Prius c spark change plug

thank you. between this and a youtube video i got it done today. Mine were last (first) changed at 193k kms.

that was about 140k ago. So these are what the plugs looked like for me after 140k kms on them. Previous owner did lots of highway. They dont look that bad to me. Engine seemed a bit more happy (smooth) on test drive but could be psychosomatic.

hope it helps someone.

 

I just did my spark plug change today.
They are a bit rich... I am experiencing better and smoother accelerations after putting some NGK Iridium BKR5EIX-11 in them. Smoother engine all together.
My Prius C is 2013 with 70k km, I suspect they never changed the spark plugs. I am considering ordering some coils next to get those swapped out too.
The weather in Taiwan is tropics so during summer months these car could be idling for hours on a day keeping the air condition running.
After a while i will pull my new NGK to have a inspection.

 

I suggest some injector cleaner. Injectors might be leaking a bit.

 

Well considering the spark plugs don't get changed until after 100km per the maintenance schedule, I doubt they've changed them, either.

 

Yes you're very correct! I considered the mileage regarding the maintenance intervals for spark plugs. But then I factored in the climate and the use of the previous owner which I know for sure have this vehicle sitting at idle, this previous set of spark plugs must have seen a lot of engine run regardless of mileage.

So far so good regarding the engine performance after the change. I'm looking forward to get some ignition coils. I will also pull the plugs in one month's time to see if the fowling is still happening with the installation of the new coils.

 

My Prius C engine barely ever runs when it is stopped in traffic....that is why it is a hybrid, so at 'idling' the gas engine usually doesn't run, so spark plugs still don't get changed until 100,000 miles or 160,00 kms

Z6201V ?

 

Not sure I understand your logic.
No vehicle ever made adds "miles" to the odometer when it is not moving.
A hybrid is no different.

AND.....spark plugs can seize if left in too long.
I would have mine changed around 6 years no matter what the mileage.
The cost isn't THAT much.

 

Put one more zero in the kms and you’ve got it.
There’s also a time component: 12 years (whichever comes first).

 

My original denzo was about 7 years old I believe. Car manufacturer says they built it 2013, so they were a bit out there. Hybrids here do see a lot of stand still engine cranking to feed the AC in the summer. I'm happy I swapped those out and put some NGK in. I also changed the ignition coils. Car run very smooth and pulls strong when I punch it.
Recently my K&N filter needed a clean, the black spark plugs were even causing some misfires with the new NGK i put in.
All my K&N never needed a clean so soon, this one i used it for less then 20k km. I think the moisture and dust really plugged up the pores.

Now no more misfire and happy bunny!

 

I think my Denzo are still good, I think the air filter was the main cause for my black plugs and misfire. I'll keep my old plugs and coils as spare parts.

 

No intention to start an argument, just wonder if the early change is necessary...

Toyota regular cars (such as Corolla) with the same type of spark plugs call for 12 years / 120k miles schedule. Since a Prius C doesn't run the ICE continuously, it seems reasonable to extend that mileage a bit.

12 years / 150k miles make sense?

 

Not at all PriusII&C!

I had the idea to change them because of the following reason for your reference.
In Taiwan we tend to sit a lot in traffic, our average speed is about 15km/h on a good day. The traffic lights are as long as 1.5 minutes up to 2.5 minutes. All vehicles in Taiwan spend a lot of time idling in traffic, this condition applies to hybrids also since a lot of owners use the vehicles as a mobile air condition cabin. My wife uses this function when I take my daughter sailing, she will spend the whole day on the shore with the air condition running and chilling in the back seat with the air matrass deployed.

Our Prius C has a registered mileage at about 80k km from the past 8 years, i would multiply 80k km by at least 1.5 to account for the idle running minus the hybrid system which do not run the ICE continuously. This puts the vehicle roughly near to the changing of the spark plugs and coils. This is always the case for tropical country vehicles with very high density population.
The used vehicle idling hours is also unpredictable with vehicle age and mileage alone.
After we changed the coils and spark plugs the car ran very smooth on pickup and also on high revving hill climbs.

 

Maybe.
Early in the age of extended life plugs, some engines tended to have the plugs SEIZE in the hole so that the heads had to come off to fix that problem.
I don't know the exact cause but the use of "anti-sieze" compound became a strong recommendation.

Changing them at about half the recommended interval is not a bad thing to do either.......if for no other reason than "reading" the old plugs can give you an idea of how healthy the engine is.

 

Wow, that's a lot of idling. By 12 years / 150k miles, I refer to average driving conditions in USA with reference to the manufacturer-recommended-interval for conventional ICE engines.

Of course, driving habit and conditions vary significantly from one person to another. As long as you feel engine performance improvement, it warrants the change.

 

second that.

Maybe impolite to comment, but this sort of vehicle usage, basically an environmental bubble burning fossil fuels, bugs me.

 

I don't see it as being any different than people who camp in the Prius and leave the heat or a/c on all night, but maybe that bugs you too.

The ICE only turns on to recharge the battery a few times every hour, for a few minutes, so how much fossil fuel is burning in these scenarios?

 

When you got to burn to stay cool... what can you do... I also see those big V6 Alphard sitting at idle waiting for the boss or customers to show up, most of the time the drivers nap in them waiting for the next client or for the boss to come back from meeting the affair.
They have to keep the cabin ice cold since clients jump in from the office buildings to get out of the heat on the way.
This is why we still have a bit of C19 being so hot in the summer. People catch flue and other stuff in the cold air condition rooms all day.

 

I guess i bristle, say when sitting outside with a tea at a cafe, near all these running cars, AC compressors cycling on/off, pumping out the heat. Just funny that way.

 

Right on! Thus no one ever sits outside. I found that strange when I moved to Taiwan from Canada. Quickly learned my lesson.
It can get as hot as 40 degrees when the weather prediction is 30+. I say with a lot of confidence for heat stress test on parts give it to a Taipei taxi driver to test. If it survives 2 years... that part will not fail in 5 years of normal use.

 

I’ve notice it gets significantly hotter in zones with expanses of black asphalt and mirrored store windows.