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Change Spark Plugs?


MichiganBob

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Good Afternoon All,

 

I have 34K on my 2012 1200RT. Going to check the valve clearances in the next week. I'm wondering what your thoughts are about replacing spark plugs while I'm at it. I used to change plugs regularly on earlier model Beemer's but with the new technology, is there a general mileage interval or should I just decide after a visual inspection? I was thinking that when I sold my Chevy Blazer with 132K, it never had or needed a tune-up so it was the original spark plugs. Perhaps the new electronics is not as hard on plugs. I'd appreciate your opinion and thanks.

 

Bob

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I change them every 12K miles as BMW recommends but they always look very clean and without wear and could go more miles. Maybe.

 

If the plugs have gone 34K miles, I would change them. Your Chevy had a lot beefier plug, didn't live in a 12:1 compression environment with higher revs.

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Good Afternoon All,

 

I have 34K on my 2012 1200RT. Going to check the valve clearances in the next week. I'm wondering what your thoughts are about replacing spark plugs while I'm at it. I used to change plugs regularly on earlier model Beemer's but with the new technology, is there a general mileage interval or should I just decide after a visual inspection? I was thinking that when I sold my Chevy Blazer with 132K, it never had or needed a tune-up so it was the original spark plugs. Perhaps the new electronics is not as hard on plugs. I'd appreciate your opinion and thanks.

 

Bob

 

Afternoon Bob

 

Sure you can go longer on the spark plugs just like for most riders you can go w-a-y longer between oil changes. BMW sets the specs for worst case for average riders.

 

Miles on spark plugs really is just a very rough measurement as it is really the number of sparks across the electrode gaps that matter. (mostly 6th gear riding gives more miles per spark & riding around in 2nd gear gives more sparks per mile). Running the engine without moving gives lots of sparks but no miles to gauge from.

 

On the BMW spark plugs, the electrode gaps are not adjustable (well not easily or recommended anyhow) so BMW puts a limit (based on normal usage) to hopefully have the rider change the spark plugs before the electrode gaps get so wide that they can cause stick coil damage.

 

If you use a round drill bit or pin gauge & measure your spark plug electrode gaps occasionally you could probably ride on the original plugs until max electrode gap is reached THEN change the spark plugs. OR, just replace them per BMW recommendations then not have to do all that measurement crap.

 

Plugs are cheap compared to new stick coils_

 

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You need a thin-walled spark plug socket to get in there that you can get at AutoZone for about $7. There is a thread somewhere about someone getting the socket stuck in the head so be careful about how you do the work. That would be a nightmare scenario.

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Good Day to You.

 

Thanks for the feedback. I'll get that thin walled socket. According to the BMW Boneyard folks, it's a NGK plug. Whatever happened to Bosch plugs. I'm surprised that they switched over. Of course I did, years ago.

 

Bob

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Fifteen bucks per spark plug. My-oh-my how things have changed.

 

 

Evening Bob

 

$12.06 & free shipping on Amazon. You can do probably do better than that if you shop around on the internet.

 

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Good Evening --

 

Ahhh Amazon -- they have worn a rut on the gravel road to my house. Will do and thanks. Found a thin walled 14MM at Auto Zone for 7 bucks, less than I paid for my omelette this morning. Why take a chance? I went to the Boneyard to find a BMW Cap Coil Puller Tube. The DVD I am following on the valve check recommended using one, even if a screwdriver might work. Once again, for 12.95, why take a chance? It's less than I paid for dinner the other night.

 

Bob

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Good Evening --

 

Ahhh Amazon -- they have worn a rut on the gravel road to my house. Will do and thanks. Found a thin walled 14MM at Auto Zone for 7 bucks, less than I paid for my omelette this morning. Why take a chance? I went to the Boneyard to find a BMW Cap Coil Puller Tube. The DVD I am following on the valve check recommended using one, even if a screwdriver might work. Once again, for 12.95, why take a chance? It's less than I paid for dinner the other night.

 

Bob

 

Evening Bob

 

To me a coil puller is not as safe as a couple of padded screwdrivers. Using a coil puller usually pops the coils loose with a sharp jumping action therefore you really should unplug the wire pigtails before pulling on the coils to prevent possible coil or connector damage. If not ultra careful the coil or the coil pigtail connectors can be damaged when disconnecting the coil connector plugs.

 

Using 2 padded screwdrivers usually unseats the coil very gently, slowly, & smoothly so the wire pigtails can be left connected if desired.

 

Personally, I have a number of coil pullers but prefer to use the padded screwdrivers as I feel coil removal is safer doing it that way.

 

You might also consider using a little spark plug boot silicone grease at reassembly as that not only seals the moisture out of the coil to spark plug porcelain area but makes coil removal MUCH EASIER the next time.

 

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Evening DR,

 

I'm getting excited about getting to know this bike better. All I've done is ride it.

 

On the DVD I am following, they show lifting the tab release and removing the coil wire. It seems so simple in the DVD.

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Evening DR,

 

I'm getting excited about getting to know this bike better. All I've done is ride it.

 

On the DVD I am following, they show lifting the tab release and removing the coil wire. It seems so simple in the DVD.

 

Evening Bob

 

Yes, it looks easy & basically is easy, well that is right up to the point that the connector or the coil breaks. If the tab lifts without breaking & you can hold it up during connector removal, & the connector pulls out without breaking (or a wire pulling out of the connector) then you are home free. As the coil & connector gets older & the heating cycles increase then the chance of breakage goes up.

 

I haven't actually broken one myself (but I seldom use a dedicated coil puller & usually leave the wiring attached) but I have repaired more than a few for others that have damaged theirs (I wasn't there watching them break it so not exactly sure how they damaged it to begin with).

 

If you do use a coil puller then you probably should release the tab & carefully unseat the connector & carefully pull it free. If the connector removal feels like you could damage it when removing then you might be better off stopping then using the 2 screwdrivers & leave the wiring attached.

 

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Found a thin walled 14MM at Auto Zone for 7 bucks, less than I paid for my omelette this morning. Why take a chance? I went to the Boneyard to find a BMW Cap Coil Puller Tube. The DVD I am following on the valve check recommended using one, even if a screwdriver might work. Once again, for 12.95, why take a chance? It's less than I paid for dinner the other night.

 

Bob

 

I bought coil puller from BB. Inexpensive and works great. If you're careful about how you do it it's just as safe and careful as using of a pair of screwdrivers. It's in my on-bike toolkit.

 

Evening DR,

 

I'm getting excited about getting to know this bike better. All I've done is ride it.

 

On the DVD I am following, they show lifting the tab release and removing the coil wire. It seems so simple in the DVD.

 

I really like working on this bike. There's a video on YouTube by MaxBMW describing how, and what sequence, to remove the bodywork. That's something that seems tricky and tedious at first but after a couple of times you can strip and reinstall it all (not the tail section as that rarely need to be removed) in 10 minutes.

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freetime2247

NGK says their spark plugs are good for many more miles than BMW recommends for replacement. After pulling and visually checking mine at the recommended interval or 12.5K, they appeared in great shape so I reinstalled and will visually check again at the next annual maintenance.

If your plugs were becoming unserviceable wouldn't your gas mileage become noticeably less or the bike throw a code? How about a spark plug tester similar to the one used for aircraft spark plugs?

 

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Good Morning,

 

I'm going to change them. Amazon will hook me up for less than 50 bucks. So the new ones should be good for a year of two. Now for the math. Fifty bucks buys dinner out for my family as long as the grandkids don't come. It's a nice bottle of bourbon or a box of cigars. See how easy it is folks.

 

Have a great day.

 

Bob

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When I had a camhead RT, I adjusted a set of plugs to the minimum gap. 12,000 miles later, they were at the maximum gap. The center electrode had worn a noticeable amount.

 

The replacement interval was 12,000 miles. I replaced mine yearly or 12,000miles, which ever came first.

 

Edited by BrianM
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I picked up a 2013 RT in September with 20k miles and am trying to figure out what maintenance might have been done from the previous owner (I bought from a dealer). Any thoughts? Is there a way to tell if the plugs were replaced or still original?

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I picked up a 2013 RT in September with 20k miles and am trying to figure out what maintenance might have been done from the previous owner (I bought from a dealer). Any thoughts? Is there a way to tell if the plugs were replaced or still original?

 

Afternoon Danno11

 

If the spark plugs are OEM & installed with care then no way to really know if they were changed or not.

 

You could remove the plugs & use a small drill bit or pin gauge to measure the electrode gaps then judge from that (if still near minimum gap then you should be good to go for quite a while yet). Just looking at them doesn't tell you much unless they are really worn on the center or side electrodes.

 

Or, just replace the darn things now so you have a known mileage replacement to begin with, then keep your own records from there.

 

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Thanks dirtrider. I'll probably perform all the maintenance activities like they had not been performed for some peace of mind when I am 1000 miles from home.

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Good idea Danno11 and welcome to the board. Cheap insurance compared to what something might cause later on. I'm not sure what years have faulty handlebar switches. Mine is a 2012 and was part of the recall (which BMW likes to call a campaign). My year was prone to failure, like not starting and the high beam was a bear to operate. I brought the bike used but it showed in the BMW database that the switches were never changed so my dealer took complete care of it. I could not believe what the out of pocket cost would have been, about a thousand bucks so you may want to look into if the 2013 is part of the campaign, and if so, if the switches were already upgraded.

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Good Late Evening. Getting ready to check valves when the garage warms up to zero. Question DR. Padded screw drivers to remove spark plug caps? Simply tape the tip and blade with some electrical tape before I lightly pry on it from both sides?  Thanks. Brrrr.

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8 hours ago, MichiganBob said:

Good Late Evening. Getting ready to check valves when the garage warms up to zero. Question DR. Padded screw drivers to remove spark plug caps? Simply tape the tip and blade with some electrical tape before I lightly pry on it from both sides?  Thanks. Brrrr.

 

Morning Bob

 

No, not the tips as you want the tips (blades) nice & square,  tape the sides where they contact the valve cover to prevent marring the valve covers, personally I just use an old credit card cut in half then bent to 90° ("L" shaped") as protection if using regular screwdrivers.

 

I also have a dedicated  set of 2 square shank screwdrivers that have a double layer of heat shrink over the shanks in the valve cover contact area & those are used ONLY for coil removal.

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  • 2 months later...

It's interesting (to me) to note that when the Hexhead became the Camhead, BMW needed to fit smaller spark plugs.  16mm wrench to 14 mm wrench.

 

At that point, spark plug change interval went from 24K miles to 12K miles.

 

Makes sense ... less material to start with.

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33 minutes ago, lkchris said:

It's interesting (to me) to note that when the Hexhead became the Camhead, BMW needed to fit smaller spark plugs.  16mm wrench to 14 mm wrench.

 

At that point, spark plug change interval went from 24K miles to 12K miles.

 

Makes sense ... less material to start with.

 

 

Morning Kent

 

What do you have showing a 12,000 miles for camhead spark plug replacement?  

 

My (not so recent)  tec sheets still show 40,000KM  (24K miles) on the camhead spark plugs with I believe a 20,000KM (12K miles) inspection but 40,000KM change interval.  

 

 

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