I'd use the OEM parts if it were me, especially if nothing's wrong with them in the first place. The plugs are probably platinum-tipped, meaning you shouldn't have to replace them for about 100k miles. And there shouldn't be anything wrong with the wires either, if the vehicle is only 4 or 5 years old.
How many miles are on the vehicle, and what drivability symptoms are you experiencing to consider replacing these items?
I replaced the plugs around '00 with Autolite Platinums. I'm not really experiencing any drivability problems except for poor acceleration while in traffic(which is probably more due to the sluggish 170hp & heaviness of vehicle). I thought I would get a little more hp/mpg out of Rapidfires. I also get a check engine code for knock sensor & purge flow sensor. But I haven't noticed any difference in engine performance. I usually replace plugs in my vehicles every 2yrs or so platinum tipped or not(unless it has 100K mi tuneup interval). Isn't the tune-up interval for a '98 about every 50K. I've got about 80K on the vehicle. It was a lease return when I bought it so I'm guessing the plugs have only been changed once(by me).
__________________
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'98 QX-4
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The tuneup interval is usually (these days) driven by the spark plugs. There are no more points to set and many times, there isn't even a distributor anymore! On your '98, I suspect there is a distributor, so they may recommend you change the cap/rotor/etc every 50,000 miles. That may include the plugs, too, I don't know. The maintenance information in your owner's manual should supercede anything you hear here.
But having said that, platinum plugs are very resistant to wear. As long as the pads don't burn off, which is pretty uncommon, they're good to go for a long time. I've got the originals in my Caddy still (122k miles), and the plugs look great (both pads on each plug are still there and looking good).
When you're buying aftermarket parts, you're taking a chance on them not working very well at all. They only make, to my knowledge, 15 or 20 Rapidfire plugs. And these are supposed to fit 95% of all the applications out there. You can't cover this huge number of different engine types with only 15 or 20 part numbers. The plugs for your '98 Pathfinder might also fit every single Nissan engine with the same spark plug thread size (I don't know this for a fact, this is just an example). But each vehicle and engine type will have slightly different heat range requirements. Check the Rapidfire catalog (or Splitfire) and see how many different vehicles take the same plug yours does. Then check an Autolite or Denso or NGK book and see if they agree. My bet is the OEM replacement companies, like Autolite, have many many more part numbers, which are tailored to suit your exact application.
Having said all that, the Rapidfires might work very well in your truck, but you never know, and that's the gamble. In theory, you can't really gain much from a simple spark plug change anyway. Your coil and wires are supplying "X" amount of energy to your plugs, and no matter what brand the plugs are, they can only work with what they've got. One type of plug over the other (assuming you get the "correct" part number) isn't going to make much of a difference, especially if everything else in the ignition system is stock.
You can "tune" your engine by varying heat ranges and the like -- and that will have more of an effect than the actual plug brand. But in this case, with a modern engine and modern engine management computer, all the power that you're gonna get is already being squeezed out of that engine. Just use the stock plugs (or their equivalent) and forget it. I've had good luck with NGK and Denso. Nippondenso is a major plug supplier for many plug companies, including their own Denso brand, AC, etc.
You can of course modify your engine in other ways, but the discussion here is about the spark plugs, and I'd wager that in your case, the stock plugs or their equivalents (not a "performance" brand) will be your best bet. The poor acceleration you mention ("poor" meaning worse than normal) is probably due to the knock sensor code you're receiving. The knock sensor is designed to retard the spark in case of spark knock. The engine is sensing a problem with this piece of equipment and is probably defaulting to a type of "fail safe" mode, meaning you aren't going to get the maximum performance out of the engine because it can't control the spark like it wants to. When you say you're getting this "code", is the Check Engine light on?
And I do plan on doing a few mods to the truck now that she's paid off. On the list are a new intake & exhaust for starters. I'm just wanting to open her up a little.
Myself and others have gotten the knock sensor error code with other EVAP system errors. I bet you'll find that you only get the knock sensor error along with the purge flow sensor and that the knock sensor error is just a phantom error. When they fix the purge flow sensor error I'll bet the knock sensor error goes away along with it. The knock sensor is very expensive to replace since it is tucked away under the upper intake manifold and the part alone is a couple hundred bucks. You can test the sensor at the connection harness and when I tested mine it was fine even though I get the error code.
When you go to the dealer I would have them focus on the purge flow sensor error first and see if that removes the knock sensor error before they replace something that is probably OK.
You may have identified your sluggishness with the knock sensor code. If the ECU thinks the knock sensor is bad, it's probably using the VVT to retard the timing advance to protect the engine against knock. If the ECU can't "hear" the knock, it just assumes that it's really bad and sets the timing back as much as possible in a fail-safe mode.
My Q felt like a whole new car after I got the knock sensor issue fixed (bad harness) - it would lug and buck very slightly at 40-45 MPH in 4th.
As far as plugs, I'd go with OEM. We've seen some serious problems (broken electrodes scarring cylinder walls) on the Qs with Bosch +4, and a Q with a burnt out coil pack and serious problems after someone put in Autolites rather than the OEM NGK. Nissans in particular seem to be very particular about which plug is in there. At least on the Q, the plug is designed to have a certain explosion pattern that's matched with the cylinder head design - those engineers really study this stuff.
Heath
__________________ 1997 Nissan XE Truck - 133,000 Miles
1990 Infiniti Q45 - 91,000 Miles
2005 Infiniti G35 Sedan - 34,000 Miles
Last edited by 1997XETruck : Jul 31st, 2003 at 10:44 AM.
I have a 95 P/U XE 4-cyl and I run NGK wires with Bosch Platinum (single electrode) plugs....they seem to work the best. OEM is always a good option. I personally think that split fires are junk.
Back when RapidFires first came out, Motor Trend did a comparison of them with SplitFires, and I think that they came out about the same. OTOH it seems that GM put more effort into making RapidFires than SplifFire did with their plugs, such as by using special alloys for the center and outer electrodes.
Is it really possible to improve Nissan ignition with different plugs or wires? I was told that theirs was among the best.
Running Densos coppers myself; the store was out of NGK in my size.
Originally posted by lewisnc100 Myself and others have gotten the knock sensor error code with other EVAP system errors. I bet you'll find that you only get the knock sensor error along with the purge flow sensor and that the knock sensor error is just a phantom error.
Thanks for the tip lewisnc100- that could save me a lot of $$$$! Thanks everyone else for your feedback. I will get my purge flow
sensor looked into and take it from there. I will stick to OEM plugs.
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