Anyone ever had issues with champion spark plugs?

[Steve_N]

Unfortunately there's almost as much ignorance, myth, and misconception out there about ignition components as there is about oil.

I completely respect your opinion & knowledge. My actual exprience with them was not good. When I started having the miss the last thing I thought it would have been the plugs but I got a new set of Champions to replace since I was going to take the old ones out to inspect the engine anyway. To my suprize that when I found the cracked plugs. Installed the new champions
w/o a 2nd thought & it cured the problem. Drove the car a few thousand miles & found the same problem with the new set, cracked insulator. This time on #2 & #6. These were the Plat. plugs. Don't remember the # but ran about $5 ea. Could the specs on Aviation plugs be higher then that of auto applications?

 

[adampecush]

I thew in champion plugs, and under light deceleration, the #1 plug insulator fractured and made its way through my turbo, thankfully, with no damage. I wouldn't run champions again, sure they may be used in avation, but I have a feeling that products manufactured for aviation may have to meet more stringent requirements than those of the automotive aftermarket.

Don't get me started on bosch, haven't had much luck with them in my maxima, they seemed to cause a high-rpm misfire which was remidied by installing NGK platinums (at 26 dollars each). Haven't had any issues with my car after switching back to NGK platinum.

 

[JustAnotherVictim]

N
G
K

 

[tookwik4u89]

Well, I did not know they made aviation plugs, and i hope they are made to higher standards than the auto plugs. Maybe it's a case of wrong plugs for application, but I have seen tons of problems with Toyota's coming in shop running like ass from champion's as well as bosch, just falling apart. Alot of the cheap caps, rotors, and wires, fry quickly too. Im not an aviation genius, but I don't think ignorant either. Toyotas are finicky on ignition parts from my experience.

Edit....not just lawn mowers....I know Chrysler uses them from the factory and dealers, but they are not known for quality standards either.

 

[turbotrev]

i have personaly walked thru the plant and watched them make there shit and what not. i will say that they half-ass everything there

 

[Turbo. Targa. Life.]

FWIW, I trust JJ's opinion/experience over all of yours combined.

 

[tookwik4u89]

I would trust JJ too, I know from being on here long enough that he knows what he's talking about. But in this case.....from what I've seen in my own experience, I just wouldn't use them on my car.

 

[NashMan]

i ahve all wasy use auto lights and ngk but that is just me

 

[jetjock]

Well, the original question was about the experiences of others so what they have to say is certainly valid. I'm not disputing the problems some have had. My point was only that Champion has been doing this a long time and millions of people use them without problem. If their stuff really had rampant quality issues it'd be well known. That said my experience with Champs has always been good.

The trend here seems to be insulator failure but there are causes for it that don't involve plug quality. I suspect other factors are at play in some cases. Perhaps inexperience, bad tuning, engine problems, improper installation, etc. For example over torquing is a common cause of insulator failure. Maybe the plug was dropped or mishandled. Aircraft plugs are a lot beefier than auto plugs but if they get dropped even once they aren't used because of the impact stress set up in the insulator. At $20-$55 each you learn to handle them carefully.

The statement "Toyotas are finicky on ignition parts" is interesting though. Why would that be? What's special about Toyota engines or ignition systems that set them apart from others? From what I see nothing. While components have become more sophisticated spark ignition still works using the same theory it always has.

 

[Kai]

Champion? I avoided them even on my old escort! NGK ftw.

 

[BlackMKIII]

From my experience, BOSCH is by far the WORST for anything other than fuel injection parts (or German cars). That's right kids, BOSCH sucks.

Now, for spark plugs, Toyota FSMs list only TWO numbers. One for NGK, the other for DENSO. And yes, Toyotas are VERY finicky about ignition parts. NGK is considered O.E. for a lot of Toyotas, in most cases having two applications per vehicle. Just not for Supras.

For future reference, N/As use NGK part # 2097 (BCPR5EP-11) and Turbos use part # 5275 (BCPR6EP-N-8). And NO, you should NEVER have to gap NGK or DENSO plugs because they are already gapped to spec as long as you don't get a moron at the parts counter.

I swear by NGK R plugs and will never use anything else. Never, ever, EVER.

 

[Zazzn]

i've broke champions many times.. the ceramic breaks at the tips and fuqxors your engine. I vote stay away.. I recommend ngk bcpr7es's 1 range colder.. or 6's if you want.. best plugs i've used by far.

 

[ma71supraturbo]

I ran champions once -- for about 3000 miles before I developed a miss and pulled them. Two of the plugs had cracked insulators -- something I've never, ever had with NGK over 100s of thousands of miles and much more abuse.

It could just be a defect in the cast for that particular part number (seeing as how my experience was not unique), but I've always avoided champions and will continue to do so.

 

[bigaaron]

If Bosch sucks, what is the reason?

 

[QWIKSTRIKE]

Yes I searched, didn't see anything about champion, just NGK and autolite.

Got some copper, heat range 5 (plugs were fouling at a 6 heat range).

Thanks for the help guys

The biggest pieces of shit ever was the champion spark plugs

 

[tookwik4u89]

If Bosch sucks, what is the reason?

I had a v6 Camry with 6 month old Bosch plugs that I worked on recently, it came in with a bad misfire. Three of the plugs had missing center electrodes, they are real tiny and the porcelain covers them all the way down to the tip. They were just gone and no evidence of anything that might have caused it...it was very weird. I have had many other misfire problems with bosch besides that. Another one that always caused problems was splitfires.....dont really see those anymore.

 

[Turbo. Targa. Life.]

blah, well I like the 5 heat range so far, pulled them once and they look fine so far. Maybe some NGK coppers here soon

 

[slidebabyslide]

champions on my 22r thats about it, but i never like bosch i got some plugs for free and made my 4runner run like crap.

 

[Doward]

For general automotive (save for Dodge/Chrysler/Jeep for some weird reason) I avoid Champion plugs - too many of them consistantly coming back when I worked in the auto parts biz for a couple years.

NGKs are simply higher quality, imho.

Like I said, though - Champion Truck Plugs are some of the firing-est plugs I've ever seen - they will fire through anything, though I don't know exactly why that is.

 

[TurboWarrior]

A champion plug failed on a turbo honda guy on the highway I know and it cost him his motor.