How To: Spark Plug Change (1 GR-FE)

Really!? I just got one of those from HF last month! Haha hope it lasts.

 

anyone see any problems with these? between 40-43k miles on these plugs since the last change

 

Needle-nose pliers work the best. Grab the connector with the plier tang pressing down on the locking tab. Use the smallest ones available, preferably angled:

I used one 6" and one 3", threaded in the plugs by hand until they bottomed out (easy to feel by hand with antiseize on the threads). Then I snapped a 17" breaker bar on top of the extensions and gave each plug a quarter turn. The swivel head on the breaker bar allowed it to move amidst all the hoses. If I had to do this job more often, I'd get a 6" extension.

 

thanks

 

Awesome write up, thanks Chris! Plug change went easy except now I'm a little concerned after inspecting the plugs.



The plug on the left (drivers side, closest to firewall) appears to have oil on the threads and smells like oil. All the others smell like fuel and look fine to me. Here's a close up.



Pretty damn sure it's oil. Truck has 60k mi. on the odometer and have kept up with maintenance religiously. What's going on in that cylinder?

 

^This is apparently normal on the V6. http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/te...w-spark-plug-change-1-gr-fe-6.html#post832222

 

That's a relief, thanks!

 

Those look exactly like mine did! And my plug closest to the firewall on drivers side looked like too.

 

Cool, thank you for the reassurance. I've since poked around the forum and found more of the same responses. I just had that initial panic and posted here before searching

 

Changed my plugs (Denso's) today on my lunch break. Went pretty smooth. Has anyone ever found out why Toyota uses NJK on drivers side and Denso on pass side? Just curious.

 

I changed my plugs last week sometime and I've noticed that since doing that when I let off the throttle my fuel mixture loop opens on my ultraguage?.. Was wondering if anyone has a idea why? It closes when I get back on the gas.. Not sure if it find this before ? Never really noticed ?

 

Ok I wasn't sure lol.. Figured I'd better ask.. Thanks for info..

 

Great write and easy to follow. One thing, one the 2013 (and I assume 14's) this is in the way of removing the air intake:



I removed 2 of the 3 10mm bolts and loosened the third to access the 2nd air intake bolt.

 

It's the gold colored bolt.

 

You can see the intake bolt buried under the harness.

 

Great guide, was able to do it in <90 minutes and that was with a solid 10 minutes trying to get the drivers side front wiring harness off. That one was tricky.

So, one problem though -- like an idiot, I forgot to reconnect the passenger side front wiring harness to the ignition coil. So when I started it up, the engine was vibrating a fair amount (from only firing on 5 cylinders), and the check engine light came on. I quickly realized what I had done, and reconnected it. Engine started up, runs smooth as silk, but the CEL is still on. I ran it down to the auto parts store and they hooked up the computer to it and it read out

P0351 - Ignition Coil A

Assuming the one I forgot to re-plug is "Coil A", this is consistent with what I did. The guy at the store said it just takes time for the message to clear, and to not worry about it for a few days at least. Is this sound advice?

Like I said, with the harness re-plugged, it runs fine, but I'm nervous about putting too many miles with that light on.

 

I have been told that if you disconnect the battery for 20 mins it will clear it as well