Good catch Kenny. I had a misfire on my '70 440 Plymouth back in college and could not figure it out. I had recently done wires, dual points and plugs so I 'knew" they were good. My Father said I should wait until it was very dark outside, open the hood and check around with the engine running. Sure enough, every few seconds a bright spark jumped from cylinder 1 plug to the exhaust manifold. It was obvious in the pitch black. Pulled that plug and it was cracked just like the ones in your video. Next day, I bought all new plugs from a different company, installed them and it ran great. You are right, ASSuming new parts are good is not helpful. Parts are much worse now than they were back in 1976.

@timradde4328

5 күн бұрын

My Dad gave me that same procedure as he was a mechanic. It's amazing what you can see in the dark.

@wendwllhickey6426

5 күн бұрын

Counterfeit plugs

@jthonn

5 күн бұрын

That's some old school stuff that actually worked. I had forgotten about.

@OverlandOne

5 күн бұрын

@@wendwllhickey6426 Today, sure, you never know, but back in 1976 most parts were still being made in the US. I believe it was just a defective part broken in manufacturing, and like Kenny, I never noticed a crack in the insulator. Ever since then, I inspect plugs very carefully including gapping them to the proper specs. Some are fine, some are off .020" or more.

@richardcranium5839

5 күн бұрын

water spray bottle works too

I bet they dropped the box of plugs somewhere and put them back on the shelf.

@jthonn

5 күн бұрын

That's possible

@ranger178

5 күн бұрын

shipping companies just throw boxes off truck they don't care whats in it.

@jthonn

5 күн бұрын

@@ranger178 That could be the case, but the installer may have cracked them putting them in. May have used a regular deep socket instead of a spark plug socket.

Back in the late 70's I had so many defective Champion plugs that I haven't bought any of their plugs since. I did a boat with a pair of 350 Chevys in it one time and neither engine would stay running. They barely even started and wouldn't run under about 1500rpm. My uncle stopped by and I was talking to him and he asked what plugs I put in them. When I told him Champion he told me "That's the problem". I didn't believe him until he went back to has shop and came back with a new set of AC plugs and told me to put them in. Both engines started as soon as he touched the button and ran perfect. I looked at those damn champions I took out with a magnifying glass and couldn't see anything wrong with them. Then we had a bunch of customer cars come in the garage with brand new Champions that would hardly run. We did engine work and some came from other shops saying they wanted us to do a valve job on them. Same deal, put Autolites or AC in them and they ran fine

Hope you're doing well and the wife is continuing to grt better! God bless y'all Kenny!

I experienced the same thing with my previous 2015 Ford focus when i had it to service with spark plug change (Original Ford plugs). When i drove from the dealership after the service i felt the misfire when i floored it (The engine was fully warmed up.), i turned around back to the dealership and explained what happened and they took the car in and yes the porcelain in the spark plugs was cracked. The dealership said that the plugs could crack because they was so skinny in the porcelain, but i got the impression of it did not happen often that they cracked. The original Ford spark plugs here in Europe is NGK's. They of course changed the cracked plugs and the car was sweet as a nut afterwards. Great video 😊👍

I had the same thing happen to me with my ski boat and made me look bad, but just so happen, the old plugs were in my truck, so i put them back in and had a good day

Wow, brother Kenny, you did it again. Your vision is very sharp when it comes to noticing cracks, like the crack in the oil pan of the Kia Sorento and now the original equipment Ford labeled spark plugs. Are the Chinese making these for Ford? Is this caused by arcing while driving. The fact that it is a 3.5 V6 ecoboost turbocharged motor is possibly causing extra stress on the motor to the point that it begins affecting the weakest parts, in this case the spark plugs. It is a plus that rather than something more expensive that it may be a simple spark plug change that is needed. I like the 'power band' on the Launch computer. Hey Kenny, enjoy the weekend with Meg and always 'Keep Wrenching".

@williamwhite9767

5 күн бұрын

The cracks could have been caused when the plugs were installed.

Thanks for sharing your experience Kenny, I learn a lot from your videos!

I question the possibility they're counterfeit plugs, I had some back of the garage that were from a legitimate source and the writing on them is black The blue color is a little duller and there's no Ford emblem on them

I changed a new water pump in 1983 as the postal mechanic and it was defective. Those big trucks need to be cooled while driving. Bad parts are nothing new.

Many times over the past 40 years I had many faulty plugs come back to haunt me.

All 6 of my new Ford spark plugs cracked like that, then then ones that i replace them with cracked. A gave up on Ford Plugs and bought autolite plugs and they have all been good.

The only thing better than a good scan tool for troubleshooting electric issues is a good pico scope. But good old fashioned mix and match can still also tell you a lot.

Might pay to check whether those are cracks or tracks. Long story short, many years ago I worked at a service dealer for a certain Korean GM based vehicle which I will not name. We used to see plugs like that, the marks were carbon tracks burned in by constant spark leakage. If you replaced the spark plugs it would drive fine, for about a week, then it would come back exactly the same. The coils would have been damaged by the spark leakage and would very quickly mark up the new plugs, which were now also junked. You had to replace everything at the same time, coils/leads, and plugs or constantly chase this problem. If I remember correctly this vehicle had leads and remote coils, but same will happen with coil on plug systems.

He's right these type plugs never need gapping, they have a larger gap but much lower firing resistance & are intended to be used as is

!I had the same confusing problem with the new spark plug from the dealer where 1 of the spark plug had a microcrack which I thought was dropped. Tried everything for 3 months until I sat down and read and compared the scan tool reading with some electrical/electronics troubleshooting background: The P0303 code is an OBD II Diagnostic Trouble Code (DTC) defined as “Cylinder 3 Misfire Detected.” The code was "generic" but 1 of the scan tool gave me P0303 "Short to Ground" which moved when I moved the spark plug to the other cylinders, not coils as advised. What I learned is that It does help to open and inspect all the new spares bought from the dealer, and also using different brands of scan tools does narrow the problem from generic codes to detailed codes. Until today I kept my trophy "Spark Plug" as a reminder that visual inspection is not only for used parts but also new ones. Until today I'm still enjoying my N20 all over South Africa

Interesting video. Especially to see most of the plugs were cracked. I would like to know how this happened.

Buying parts online you are prone to buying fake parts.

@davidgrisco1939

5 күн бұрын

Depends who the seller is. If the seller is on eBay or a non-Amazon name and the price is lower than elsewhere it's likely counterfeit. If you buy from Amazon you must ensure that it is sold by Amazon and it's shipped by Amazon. But RockAuto has yet to send me counterfeit or damaged in transit parts.

@db3467

5 күн бұрын

@@davidgrisco1939 I bought some ngk spark plugs for 63 they were ngk. I ended up calling ngk directly and they verified the plugs were good

I had the same issues with a different brand than these 2 years ago.... Never had this happen before.... I went with NGK from then on and they have been great.

Nice find...

I order parts online. OEM parts for normal maintenance. Now I wonder even more what happens to them between point A and B. Tons of shippers, sub shippers etc. I'll be checking my parts better before I install them.

I use the same Ford. Power balance test. What's weird to me with the ecoboost stuff with miss fires.Every other manufacturer. Most times you will come up with A PO300 misfire code before you get a cylinder specific. it pops up just with cylinder specific then swap tronics. Technique is your best friend. Just Strange The data I get from Fords.I have been recently buying an extra coil pack And spark plug. For vehicles . When i i afew of them in my customer base. Remember back in the day the late 90s early 2000s were you just kept a known good ford IAC and your toolbox. I'm starting to get that way with coil packs and plugs. It's pretty convenient when you have a toolbox drawer full of good parts. But I've also been burned by not watching live data. Anyway great videos thank you.

Nothing like good fix or repair daily parts.

Unfortunately new parts don't mean anything anymore

Nice job

Cracks on Porcelain isn't pawty time. Or is it?.....🐾🐾

Since 30 years ago, I always have NGK. Never failed.

@ICantBreve

5 күн бұрын

Ditto. Installed NGK plugs and wires on my 3800 and it has more noticeable get go. Much better than factory AC Delco.

@billmalec

5 күн бұрын

NGK or Denso.

@stevemccauley5734

5 күн бұрын

@@ICantBrevefunny. I have a turbo charged Chevy Cobalt SS on 25 psi of boost. The ONLY plug it’ll run on is stock AC Delco iridium’s. The equivalent NGKs flame out at high boost & cause misfires.

@MitzvosGolem1

5 күн бұрын

I used NGK since 1980s. Caution: a bulletin came out warning ⚠️ of counterfeit NGK plugs especially iridium sold on line . Verify they are real using NGK website if you buy them . Had a few recently .

@archyxwuff

4 күн бұрын

Depends on the application. Don't bother with NGK on most pre-2000-something Mercedes-Benz engines (eg. M102, M103, M104, M111, M112, M113, M119). Bosch and Beru supply the OE equivalent plugs to use on those engines. Just like you don't install Bosch spark plugs to a Toyota 4A-FE engine... NGK and Denso are the right choice for that application.

These scanners are awesome aren't they!

I’ll never forget laying out a new set of Champion plugs prior to installing them in a VW, and noticing all of them were “double threaded” ! Now that would have ruined the plug holes in an aluminum head 🤨. Never bought Champion plugs again.

I just ordered a single plug from Amazon (long story) and they shipped it in a thin bubble wrap package. The ACDelco plug had no tube around the electrode end. That's apparently the "new" ACDelco packaging method. I returned it and asked for a replacement. The replacement came in a similar bubble wrap and the corner was ripped and the plug was missing. Only the plug box was left in the bubble wrap. I asked for a refund. I'm only buying plugs from RockAuto now. Haven't had a shipment problem with them yet and they always use cardboard boxes and appropriate protection.

@WrenchingWithKenny

5 күн бұрын

😳 what the hell with amazon?!

I have 7 Transit 3500HD's in my fleet. All non turbo. Changing the plugs on the passenger side is no fun. You have to pull off the upper intake plenum.

same problem here recently, new NGK's, 2 out of 4 had a misfire

Did the socket crack them. I've seen parts guys throw spark plug boxes on the floor or in totes too at the parts store.

Same plug condition and misfire on cyl 3 of a 3rd gen 4runner. It was not the NGK plug, coil, injector......... it was the TPS. I'm not the only one that encountered this 3GEN 4R, cyl 3, TPS mystery, so it is not a one off. Was hard to stay away from the parts cannon on this one.

Looking forward to visiting “Mexico “ again.

Too bad you can’t just shake it to clear the graph…lol

@Michael-yi4mc

5 күн бұрын

Shake and Bake is much better. I’m hungry!

I love test driving cars with nice A/C in the summer.!!! It always took me 5 minutes longer than usual!!!LOL

Hello Mr Kenny, hope y'all are having a great 4th of July weekend. Lol I want good fresh ripe maters, on my burger please 😂😅😊

I cant think of any situation that you need to replace all of the coils unless some idiot already swapped them with aftermarket. If you change your plugs before they ruin the coils you wont need to replace coils.

Little too small gap on plugs is fine, too big is a problem. Good habit to look over before installing.

Maybe ebay plugs or damaged seconds or something... Good diagnosis... Check simplest solution first.

Another thing to watch for in a lot of popular brands of parts (like FoMoCo) is counterfeits. There is a huge market for this and you can have bad performance when you thought you bought authentic parts and didn't. Probably not the case here but it is a huge issue with the more popular brands. FordTechMakuloco has a good video specifically about recognizing counterfeit FoMoCo parts: kzread.info/dash/bejne/gaR4rLB9kpnIaaQ.htmlsi=EU2lc9FXzYn23Wuj

Kenny...I am old scool...I have always used Champion plugs.

Get a wire gapping tool. How long does it take to check?

Wow Kenny, that must have been a Bad batch of Spark Plugs.🤔

Installer error as well,probably did not use a spark plug socket

I'm finding more vehicles you have to touch the PCM before you can ship it. Even if the CEL has gone out cleared it self. Fords had to reset adaptations. GM I had to clear all codes, key off/remove, unplug scan tool from DLC, Open door / close, wait a min, then restart. Scan tool prevented the ECM from "rebooting".

I've pulled Champions out of the box with the ceramic broken off....SEVERAL OF THEM

Is that a crack or a carbon track? If the boot is carbon tracked the new plug will look the same in a few miles and the misfire will still be there. Also the misfire will move with the plug for a short distance.

How can we find out why the ceramic cracks? ... would a cylinder leak test (a couple drops of oil in the cylinder) stop the catalyst? (i'm thinking rapid heat changes[maybe weather-related/weather+vehicle or ceramic inability to adjust to rapid temperature; or, vibration: 'why/how does ceramic break,' or is there some other system problem that would contribute that system?) I made some "eco-friendly parts swaps" (namely, thermostat) in an older vehicle a few years back and am left worrying that the system may have been giving berth to a hardship. Also, when I restarted the vehicle after sitting a few years, the motor mounts were completely torn--- the whole car jumping--- I was very surprised at the amount and rapidity of damage accumulating. Being an older model (1995), the specifically right parts unavailable, tiny residue of the problem remained. I ended up hand- fabricating parts. Not sure how well it will work, it has been sitting a year and a half a agin. Also wondering if it would be possible diagnose the cylinder/plugs/ misfire by how quickly new plugs crack again. ... but, u could still gap higher or lower depending on which system change is needed. Something is also telling me don't underestimate electrical system flow, especially with changes caused by charging devices in the passenger compartment of the car.

I noticed those Ford plugs had "Japan" stamped on it?? I got some Fake Motocraft plugs from Amazon once.

@MitzvosGolem1

5 күн бұрын

Japanese plugs far better actually.

Fords normally require 3 key cycles before it sets a code.

Heat crack. That new ... Probably a knockoff.

@neiliewheeliebin

5 күн бұрын

Precisely

I had an Infiniti J30 like that. If coils and plugs are not OE it is not happy...

What scan tool is that?

Ford OEM spark plugs used to be made in Fostoria Ohio at Autolite. That factory close down with the production being sent to Mexico. Unfortunately in Mexico they could not make the ceramics correctly. Before the factory was completely closed down rework was sent back to Fostoria. The biggest issue was ceramic insulators but obviously nothing has changed out there in the world of automotive parts.. I don't believe they are the manufacturer of those plugs from your video although I'm not sure. With everything going overseas to foreign countries there is no QC if they fail.😢who cares just buy more.

Motorcraft parts are made in Japan?

Maybe they were dropped? Not a large distance but maybe on a steel bench or something...

Those service vans get the crap pounded out of them. I spend a lot of time on the roads and the way employees drive these work/service vans is really a site.to see. Most of them are exceeding the speed limit and flooring it away from stoplights. The employees seem upset having to be at work so they take it out on the service van.

Always check cheap and easy 1st no matter how stupid it sounds

Is a carbon tracked plug same as a cracked plug?

@carsten4594

5 күн бұрын

Not the same. Carbon tracks are surface deposits from arcing while cracks are actual fissures in the ceramic material.

Switch to NGK.

I had spark plugs shipped to me and they just stuck them loose in a box with no padding and brake pads and disks all in same box. the box was broken open plugs rattling around loose what kind of idiot ships parts like that. who knows if they are good or bad

If this my car I'd change the spark plug boots too. I'd guess they've been compromised too. My DYI time is worth something :)

Quality auto parts in 2024- haven’t seen it.

@clems6989

5 күн бұрын

True bad "new" parts are very common now...

Keep grinding for views 😂😂

Is it possible that whoever changed the plug didn't use a "spark plug socket"?

Something you are using to edit your content is creating a weird pause that happens where you splice scenes together or take parts out or something. I know this sounds like a ridiculous thing to point out but it is annoying. Again I'm not complaining just to complain. I hope you get that I am saying it to you hoping you take it as constructive criticism. I'm gonna watch your video's with or without the awkward pauses but it is kind of reminiscent of a dvd skip, video buffering or feed drop. It is triggering my ADHD.

Could have cracked the plug while tightening it in the engine. Hold the ratchet straight up and not sideways.

Imagine intentionally not spending 2 minutes to gap the plugs and just hope they are right.