I was initially going to write that they are just for another market made seeing TSE (Turkish Standard Institute) and Russian GOST marks, but then EAC (Eurasian Conformity mark) is the later version of GOST. And most telling is the package says Platinum-Platinum, where as that particular spark plug is speced as Iriduim-Platinum. That last piece really makes them extremely suspect of being fake. Also just checked my NGK iridium plugs that were lying around from last replacement, (different part but still). They have curved ground electrode, not bent with angle. All the markings and text on the box are like one from assembled in USA but they are marked made in Japan. They have cardboard spacers too. The iridium electrode is supposed to be very thin pointed also, like a needle.

@JackofAllMasterofNone

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the great comment.

@5roundsrapid263

4 жыл бұрын

I see these every day where I work. The real thing has only EAC on the package.

@stephendee7839

4 жыл бұрын

You see this sort of "old marks" when companies pick up New-Old-Stock (NOS in the industry) and sell it at a discounted price to get rid of it.

@waboom248

4 жыл бұрын

It will also have a visible laser welded tip on the electrode.

@bryanmatthews1540

4 жыл бұрын

u mean the resistor is like a needle? electrode is the curved part at very top of plug.

Great to know, thank you! Should have sent them to Project Farm to test against the original NGKs though.

@nickp8373

4 жыл бұрын

Good call there. That guy is awesome

@truepatriot8947

4 жыл бұрын

Excellent idea! 💡

@danieldelarosa8806

4 жыл бұрын

Project farm is always asking for ideas on what to test next... hope he does this one next.

@tousshong9438

4 жыл бұрын

Great idea? I love project farm video!...Lawn mower automatically register in my head as soon as I head "Project Farm"...Well, they do a lot of stuff but the lawn mower test ..always in my head. LOL

@HDLUXLOBO

4 жыл бұрын

Definitely, send these, Original and Counterfeit to Project Farm, maybe we could have a surprise with the results.

Send the fakes to project farm! He'll do a comparison.

@pahanorlando

3 жыл бұрын

Would be very interesting to see from project farm! I got mine NKG of ebay that look also identical to OEM, 1-2 months later, I am getting random misfire code. Just ordered 6 on advanced auto parts and will replace.

@tnasituning8173

Жыл бұрын

Yezzir! Send to Project Farm! For Sure!

@tnasituning8173

Жыл бұрын

Im sure that the plugs will perform just as well, except they WILL NOT LAST AS LONG because they dont have the same quality long lasting center core electrode or the Triple Seal that NGK are Known for besides the tips and grounding/other parts of the plug... They might have a different Center Electrode Core Material than the 98% pure Copper... So they will use either Ruthenium or Platinum in place with nickel... Ruthenium is the next best thing besides Iridium, then Platinum, then Copper Plugs... But the Center Electrode Core Material itself should be Almost pure 98% OXIDATION FREE COPPER.. A Copper Center Electrode Core, and an IRIDIUM Center Electrode Tip, IRIDIUM Tip with Iridium Core are best... And for a ground a Nickel Ground core are thee best of everything... So instead of 105,000 mile rating they will probably last 60,000~80,000 I bet... Which is still really good... The only thing that would worry me is if the tips were very bad and even more brittle than the NGK Iridium already is... Because if it breaks off and falls down there could be a catastrophe to the cylinder walls/Piston... So i would test the Core to see how good it is (if the copper is nearly as pure, and test the tip to see how much percent it is Iridium to begin with...

@justinfargas2367

Жыл бұрын

​@@tnasituning8173 Theres no platinum or iridium in the fakes. The resistance is all over the scale on the fakes. They are shite. Not worthwhile saving a few bucks to mess up your cars engine or electrical system. Perform similarly hey mate? Not likely champ.

@aleksandrbmelnikov

11 ай бұрын

Better then a testing lab. We'd get to see the results (carbon fouling, white ash, meltdown).

I always buy car parts from the local guys. We can't have all the stores going out of business, and only have Amazon.

@airgliderz

4 жыл бұрын

But my from local LOL. Local auto parts get them from far away, no different then Amazon.

@Tyson2busy

4 жыл бұрын

Especially since Amazon does a half a$$ job at protecting us.

@airgliderz

4 жыл бұрын

@@Tyson2busy wo w your nothing but lies. Amazon dies a lot to protect workers. Stop spreading lies and myths, you are wrong and an idiot.

@enriqueaguilar8788

3 жыл бұрын

Same here, and faster plus returnable if not the right part.

@MilesPrower69420

3 жыл бұрын

I've also got fakes from local

I appreciate you making this video. I had purchased genuine BMW spark plugs off eBay and I haven’t even driven 4k miles. Now I’m having to replace them again. So, I ordered some NGK’s off eBay again and when I got them, I noticed something wasn’t right about the electrode. So I bought some from the part store and compared the two. The electrode is sticking up higher and all scratched up. What you described is exactly the same as what I saw. I’m still scratching my head of how this is allowed on eBay or Amazon. What you are saying is straight up 100. If I could give you more than one thumbs up, I would. I wondering about the rest of the parts bought off eBay now. Anyway, Thank you for taking the time to make this video. Take care my friend.

I have used NGK plugs for decades and until 2019 I had never seen them come with plastic protectors. So , not sure that really means anything.

@AlphaMachina

4 жыл бұрын

I just purchased some NGK Iridiums from O'Reilly for my Civic and they had cardboard as well. I even compared them to this, and they were more similar to the "knockoffs" than the ones he got from Advanced.

@visigoth2020

4 жыл бұрын

I bought 4 yesterday and it was plastic

@visigoth2020

4 жыл бұрын

jason9022 they are fake I can tell you from experience.

@visigoth2020

4 жыл бұрын

ɑʟpʜɑ ɱɑсʜɪиɑ do not put them on your car and if you did replace them at once, if by any chance you leave them on just in 1 month get them out and see how the gap goes from 32 to a 100 just like a finger straight up.

@rtmadman3418

4 жыл бұрын

I bought 8 iridium ix this morning from napa after seeing this video i went to Benson then carquest to compare them and they all came whit cardboard

I've gotten counterfeit razor blades on Amazon so can't say I'm shocked.

Thanks for the post, I hate when I hear things like this. It's one thing you want to go cheaper items but to lie and sell fakes to people who thinks are getting a good deal, is pissing me off, they need to be punished

@dannyspitzer1267

2 жыл бұрын

Agree

Conclusion: it is hard to spot fake spark plugs

Having worked at NGK for over 15yrs, I immediately noticed the difference in the box size. Also, the plating on the plug is a different color. along with the darker colored top terminal. Obviously, the main issue is that the counterfeit plug performance is not consistent. Heat rating is off, gas sealing is poor, corrosion, etc, etc. Even though they are cheaper, DO NOT USE THEM! A failed plug can ruin your engine. It's not worth it.

@crisnmaryfam7344

2 жыл бұрын

ruin your engine over a 5-10$ part... Stupid honestly.

@nikyabodigital

Жыл бұрын

Where can we buy legit NGKs? In Philippines? I feel like I need replacement for my mitsubishi but I don't wanna buy a fake one.

@pinktumbleweed123

Жыл бұрын

Just used these same spark plugs. Car got hot and the we looked at spark plugs and they were broken 😮

@dannylay7965

9 ай бұрын

I think I got fake ones. My coil packs keep burning out. 2 went out this month!

@jaredlabriola

8 ай бұрын

@@dannylay7965 same here, bought some "genuine Toyota" plugs on ebay. they looked authentic​, my poor gas mileage and they way my truck ran after always had me wondering.... 25k miles later i have a coil out. Im going to remove the plug from that cylinder and check to see if i got scammed. either way i just bought some new NGK laser iridiums to throw in when i swap out my ignition coil. this time my parts all came from napa. haha

Been using NGK since the ‘70’s. The ground electrode has always been a curve. The right angled trode would have caught my attention. I’ll be looking for that. Thx for the heads up. Subbed & liked.

Would like to have seen a resistance reading too

@XiseTK

4 жыл бұрын

resistance?? it would be out of limit, there is an air gap, that is why it sparks.

@CarsSimplified

4 жыл бұрын

Core resistance, I would assume. It can vary quite a bit. That and wire resistance cut down on RFI.

@davidjoegamez5901

4 жыл бұрын

I’d say within spec resistance reading at the core. Most of our metals are coming from overseas now so it’s hard to say which would last longer.

@DENicholsAutoBravado

4 жыл бұрын

@Poor Poor no evidence? It was piled so high it helped me remember some different looking plugs which I've installed and guess what? They didn't last a year. They sucked. Then, possibly related, an engine with just over 100k miles blew up. Take this fake plug warning seriously!

@DENicholsAutoBravado

4 жыл бұрын

@Poor Poor it has everything to do with the video as I have bought the real and fake ones and seen the performance difference. My customers have also bought fakes. When my shop bought the spark plugs, there were no fakes. Just customers saving a buck online.

Thanks for taking the time to assemble this. A few years back we had a “friend” of a customer leave us a nasty review because we charged her for the real spark plugs on her toyota and he of course could have purchased them a lot cheaper. Tried to explain to the guy that we buy from a reputable vendor who doesn’t sell fakes and who also helps supply 1st class training to the professional marketplace. Folks love going to amazon because of the convenience and oftentimes dismiss the possibility that what’s you’re getting isn’t the real deal or the fact that when it comes to automotive, an automobile is a sophisticated device and without skilled tradesmen regularly attending advanced training, you won’t have the right ingredients to achieve proper service and or repair.

You can check the ohms of resistance and compare the two, to see if the counterfeit is within spec.

@joemilton7552

4 жыл бұрын

the ohms should be nearly 0 in pretty much all cases.

Too bad you couldn’t test them or put them through their paces.

@tousshong9438

4 жыл бұрын

Like one guy mention on the comment here. Send it to Project Farm and they will test it for us consumers.

@Gunners_Mate_Guns

4 жыл бұрын

@@tousshong9438 Yep That guy's testing is the bomb. I'm sure there's some product testing lab out there somewhere that could nitpick some aspect of how he does his evaluations, but he does a hell of a job at it, IMNSHO.

Plot twist: the knock off plugs are higher quality.

@eriv4735

4 жыл бұрын

It really wouldn’t take much 😂😂

@bryanmatthews1540

4 жыл бұрын

bro! Thats what I was thinkng exactly. I was like no way the one on the right has gotta b the fake! Fuck i need to buy plugs n have no idea what to do. 370Z I want the best...

@Fable1Guides

4 жыл бұрын

@@bryanmatthews1540 just go to autozone tard

@fordmud

4 жыл бұрын

They definitely are not, they are absolute garbage, they only made it 15,000 miles in a acura v6, when the originals made 100,000 and still looked good

@seansmith4440

4 жыл бұрын

what makes one better or worse than the other? type of metal? How can you test? I agree the electrode on the knock off is beefier. Is that a good thing or bad?

You think the counterfeiters couldn’t fake the stamped number if they can replicate everything else so well? I figure they are grey market. Original parts but from a different market.

@6spdkeg

4 жыл бұрын

From a different market that uses lessor STDs probably. Cheaper casting material, loser tolerances etc. Never know. There's a reason it's cheaper, typically.

@Sussy-hotdog

2 жыл бұрын

Grey market is a strong possibility, just like camera equipment to it has been for many years huge gray market even in retailers like Best Buy

EXCELLENT VIDEO! - Last week I purchased a regulator / rectifier off Amazon for my Triumph Sprint 1050. Fitted it to my bike & it worked charging the battery for about 10 mins. Then the main fuse blew & I checked the regulator / rectifier unit & it was almost on fire! All wires melted & connection plugs fused together. Phoned Amazon, got my money back & they removed the item for sale to anyone else. Be careful what you’re buying guys! Amazon can be an absolute death trap & so can other online marketplaces such as eBay or Ali Express etc. Stay safe. 👍🏻

He did say it was a Honda part number.

@MrMichaelmager

4 жыл бұрын

Yea I caught that too. Maybe they're buying Honda platinum plus and putting NGK markings on them. That would still make them very high quality. I would like to see a comparison against a factory Honda plug.

@Chris-yy7qc

4 жыл бұрын

That number is a bit short to be sure, tho... Its got like what? 4 digits?

@alexanderdus5170

4 жыл бұрын

Michael Mager honda factory plugs are NGK IR. I work at a Honda dealership. They’re just ngk plugs just sold in Honda packaging. I bet you those are legit plugs, they were probably just overstocked.

I'm glad you did the research, I use NGK plugs in all my engines and I buy them from a trusted auto parts store. Thanks for the video.

Thanks for this video, we use a lot of ngk plugs in outboard motors and my boss usually buys online. Now I'm going to check our plug stock, being the certified marine mechanic my name is on my work including the parts I install!

Fun fact: Unless it says shipped and sold by Amazon you're not actually buying from Amazon.

@JackofAllMasterofNone

4 жыл бұрын

True. But if Amazon is sending it via prime delivery, it's being shipped out of their warehouse. They should be doing more to stop counterfeit products from being sold on their website.

@njsongwriter

2 жыл бұрын

"Shipped and sold by Amazon" is no guarantee. Go to NGK's website to see if Amazon is an authorized seller. I know on Denso's website Amazon is not listed as an authorized dealer.

@LLF1234

Жыл бұрын

@@njsongwriter Btw, do you know which one is better for a 2nd gen Honda CRV, the NGK or the Denso? Which one is the OEM? Also, where would I be able to find this kind of information? Thank you!

@nastysoda9212

8 ай бұрын

it's crazy how people don't get this

@gfriedman99

8 ай бұрын

@@LLF1234Honda lists both ngk and denso parts. Out of the factory they use denso but both are fine.😅

Just a follow up. Amazon gave me a full refund after I returned them. I also left an honest review.

@tomwoo1161

5 жыл бұрын

Man same thing happened to me. prime sent me counterfeit so I ended up getting genuine ngk from autozone. Mine had the exact same differences as well. Also if you look at your video another tell is that the triangle with exclamation mark 3:03 is not yellow like it is on the genuine ngk. I only realized they were fake after watching your video, never would have thought there would be fake ngk's being sold on prime. I feel bad for all those other people on prime that bought these fakes and don't realize it.

@scion-dj4he

5 жыл бұрын

So what's the number to look out for that would determine is fake, please advise. Thank you.

@scotty2hotty909

4 жыл бұрын

I've had to return a few items on amazon... They do full refund pretty readily on items... But you think about all the people that dont catch it that get screwed. Definitely buyer beware on amazon.

@efrensaclolo7021

4 жыл бұрын

I always buy my parts from Amazon and eBay, After watching your video, I will start buying now at local auto part store like Autozons and O'Reilly even if it is more expensive.

@tuv0k152

4 жыл бұрын

0:43 there is a screenshot of the offer.. I can read "Sold by incredible spark..." so this item was only fulfilled bei Amazon, but not sold by amazon itself! Or was it another offer? The Problem are those other sellers, who are using the amazon platform to sell their products

Bought a set for my ‘12 civic last year from an amazon, but haven’t notice any differents in mpg or performance, I guess time will tell, could they be produced at a different plant, because I know they were shipped from overseas?

As a former custom restorer, I found most company reps are fresh out of college young know it alls that are too proud to simply say, “not sure” or “ I don’t know” or “send me detailed pix and I’ll look into it to be sure” ... so they almost always default to “I know everything... take care”... when they don’t. After 48 years of working and restoring cars, both plugs are NGK’s, only one is gray market...

There are reputable parts stores that also import their own parts from China. That also needs to be investigated. Just from my experience.

the fake ones probably don't contain any Iridium. This sucks, I have to go and check my plugs now.

Wow. You cant trust anyone/anything anymore. 😥

@fixitallpaul4847

2 жыл бұрын

If its worth counterfeiting it has been

Had no idea, thank you for sharing and I will definitely be more mindful of future online purchases. I know there are a lot of knockoffs but never thought about plugs being one.

Working in a garage in the U.K. every plug I've ever put in an engine had a card sleeve on it and we only ever fitted NGK.

@user-zi9zf8uj8i

4 жыл бұрын

NGK uses both cardboard and plastic protectors. You can't determine if it is a fake by that difference alone.

@joemilton7552

4 жыл бұрын

so like the cardboard tube in the video? Those were the ones he said were supposedly "fake". Maybe his fakes weren't fake but grey market imports as others have suggested.

@user-zi9zf8uj8i

4 жыл бұрын

@@joemilton7552 NGK doesn't produce "grey market imports". They are either genuine or fake.

@user-zi9zf8uj8i

4 жыл бұрын

@@trevorwylie5882 Yes, older NGK plugs were a different color. The yellowish tinge is now gone because they had to change their plating formula due to hexachromate concerns.

@user-zi9zf8uj8i

4 жыл бұрын

@@trevorwylie5882 Yes, older NGK plugs were a different color. The yellowish tinge is now gone because they had to change their plating formula due to hexachromate concerns. NGK uses both plastic and cardboard protectors, that the protector type is irrelevant when it comes to counterfeits.

Hmmm, interesting as NGK states on their website regarding fake spark plugs that their spark plugs always come with cardboard roll thread protector not plastic and one you of them got plastic and you assumed is genuine. Did you chekc it with NGK too?

@JackofAllMasterofNone

5 жыл бұрын

I bought genuine plugs from 2 local auto parts stores and did verify them with NGK. I didnt "assume" anything

Thank you for your honesty. I recently purchased two packages of four for two different cars. I love Amazon. However, this was an eye opener.

Have you tried a practical test of the plugs in question. I wonder if the performance is close to being the same as well.

On the larger box: TSE means Turkish Standards Institute and the marking looking like PCT is actually the logo of GOST, a Russian standardization institution. I personally believe that both boxes are genuine items, just produced at different locations. But again, it is hard to tell just by watching a video.

@AndyMarsh

4 жыл бұрын

Sound like they could be grey market imports, he did say the chap from NGK did say that was a number "that would never be sold in the United States"

@westernapache1700

4 жыл бұрын

Fake plugs. Don't be fooled.

I HOPE EVERYONE READS THIS POST - THIS IS A GREAT VIDEO!!!! Hello, I just caught your video, I just publically want to give you an A+ for the wonderful public service work that you have done here. While I am sure that many of your viewers know quite a lot about cars and perform their own services, many people just want to save money and without knowing better, they purchase what appears to be OEM product at a great price and place it into their cars only to find out down the road that these parts are counterfeit and can cause major problems with their vehicles. One of the biggest offenders are sellers of counterfeit spark plugs that you point out in your video. Once counterfeit spark plugs have been placed into your car, it can take a few weeks to months for these parts to fail and cause mechanical problems with your car. Many people think that since they have already changed their spark plugs that the problem they are having lies elsewhere. My problems were always the same but I did not notice them immediately because I have “auto-start” on my car so I was not in the car when the problems initially began. I would just get into my car once it was already warmed up to see a check engine light on. When I manually tried to start the car, I noticed that it took many times to crank the engine over and the spark plugs were getting flooded with fuel ultimately causing no start issues. I burned out a starter motor, ignition switch and 6 ignition coils over the course of one and a half years before finally sorting out that the problem must be with the spark plugs. What really had me fooled was the fact that each time I had hard start problems, I just placed a new set of spark plugs into the car and it then ran fine so I assumed that it must have been some other issue causing my plugs to foul when in reality the problem lied within the counterfeit spark plugs and their continued failure rate. I bought them in bulk so I just kept putting bad spark plugs in the car without knowing it and since they initially worked fine, I continued to look elsewhere for the problem. Even two Honda dealerships and one independent service station that specialize in hard to find problems failed to properly diagnose what was wrong with my car. When they said that I should just replace the spark plugs, I explained that I just did so they began to look elsewhere. Since I often supply my own parts, I was actually part of the problem. Had I used the dealership parts and not tried to save money, I’m sure the problem would have been solved much sooner. This is what is really important here and what your viewers need to know. If I knew how bad the counterfeit parts problem was online, I would never have made the purchase in the first place. Today, 5-31-19, I notified EBAY of my problem and they have opened up an investigation into the seller. I also spoke at length with NGK tech support who plan on pursing the seller as well for fraudulent activity. I purchased my counterfeit parts on EBAY from 405parts. At the time the guy had 100% positive feedback so I did not give it a second thought to make the purchase. Like many people, I buy parts and store them away so when I actually need them I can just go to my parts shelf without the need to go to a store and make the purchase. Since my purchase, the seller now has several negative feedback scores all related to selling counterfeit spark plugs. I hope in some small way that this post has helped your viewers. Again I thank you for such an informative video. It is greatly appreciated.

@72marie

4 жыл бұрын

I have had to do labor so many times over and over and then I realized I was buying knock off parts from Amazon and Ebay . I even got a fake Alternator they are knocking off most all parts.. I stick with Rockauto because of this.

Just changed the plugs on my 2017 Subaru with 146k miles. Don't know if the plugs were ever changed as the previous owner drove mostly highway miles. Still ran great, but decided it was time to change them. Bought a set of NGKs that I now know are counterfeit. As soon as I started the car, it was really rough. Drove it about 1 mile and turned around and went back to check it out. Ran the OBDII reader on it and it read codes for a misfire on cylinder 1, bad MAF/ IAT module. Ordered a MAF as the temperature at the MAF/IAT was -45F. So I assumed that may be the root of the trouble. Got the new MAF module and same thing. So I pulled cylinder 1 plug and it was fouled and the porcelain was cracked. I did a search of counterfeit plugs and found this video. I guess I am going to have to pull all of the plugs and replace with plugs from the parts store. To change 4 plugs on this car takes about 3 hours. At the dealership, they lift the engine up to access the plugs. I did it without doing that, but it was a major job. I had no idea that there were counterfeit plugs out there.

@oc91five

3 ай бұрын

Thankyou for sharing this

The thread profiles looked different, they were more sharp on the real one. Also the writing looked like painted on the ceramic as opposed to painted letters baked with the ceramic. But very good immitation, I was shocked. Worst thing that happen with a bad/fake plug is pieces may break and fall into your engine = game over.

Hahaha no way, I bought these and could see the cathode at a taper. Every single plug was gapped different also. Thanks for posting this, I had no idea.

@javierrodriguez-vo8yr

4 жыл бұрын

Happened to me to.

My NGK had the cardboard protectors on and I bought them from Autozone. Pretty sure they were original because after 30 000 miles, they still look almost new. The cheap copper ones though. The Denso plugs I bought from the dealer had plastic covers.

Is it possible that somebody bought real ngk from Amazon and is returning the fakes for a full refund?

i dont think its a fake plug at all it just manufactured in a different plant as it says on the box .its still an ngk product just specific to the plant where it was made

@Tmanscar

4 жыл бұрын

OldFella FPV the only question that I have is why wouldn’t the electrodes be the same size? He stated that the electrode was bigger (thicker) on the “counterfeit” one

I wish I had saw your video 2 and 1/2 months ago I brought 4 LASER IRIDIUM Premium had a friend to put them in now 2 1/2 month I am paying Kia car town $292.46 was told that the spark plugs were fake it ruined my COIL ASSY- IGNITION AND THEY NEEDED TO REPLACE MY VALVE-PCV. Now am going to take it back next week to have him to put the right spark plugs in $ 27.00 a piece so upset. does any one know if there anything that can be done about it. thanks so much for your help Mary Harris

I just got some from Amazon. It says it's sold by Amazon and it's $6.72 per piece. One thing I noticed on mine that you didn't show in your video is the platinum 'spot' on the underside of the curved electrode. NGK says by using platinum the electrode won't erode away easily. I wonder if the fake ones have this shiny little spot. If someone who has the fake ones can confirm it would be another method to detect counterfeit ones.

Very revealing. Thank you for making this video. I order a lot from Amazon...I will pay closer attention to everything from now on. Cheaper isn’t always better...you get what you pay for, eh!!

Third party sellers can send things to Amazon to have Prime available. Prime shipping does not mean the same as sold by Amazon inherently.

@njsongwriter

2 жыл бұрын

Everything sold at Amazon is "sold by Amazon". Amazon takes your money regardless of whether it shipped by them or shipped by someone else.

at least when i buy from ebay, i assume the parts are rip off brand :)

@stylerunner2959

4 жыл бұрын

@Poor Poor he did call NGK directly and had them verified that they were fake..

Bought some NGK Iridium plugs from eBay. The electrode burned off after a few thousand miles.

Interesting, glad this got suggested to me! I wouldn't even think to check them like that!

Thank for telling me about the plug have same problems bought from Amazon how can i get my money back

As You Can See At The Back, There Is A Different.... One Is Writed "Double Platinum" And The Other One Writed "Platinum Iridium"...

@machtschnell7452

4 жыл бұрын

Perhaps, but which is which?

@spyder000069

4 жыл бұрын

Good catch.

@kwakman99

4 жыл бұрын

Wow... good eyes. Not certain it proves anything but interesting.

Ebay is much cheaper and everytime i look for what i want on amazon they have rather sold out or just dont have it at all

@Quentyn73

4 жыл бұрын

True

I used to work at one of the larger Auto part Chains here in the US and we used to have guys pretty often including shops would buy our parts then return them two weeks or so later with cheaper or knockoff parts in the boxes. It got bad enough with one shop that we had to refuse them service

@LatitudeSky

4 жыл бұрын

Also worked for a parts chain and we had the same problem. There were clever ones trying to sneak stuff past us. And idiots who bought things like an alternator or starter and brought it back months later under warranty for replacement, and the thing they brought back wasn't our part at all, it had stickers on it from another chain. They would argue and argue and threaten to call corporate. I am so glad I don't work in that business any more.

@ils360

4 жыл бұрын

@@LatitudeSky yeah I'm glad I don't either

Thank you!!!! I'm looking to get new plugs for mine as well and this helps immensely brother.

What is you opinion on Rock Auto and counterfeit part possibility? The copy is extremely hard to determine the fake, WOW!

@JackofAllMasterofNone

5 жыл бұрын

Rock auto is a reputable company so hopefully they are selling only the genuine plugs. As long as they purchase them directly from NGK they are good. If they use a middle man distributor, Id be worried. The price on rockauto is almost 9 dollars per plug. They are probably legit.

Imagine my surprise when I pulled a set of 14,000 mile, 8 month old ACDelco iridium plugs out of my vehicle and the tips were worn to a nub! If you are experiencing misfires, rough idle and shudder under load, check your plugs first even if they only have a few miles on them. Don't do what I did and troubleshoot everything else including the transmission before checking the plugs.

@80skid83

4 жыл бұрын

I bought some ngk iridium plugs off ebay a few years ago. 45k later , I'm now getting all the symptoms you have mentioned. Will remove tomorrow and see. But yeah probably fake plugs

Just saw this video, I also bought from Amazon 8 NGK plugs for my BMW e39 540i and installed them just a month ago, so far they are performing just fine. Not sure if they are fake or how long they will last, will see.

I got screwed on a knock-off knock sensor from amazon. Spent hours to get to it and replace it only to have to do it again.

Thank you for this video! I received the same fake NGK plugs from a third party seller on Amazon as you've identified here. What led me to your video was the back of the box on the ones I received. On the fake plugs, it says "Double Platinum" (also shown @ 1:54 on your video). The real plugs say Iridium and Platinum. I too left an honest review on Amazon, but they deleted it. Amazon did however refund me after making me send the fake plugs back. I hope they don't just re-sell them.

@TopShotta713

5 жыл бұрын

Daniel Piedra You know they do make “double platinum” right

@seanhatch4425

4 жыл бұрын

Good eye mate!

Wow 😲 well I had no idea there was even such a thing as counterfeit spark plugs thanks for your video

Just curious. Did you check them with an OHM Meter? Once I ordered a MotoScan tool for my Harley. Its a BT Scan Tool. Have a 18 model with 6 pin. Ordered a new unit. Amazon shipped me a Used 4 pin one. They did refund. And I purchased directly from the manufacturer. And informed them of the problem.

My son is a Honda tech and he got me a set of laser iridium plugs directly from the dealer and they have cardboard protectors and a code on the plug starting with c9. Your video seems to be a mismash of real and fake statements. Are the dealers selling fake parts? Br ick and morter stores beyond reproach ? Watchers beware.

@Check7his

4 жыл бұрын

My NGK laster platinums from O'Reilly's had card board protection. Don't know what to think because the air filters I buy seem to be fake as well.

@irocracer3755

4 жыл бұрын

Martin Wilhelm possibly the dealer is getting parts off amazon. There are some parts that I can get cheaper off amazon than through my suppliers.

@tipstolevelupinlife5837

4 жыл бұрын

Ive called the manufacturer before on different things. these big companies often don't even know their product. I would test it out with an ohm meter. I think buddy overreacted and its close enough you would not notice a difference in a CRV and why wouldn't you go rutherium if you are that picky. Laser Iridium is not the best either.

@mbwilson2625

4 жыл бұрын

I think when in doubt, just call NGK.

@askaliu2943

4 жыл бұрын

i have never actually purchased a set of NGK spark plug (iridium or standards for my EK civic at least) that came with plastic protector thingy too, always been cardboard ones, and this is from local automotive shop, or directly from NGK website O_o

Very informative video. Please keep uploading the great videos like this one. Now I will buy from the local authorized dealer instead of Amazon.

I work for a motor factor in England and have just looked at our stock of NGK 6994 plugs. They were made in Japan with the same logos on the box as your Amazon plugs. I can safely say we do not sell fake stuff. So as others have said its doubtful yours are fake either. Simply made in a different factory.

Wow. Even this video is old, but I'm glad I came across this. I was recently looking into getting replacement plugs for my 2012 Civic with the NGK plugs as well. I would have never known. Thank you for the video.

Wholesale price is 9.20 each, so if amazon or ebay price is lower than this, pretty much you are getting a FAKE or knockoff.

@norman_sage2528

4 жыл бұрын

There are always different wholesale prices. Wholesalers are companies. Manufacturers price should be fairly constant unless there are closeouts because of assembly line retooling.

@stevenp3176

4 жыл бұрын

Ice Breaka Exactly. Not even worth the risk buying online.

I rather have the one made in Japan rather than the one made in USA. Japan made is more of a quality.

@user-jh6vt8vx4v

4 жыл бұрын

That is a myth... Japanese built Nissan car are still junk. Lol

@closeenoughmicron

4 жыл бұрын

Assembled in the usa vs made in japan. Id say the usa one is produced in japan and the fake one produced in china

@thedepartmentofredundancyd5160

4 жыл бұрын

But the "Japan" stamp on these plugs is a lie. It's a counterfeit. No quality assurance at all. Not worth the risk.

@user-xh1lr3yo3y

4 жыл бұрын

But the fakes are not made in Japan.

@griplimit

4 жыл бұрын

It doesn’t say made in America, it says assembled in America. Big difference, it could be it’s packaging was American.

Thanks for sharing this. People need to know how big of a risk buying items on Amazon can be. There are darn good reasons why Nike and Birkenstock won't do business directly with Amazon. Not only do they fail to police 3rd parties, but they sometimes commingle inventory between reputable sellers, counterfeiters, and their own inventory. No other retailer had been allowed to get away with the shenanigans Amazon seems to be able to get a pass on. Always buy from manufacturer authorized parties.

@nastysoda9212

8 ай бұрын

Rock Auto send me counterfits, 3 of the 4 for my impreza were chinese shit, confirmed by NGK customer support.

Heard that original R plugs would have consistent resistances as opposed to fake ones. Is this true

I had an experience with Denso Iridium this year, so be aware.

I now wonder if my knock sensor I bought off Amazon was a knock off. Thanks for sharing this.

@ForidKhan123

4 жыл бұрын

Egan Fo 🤦🏼‍♂️

@joshhudds5687

4 жыл бұрын

Jeez... Just purchased a knock sensor from rock auto for my honda... We all taking big risks buying parts from unknown warehouses...

It's about 4 years now i've stopped buying anything from amazon.. after receiving a couple counterfeit made items i called them quits

I've got a 2003 Ford Explorer Eddie Bauer 4.0 V6 RWD and I always thought that I should stay with original parts I do try my best to! I've really enjoyed your knowledge on your videos they truly help! Thank you!..Sincerely Mr. Fred Sanders

I I think it's because they are outside of the USA as I just bought a set from the local dealer in Malta EU and they have the carton cover instead of the plastic one you have and they have the EAC print on the box and they are made in Japan.

@toxictophat4194

4 жыл бұрын

I had both in my 6 set

I love getting stuff from rock auto love the pricing.

@nicholas_scott

4 жыл бұрын

Cameron Webb the main killer is the shipping, especially if your items are coming from different warehouses

@eriv4735

4 жыл бұрын

I bet you love the ridiculous shipping as well 😂

@eriv4735

4 жыл бұрын

You must love the high shipping cost as well

@eriv4735

4 жыл бұрын

Typical_podagee e you can tell who ACTUALLY uses rock auto 😂😂..they truly are garbage

@markrancourt5430

4 жыл бұрын

Yea, Rock sells economy parts for cheap. They also have decent parts. I have never gotten anything I didnt order...

Do they work perfectly?, are they damaging your engine?, are they cheaper?, if you are still concerned did you inform e-bay of this?

Thank you VERY MUCH for posting this info. 👍👍👍

Exact same thing happened to me with Bosch plugs, but I went ahead and installed them, with absolutely no issues. The built quality looked excellent.

@bEEBO178

Жыл бұрын

Until the electrode falls off in the combustion chamber and destroys the engine 🙄

@GadGetHackss

Жыл бұрын

@@bEEBO178 it wouldn't fall they just won't be as effecient as the originals

I didn't know fake spark plugs were a thing. I just figured my lc9 didn't like the NGK plugs. After buying oem plugs at the dealer it ran beautifully. It only took 6 months and your video to put together that the plugs might be counterfeit.

Thank you so much I'm just getting ready to buy some NGK spark plugs for my 98 Toyota 4Runner and I'll make sure and buy from a dealer in town instead of Amazon, that kind of scares me. thank you so much for that great video!

You didn’t buy these from Amazon. You bought them from a seller on Amazon that stocked the item in a Amazon warehouse so you can get prime shipping. In your screenshot it shows the seller is not Amazon.com but is incredible spark.

@CarsSimplified

4 жыл бұрын

Good catch! I suspected that would be the case, but missed it when it was on screen.

@DapimpBDSD

4 жыл бұрын

Amazon was just a better ebay, but its slowly been flooded by resellers and counterfeiters, which is sad because it will slowly cause distrust when ordering from amazon.com

@automotiveperformancemobil4030

4 жыл бұрын

I keep telling these people to stop blaming amazon themselves and Ebay. people need to learn to read their sources and the difference between manufacturer and VENDOR

@David9726100

4 жыл бұрын

@@automotiveperformancemobil4030 I agree people just need to read! There are so many bad reviews on Amazon from people not even knowing they bought it from a seller. Like this video for example. Amazon needs to do something to make it more obvious.

@visigoth2020

4 жыл бұрын

L J yes let them know that they are fakes, you’ll save lots of people a big headache give them a negative review, this guy will kill someone’s engine for profit, he is an assassin.

I bought mine from ngk and mine have cardboard at the ends . Erc at the side

I always read the descriptions of the items carefully. For instance this one says "Better Performance" and "Good Brand Name NGK" both of which aren't necessarily wrong, but just doesn't sound like someone who's first language is English wrote them. Also there is some strange capitalization like "This Item" in the first bullet about free shipping. It's subtle, but it can give you a clue that what you are buying is at least not coming from someone who cares if proper grammar, capitalization and punctuation are used in the item description. Also like you said, if it's too good to be true, it probably is.

There may be resistance through the spark plug. It would be interesting if there is a difference?

Is there a chance that fake spark plug won't work when you install them? Just curious.

Probably doesn’t have the correct material for the electrode!!!

@cardboardboxification

4 жыл бұрын

Iridium expensive.... China me no use iridium in spark plug

@dirkbonesteel

4 жыл бұрын

Exactly right. That's why they are different sizes, bigger is not better on these

@machtschnell7452

4 жыл бұрын

It also has poor ceramics which fall apart in the combustion chamber.

The electrode is thicker on the counterfeit. My guess is the material used is cheap or soft like copper. Since Iridium is $1500/oz, the real Iridium plugs have real thin electrode to save cost.

@cedriclynch

Жыл бұрын

The thin electrode on an iridium spark plug is not to save on the cost. A thin electrode is desirable in itself because it gives a better spark from which the flame spreads quicker and more reliably. Making the electrode from iridium or other precious metal allows it to be made thin without also making it burn away quickly.

Thanks for this video, I am in London England and I’ve been offered 6 of these plugs for ONLY £37.09p with free delivery, I thought this to be too good to be true, so I did research and your video has confirmed this, I can’t put fake plugs in my Lexus rx400h 2006 because they are extremely difficult to change because of engine furniture in the way, the only way to change them is to remove several bits of furniture, I’ll probably will be getting them changed by a patient mechanic 🤷‍♂️

This video explains why my Iridium plugs I bought on Ebay burned up in less than 20k miles. They were cheap "too good to be true" cheap, but me being super frugal, I bought them. I have two new ones still in boxes. I'll be checking them out looking for the tell tale signs. Thank you.

Eye opener! Thank you man!

Similar situation with oem honda sparks plugs from ebay .looked super legit ran in car and still had misfire codes.switched out to ngk from parts store no problems since.

@javierrodriguez-vo8yr

4 жыл бұрын

Same with our Hyundai.

by the time you get to talk to an expert, I've already driven 80 miles on my new plugs!

You have 4 plugs in each box. You showed us 1 from each box. Did you examine and compare all 4 in each box to see if each one showed the same differences? Also, the 2 loose ones (you said you bought 6 plugs from both places), did you compare those as well?

IDK how you could get fooled by the price. These are $10 for a single spark plug. There is no way in hell you would get them for half price!

The part you got at the parts store said assembled in the USA no telling where the parts came from. They might also have come from China or Japan.

I’m in the uk and mine doesn’t have IR on it it just has NGK and the part no# so is it fake ?

Makes me glad that I spent nearly $10 per plug at the Honda motorcycle dealership. They were the stock plugs. They looked perfect so they may not have needed replacement, but I picked the bike up last fall and don't know the maintenance. Very happy to have not purchased from Amazon.

Anyone, you or I can sell something on Amazon. Buying from Amazon does not mean quality.

@MadLadCustoms

4 жыл бұрын

True, but Automotive section is only available to licensed distributors. Not sure how these clowns got past this.

@pontiac411

4 жыл бұрын

There was a recent article done about the Dumpster Divers that sale trash on Amazon. www.msn.com/en-us/money/companies/you-might-be-buying-trash-on-amazon-literally/ar-BBY5y1A?fbclid=IwAR39GNAzp63r4Yi_HWlJ8L_3oqzYsKeNrWUFLAcD8Bu9EayHZjUWuhZ4w2E

@chrisphilhower6029

4 жыл бұрын

Or proper Fitment. I bought parts that actually fit on my vehicles. Amazon said no. And vise versa.

So pretty much I stand as good a chance on Alibaba as I do with Amazon. Great to know.

@davidrhelmick72

3 жыл бұрын

I have never ordered anything from the internet because I'm old school and honestly just not up to date on technology and method of payment.So what's alibaba?I seen that name when I looked at truck tires on line ,thank you for any response and advice if anyone respondes

Thanks for the info! You did many people a great service.

Did you test the resistance with a multi meter?