Spark plug change interval

Had the oil changed yesterday at the dealership on my 2012 4.0 DCSB. The service rep recommended that since my truck now has 38,000 miles on it that it's time to change the spark plugs. Now before I get too much flak for not changing my own oil understand I have no problem doing it as I was a Diesel mechanic in the Army. But I currently do not have any location to easily change the oil myself unless I get out the car ramps and do it in the middle of the street.
"not ideal"
I have searched several threads on TW and get multiple answers on plug change interval.
My question is.

• Should I change them now since it's past the 30,000 mile OEM recommendation?
• Should I wait till the truck starts to idle or run rough?
• Another mile interval?? 50,000...75,000....100,000 or other?

The truck is now over 5 years old and I average about 7,200 miles a year on it.
So at about 50,000 miles the truck would be around 7 years old. I was thinking of flushing the coolant and changing all the belts and hoses (not for wear but for time). That would also be a good time to change out the spark plugs. Your guy's thoughts ??
Also any other recommended service other that oil, brakes and tire rotation?

 

I have 54k on my 2010 and haven't changed the spark plugs. Runs as smooth as the day I bought it with 15 miles on it and get the same mpg still. I don't plan on changing the plugs until it starts running rough. I think the 30k interval is overkill, but that's just me. If I'm still good at 60k, I'll probably hold off until 100k.

I haven't changed any belts or hoses , or any fluids besides oil ( which I change every 6 months myself). Granted I don't beat on my truck, and have only hauled a trailer once in it's lifetime, don't really load it with much, is on pavement 99.999% of the time, and garaged most of her life. I do have a look over on all the hoses and belts when I change my oil, and they all look brand new.

Hell, I even checked my brakes a month ago, and at 54k miles, they still have just as much padding as new brakes ( I had bought a pair of brake pads to change, but when I opened her up, the pads that she had measured the same thickness as the ones I bought).

I'd say don't overthink things and just enjoy the truck. Lots of anal people on here that will try to convince you to do maintenance you don't really need. Why poke the bear!!!

 

Thanks for the comment. I was leaning to leaving the plugs in as most new vehicle run well over 75,000-100,000 miles on them with no issues.
That said at the 50,000 mile mark the truck will be around 7 years old. Belts and hoses even though the may look new will have started to deteriorate.
Plus the coolant will have weakened and just a good time to add in new plugs.
I always try and do the common sense approach to any issue or project. Maybe 50,000 is the right time then again at 100,000.
Or possibly if all is running well and after a careful inspection at 50,000 miles maybe 75,000 miles or approximately 10 years would be the right time to do all.

 

Two answers:

30k miles if you go with the low cost copper tip plugs.
Or

100k miles if you go with iridium tip plugs, as long as the plugs used in the TRD or Magnusson Supercharger kit are used.

 

Old School Diesel and Heavy Machinery Equipment Mechanic since 1978 here, Do Plugs every 30,000 and I use the Irridium and still change plugs every 30,000 miles, New Belts every 40-50,000 Miles,K&N Air Filter and clean and oil once a year ! LOF every 5,000 miles with MOBIL 1 and Mobil 1 Oil Filter, Tranny and Rears Oil every 30,000 miles ! Mobil 1 or AMSOIL again. Pwr steering and Brake Fluids flush every 30,000 miles all synthetic only! Coolant every 30,000 miles, Dont take chances for WTF,Take care of Your Baby and she will never fail you!

 

^ this is the correct answer.

The standard copper plugs installed in the V6 at the factory are not designed for extended service. A few thousand over is no big deal... there is always a bit of cushion built into the recommended intervals as life sometimes will toss you a screwball and prevent maintenance from being done on schedule. So you can probably "get away with" going 40k or even 50k miles on a set, but it is definitely not a recommended practice. There is good reason the owner's manual recommends changing them at 30k. Just don't push it too far and you will be OK.

Iridium or platinum plugs are designed for extended service -- they are OK up to 100k.

 

I Googled 2012 4.0 Tacoma OEM spark plugs to see what it came from the factory with. Copper or Iridium. Seems you get mixed answers.
Some say one some say the other. Couple of websites even said the 3.5 and 4.0's came with plugs from 2 different suppliers, Denso in one bank and NGK in the other.

 

Stock plugs are copper plugs (unless you got a supercharger in which they are iridium due to the fact you can not change the driver side rear spark plug without removing the entire SC assembly)

Stock half of the motor is NGK and half is DENSO, this is an agreement between toyota and those companies and has been this way since at least 95 when the 1st gen came around.

FYI stock copper plug part numbers are

DENSO K20HR-U11
NGK LFR6C11

But go with the Denso's as they have been shown to wear much better than the NGK's for this model of plug (funny considering it was the opposite for the 3.4L v6 in the 1st gens)

 

If you look in the maintenance manual, it states 30k miles for spark plugs along with *4. If look under *4 it states plugs are required under the terms of the Emissions Control Warranty.

 

Mine is at the shop right now for a water pump replacement, but I figured I might as well get them to change the plugs as well, since it just turned 100k and I have no idea if they're original. I went to Napa and got the NGK V-Power plugs, which are supposedly the same oem copper plugs it came with when new. From my research the biggest symptom of worn plugs on the 4.0 is longer cranking time.

 

Makes sense on the Iridium for the SC. Wonder how that agreement came about?

 

Changed out mine at 32K with oem plug with normal driving condition, the old plugs look fine and can probably last a bit longer.

 

Cheap insurance, do it yourself for under $50....I recently bought my truck, 104,000 miles. Decided to do a complete tune up not knowing what the previous owner had or hadn't replaced. Got the new toyota spark plugs, gaped them to .040(If my memory is right). Pulled the original plugs out, they were so worn the gap on them was .070-.090, get about 40 more miles to a tank more now. I'd say maintain the truck, its cheap.

 

Pretty easy to change the plugs?

 

Plugs on our trucks is a cakewalk.

 

Yea there relatively easy I just done mine for the first time and it was not bad , def learned how and I will do them from now on. I gained about 11.4% (avg before plug change about 17.4 ish mpg and after the first tank was 19.6 Mpg and the truck runs way better now .

I changed them because the truck has 82k on it and I just bought it and i wasn't positive on when they were done last exactly . So for $20 for plugs I just changed them I also changed my air filter too

 

you will know if they had never been changed if you pulled NGK plugs out of one side of the motor and Denso out of the other.

 

They were all stock denso plugs , and the car fax it says it had its 30k mile service done at Toyota and I'm assuming Toyota would of done the plugs at that point since that's why the manual says ... I got the truck back in April with 80,541 on the clock .

So they probably needed to be changed I did not see a 60k Mile service on the car fax although it was in at the 60k mark for other maintenance from Toyota .

 

It's $21 for 6 Toyota stock oem best you can get , why not just change them ? There not a fortune , it's relatively easy to do

 

Very easy. Buy 6 OEM plugs from the dealer or online, should cost <$21, some antiseize and have the appropriate sockets. Full writeup here: https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/how-to-spark-plug-change-1-gr-fe.30479/

I changed mine at 30k and just last month at 60k. Took my time gapping each plug, took 45 min start to finish.