In a message dated 9/28/00 2:04:18 PM Central Daylight Time, WSpohn4@aol.com
writes:
> only thing that doesn't have the tip blown off in quick order on my street
> driver, a turbo Fiero, is Bosch Platinum, which last 60,000 km
When I saw the original post, I asked around about this. General consensus
seems to be quality control problems and not design problems may be to blame
for the Bosch complaints.
Friend who teaches auto emissions systems at a local tech college says
platinum tips were designed for new cars that claim to go 100,000 miles
between tune-ups in newer lean burn, hotter running engines. Heat and minor
fouling should not be a problem for platinum tips. He would not say anything
bad about the Bosch plugs. Two people who use them regularly said that, in
the last few months, some sets last forever, some last a short time.
I had thought of putting them in 71 Midget. Trying to get to a long lasting,
dependable ignition setup (keep the laughter to a low roar, please) on it as
my daughter uses it almost every day in good weather. The VB catalog has
them with a special gaping tool. VB catalog claims you will not get the
right gap without the tool. No one I talked to uses a special gapping tool.
Could incorrect gap have something to do with the problem? Or just bad Q C
at Bosch?
The concept must be good as I unintentionally ran a set of someone's platinum
tips in my wife's V-6 Explorer over 90,000 miles before it got really hard to
start (Pepboys store charged for a tune-up and didn't put in new plugs when
I was on the road). Running Champions in the Midget now because the parts
store had Champion and Bosch Platinum the evening I changed them. I could
tell the parts counter guy really did not want to sell the Bosch. Must have
had some complaints. Probably go to NGKs when I change next time. NGKs
definitely start better and run longer in my two stroke Stihl, Husqvarna and
Echo engines. The 15,500 RPM Husky 346 and two very old, slow 090 Stihls
will go through a plug faster than anything I have. NGKs last eight to ten
days. Champions last one or two days.
Alex H.
71 Midget
Tulsa, OK
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