron coating is electrically conductive and can cause misfiring.

Right and there’s no telling what the owners before me were running or if they even changed the spark plugs and wires at all. So I guess time will tell. I’ll run it for about 10 or 15 K and then pull one of the plugs and see what’s going on.

iboughtatahoe23 · May 25, 2024

wasn’t having any miss fires or engine light. Ran fine. Runs better now.

tom3 · May 25, 2024

Any problems getting the old plugs out? Sometimes they just don't want to come out seems like. Put anything on the new plug's threads?

Fless · May 25, 2024

iboughtatahoe23 said:
174k and those are pre gapped. I think they are the same plugs that are in 2010 Camaro.

I replaced them with ones for the Tahoe Instead which are also pre gapped from factory. Either .35 or .40mm I believe. I could be wrong

Probably 0.040 INCHES and not mm. .40mm would be hardly any gap at all, 0.016".

So I finally changed my plugs and wires.

iboughtatahoe23

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j91z28d1

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iboughtatahoe23

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mikez71

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Octane booster causes a red tint on spark plug electrodes and insulator discoloration

If a fuel additive contains an iron component, it can cause red deposits on the insulator nose, center electrode, and side electrode. The iron coating is electrically conductive and can cause misfiring.

iboughtatahoe23

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iboughtatahoe23

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Octane booster causes a red tint on spark plug electrodes and insulator discoloration

If a fuel additive contains an iron component, it can cause red deposits on the insulator nose, center electrode, and side electrode. The iron coating is electrically conductive and can cause misfiring.

iboughtatahoe23

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tom3

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Fless

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So I finally changed my plugs and wires.

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Octane booster causes a red tint on spark plug electrodes and insulator discoloration​

If a fuel additive contains an iron component, it can cause red deposits on the insulator nose, center electrode, and side electrode. The iron coating is electrically conductive and can cause misfiring.​

Full Access Member

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Octane booster causes a red tint on spark plug electrodes and insulator discoloration​

If a fuel additive contains an iron component, it can cause red deposits on the insulator nose, center electrode, and side electrode. The iron coating is electrically conductive and can cause misfiring.​

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Octane booster causes a red tint on spark plug electrodes and insulator discoloration

If a fuel additive contains an iron component, it can cause red deposits on the insulator nose, center electrode, and side electrode. The iron coating is electrically conductive and can cause misfiring.

Octane booster causes a red tint on spark plug electrodes and insulator discoloration

If a fuel additive contains an iron component, it can cause red deposits on the insulator nose, center electrode, and side electrode. The iron coating is electrically conductive and can cause misfiring.