02 Accord 2.3L 5spd - Spark Plug Change Interval

[Norcal707]

Have 25k on a set of NGK Platinum plugs in my 02 Accord 2.3L 5spd. How many miles should I run them before replacing? I believe Honda recommends 30k/24 months for regular plugs.

On a side note, I'd like to pick up a decent feeler gauge set for gapping plugs. Amazon has a variety but lots are Chinese made that I'd rather avoid. Any reasonably priced suggestions would be appreciated.

[Hick]

Don't know-- but your post caught my eye-- many modern American cars go 100,000 before the manufacturer recommends changing spark plugs (our Ford Explorer manual says 100k). I'm surprised a Honda would be so short.

[TyGuy]

Been a tech for Honda for the past 15 years. Your Accord is the beginning of what I consider “modern Honda” and thus I would recommend plugs at 105k along with the timing belt, water pump, and coolant.

Take good care of it and that car will last a looooong time. You have the best engine/trans combo for longevity.

As to the gap tool, the platinum NGK plugs (at least the OEM ones) come pre-gapped and we are specifically instructed not to adjust them. NGK is the only brand I use in my Hondas and the only one I recommend.

[Traffer]

I have a '99 Civic that I bought new. First spark plug change was at 55k miles. It has 250k now and the engine still runs like a new car.
I buy a new car every 24 years whether I need one or not. (It is practically the only car I have driven in the last 22 years)

[Traffer]

Been a tech for Honda for the past 15 years. Your Accord is the beginning of what I consider “modern Honda” and thus I would recommend plugs at 105k along with the timing belt, water pump, and coolant.

Take good care of it and that car will last a looooong time. You have the best engine/trans combo for longevity.

As to the gap tool, the platinum NGK plugs (at least the OEM ones) come pre-gapped and we are specifically instructed not to adjust them. NGK is the only brand I use in my Hondas and the only one I recommend.

I was a mechanic for "Foreign Cars" in the early 80's and I agree that NGK are the best. Bosch are OK but not to the standards of NGK.

[jim147]

I go over 200k these days. If you are having a problem that might change things but stuff is made so much better these days then it was in the '70's and before.

I don't even consider an engine broke in until after 100k or more. About 150-200k is when current engines shine if taken care of. This is coming from a guy that built engines for years.

[megasupermagnum]

I'm a little old school with spark plugs, because they are so easy to change. I've seen a lot of problems caused by worn out spark plugs that "just can't be" because they only had X miles on them. Usually people don't even realize it, as the first symptoms are lower fuel mileage, and usually a little rougher idle. You don't notice it so much with automatics, but with a manual transmission, you can get stumbling at low RPM's. My preference for spark plugs is 30,000 miles for standard spark plugs, or 50,000 miles for the fancy ones.

If you really want to be cheap, you can pull them out at that time, inspect them, and re-gap them. Usually they are worn enough by that time to justify replacement. What happens is both the gap opens up, and the electrodes erode away. Eventually you get a weak spark. The big problem I'm seeing is with people who run them 100,000 miles or more is that getting the plugs out is a bitch and a half. I just don't see any reason to be doing this, when a spark plug is $10 or less. I am an NGK fan, but I am also a Champion fan. I'm not sure why people avoid Champion, I've ran them in most things forever with great results. Avoid Autolite and Bosch, they can be spotty quality. I also recommend changing transmission oil at the same intervals.

My favorite spark plug gap tool is the following. There are multiple sets of these for different ranges, or metric and standard. This particular one would be more for small engines. Automotive gaps are usually in the .030" to .060" range. I have multiple of these, and they are fantastic. Made in USA https://www.amazon.com/Blackhawk-Pro.../dp/B000LED4LC

[rbuck351]

I would not run the first set of plugs over 50k without pulling them and either replacing or at least putting anti sieze on the threads. The factory doesn't use anything on the threads and they tend to seize on the threads and destroy the threads. Very expensive to fix. With anti seize on the threads I wouldn't have a problem running them 100k or more. Modern engines run much hotter spark and electronic fuel systems that allow a plug that wouldn't fire in an earlier engine to run fine much longer. Plugs will now run with gaps that would not fire in the early engines. .030/.060 is normal but .060 is not the max allowable gap. I wouldn't worry about a gauge. If they have any thing that looks halfway ok when you open the pack, they will work fine.
Some of the ford PUs starting about 2000 are very difficult to replace plugs and if I ever took a plug out of one I would for sure put in a new one with anti seize.

There are two plugs that I consider the best, NGK and Nippon Denso. The Denso plugs are hard to find.

[cwtebay]

Been a tech for Honda for the past 15 years. Your Accord is the beginning of what I consider “modern Honda” and thus I would recommend plugs at 105k along with the timing belt, water pump, and coolant.

Take good care of it and that car will last a looooong time. You have the best engine/trans combo for longevity.

As to the gap tool, the platinum NGK plugs (at least the OEM ones) come pre-gapped and we are specifically instructed not to adjust them. NGK is the only brand I use in my Hondas and the only one I recommend.

This is why I love this forum!! Someone posts a VERY specific question, and this guy ^^^^^ is an actual Honda tech!! And he answered the question admirably!!!

[Mal Paso]

PLUG WIRES especially if you live on a dirt road can make a bigger difference than plugs. It's just carbon inside whatever miracle fiber and that deteriorates with vibration and time. My "new" car missed at idle and new wires fixed it. The plugs were .02 over NGK Platinum, new ones coming.

[rockrat]

I usually change the fine wire plugs the first time at 50K, because, as said, if you wait, they can be a pain to change and possibly risk causing damage. I use anti-sieze and NGK plugs, but I have a gap check tool about the size of a silver dollar with graduated ramp around the edge, to check the gap. They usually are spot on, but I have found one or two plugs over many a year, that was out of spec. I suspect someone dropped the box with the mis-gapped plug. I usually buy a few extra plugs just in case one is out of spec. I will always use them later. Then I usually change plugs at 75K intervals. I use Iridium fine wire plugs. Its what the vehicle came with from the factory and even if it hadn't , I would use the Iridium plugs.

[megasupermagnum]

Chances are slim that anything dramatic will happen if you never check the gap on a spark plug. There are good reasons for doing so. All spark plugs are "pre-gapped", but to what, you can not know. It could be that your engine uses a spark plug that is specific to that engine. It could be that spark plug can fit a ton of engines. There's plenty of examples out there of spark plugs having a specified gap that is different from what your engine is supposed to use. You definitely want to at least make sure all the plugs are consistent to one another. A single plug that has a gap way off can cause issues. Those half dollar gauges are not great, but they are accurate enough for automotive purposes. The problem with them, is that you do not want to use them to open the gap on the expensive plugs, or you can break off the electrode. You can use pliers if you are very careful. The best way is to use a tool like the one I linked which makes things easy. If your car has plug wires, it should go without saying that you replace them with the plugs. I'm not sure if 2002 is still wires, or if they went to coil on plug by then.

I always check and adjust the gap on my spark plugs.

[David2011]

I would not run the first set of plugs over 50k without pulling them and either replacing or at least putting anti sieze on the threads. The factory doesn't use anything on the threads and they tend to seize on the threads and destroy the threads. Very expensive to fix. With anti seize on the threads I wouldn't have a problem running them 100k or more. Modern engines run much hotter spark and electronic fuel systems that allow a plug that wouldn't fire in an earlier engine to run fine much longer. Plugs will now run with gaps that would not fire in the early engines. .030/.060 is normal but .060 is not the max allowable gap. I wouldn't worry about a gauge. If they have any thing that looks halfway ok when you open the pack, they will work fine.
Some of the ford PUs starting about 2000 are very difficult to replace plugs and if I ever took a plug out of one I would for sure put in a new one with anti seize.

There are two plugs that I consider the best, NGK and Nippon Denso. The Denso plugs are hard to find.

My Honda tried to grab a plug when I changed them at about 70K. I sprayed some Kroil into the hole and slowly worked the plug back and forth until it freed up. Pucker time for a few minutes but it came out without any aluminum on the threads.

[Lloyd Smale]

i go 50k these days. You dont want to go much longer with aluminum heads because the plugs and get real difficult to get out if you wait to long. Also if you have aluminum heads make sure you put a bit of anticizes on the threads. I seen many plugs break and threads in the heads get mucked up by waiting to a 100k. That said ive seen plugs come out of a 100k modern cars that looked as good as new.

[TyGuy]

I have changed hundreds of Honda spark plugs and have never found one seized. In fact the opposite is more common. I’ve seen them blown back into the coil a decent number of times. Coils don’t appreciate that. That’s said, it certainly doesn’t mean it won’t happen. Cars surprise me all the time.

Any type of maintenance done earlier than recommended is great. You can’t over-maintain your car!

As Mal Paso mentioned, plug wires are also wise to do at the same time. OEM Honda wires are the best I’ve found yet. A good friend of mine built a Civic with a 700hp turbocharged B20. He paid out the nose for high end aftermarket wires and found the OEM gave more efficient ignition.

While you’re at it swap out the distributor cap and rotor. For my personal cars I keep a fresh igniter on hand as well. Twice now I’ve had igniters give up the ghost after a tune up. Nothing like sinking money into your car only to have it crank without spark. I guess they just couldn’t keep up with the new parts.

[Handloader109]

I have changed hundreds of Honda spark plugs and have never found one seized. In fact the opposite is more common. I’ve seen them blown back into the coil a decent number of times. Coils don’t appreciate that. That’s said, it certainly doesn’t mean it won’t happen. Cars surprise me all the time.

Any type of maintenance done earlier than recommended is great. You can’t over-maintain your car!

As Mal Paso mentioned, plug wires are also wise to do at the same time. OEM Honda wires are the best I’ve found yet. A good friend of mine built a Civic with a 700hp turbocharged B20. He paid out the nose for high end aftermarket wires and found the OEM gave more efficient ignition.

While you’re at it swap out the distributor cap and rotor. For my personal cars I keep a fresh igniter on hand as well. Twice now I’ve had igniters give up the ghost after a tune up. Nothing like sinking money into your car only to have it crank without spark. I guess they just couldn’t keep up with the new parts.

Distributor cap and rotor? What on earth are you driving? a Pinto? No such animals on autos since about 1980

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

[fecmech]

I'm obviously not recommending this but my daughter just had the plugs changed in her 2005 Accord 4 banger at 196K! I had driven the car a couple months before and it being a stick shift I wound it up over 6 grand for each shift, it never missed a beat! The electrodes were burned back into the insulators! Modern electronic ignition fires just about any gap.

[TyGuy]

Distributor cap and rotor? What on earth are you driving? a Pinto? No such animals on autos since about 1980

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

What am I driving? A 1995 Honda del Sol SI with 421,XXX miles on the original engine and transmission and only second clutch. And yes, it does still have a distributor.

But we’re discussing a 2002 Accord l4. It’s the last year of the Accords with F series engine which were also fitted with distributors. 2003 saw the introduction of of the K series engines in the Accord and thus the individual coils over plugs.

[Norcal707]

Thanks for the replies and suggestions everyone! Will leave the current platinum plugs in for another 25k unless mileage starts to drop.

I bought the car from the original owner with 126k miles in March 2018 - motor was replaced 40k prior by the Honda dealer he had servicing done by after one of their Techs either forgot to refill oil after service or didn't add enough, causing engine damage. Clutch/timing belt, oil & water pump were replaced at same time at request of the owner. Motor is very quiet with no abnormal/weird noise and runs very well. First thing I did was replace all fluids, plugs/wires/dist. cap, had valves checked, and replaced clutch again last year as it was worn.

[Finster101]

In over 35 years of turning wrenches professionally I have never put anti-seize on spark plugs. I have also never had one pull threads coming out. A little finesse goes a long way.