$600 for spark plugs?

Mystery solved;
I just checked the service guide and apparently Toyota pulls the intake manifold (and everything on top of it/hooked up to it) to do the driver's side bank

 

Lol!!!!

 

I figured this was it.

 

I have 70k. How much are coil packs? Don’t think I 70k I need them do I?

 

No, it's not that. I did a little research and apparently Toyota instructs the techs to pull the intake manifold and its ancillaries to swap the plugs on the left bank.

 

This caused me to call my local dealer, my question to them.......what is your effective labor rate ? they replied $125.00 Hr.
In my experience, Dealers have/had a Menu of services, based on mileage, 5K, 15K, 30K etc. and in some cases a menu price for a spark plug change.
In the Dallas Ft Worth area there are many competent independent shops.

 

thanks lucifer

 

The dealership I bought mine from charges $150/hr.

 

Supposedly you don't have to. You can just get them by without pulling the plenum.

 

Checked the online maintenance schedule, it says replace at 60k miles, required for emissions warranty. At least it is not every 30k like the 2nd gens, but 2nd gen was easy. Is removal of the intake actually required to access them? I haven't looked yet, I only put 6k per year on my truck . . .

 

Yup. You don't HAVE to pull the intake to do it, but it's not a picnic. I did mine a little while back and it took me a couple of hours.


For comparison, I got a quote for a local shop to change the plugs, wires, distributor cap and rotor on a 2002 S10. They wanted $550 about ten years ago. It was cheaper for me to take the day off and do it myself so, that's what I did.

 

Any tips on the 3rd gen? Isn't there a pcv hose or something that needs to come off?

 

There is a write up on here somewhere showing how to do it. Would be great if someone shot a video tutorial of how to do it without removing the intake.

 

You will have to unbolt some brackets.
You will have to undo some wiring harness plugs.
You will have to twist and finagle the plug boots and plugs out.

It's a little bit of a pain in the ass as it's not as easy as changing plugs in a 1978 GMC pickup.

You can do it, just pay attention to what your undo.... the harness plugs can only go back where they came from and one way.

 

Is the engine transverse mounted or are the plugs just under the intake manifold? I have a 2nd gen ... so getting to the plugs is easy. On my Highlander the dealer wanted $450 bucks (about 10 years ago) for plugs but 3 plugs were buryed under the intake manifold against the fire wall. The plugs were iridium so it was a once in 75k miles job. It took me two 5-6 hour days to do the job.

 

Plugs take about 30 minutes if you take your time. and cost about $40. so even at Toyota labor rate it still shouldn't be more then $165.

 

it will cost you 25 to do it your self eh

 

I'm confident I can figure it out. Sometimes I psyche myself out tho. Thanks!

 

just make sure you dont twist the thing off