Spark plug DIY at 100k 745i

I changed my plugs out last night...temp dropped a whopping 9 degrees from 102 to 93 in the garage from 7 to 10 pm. Needless to say that the heat made me angry...and my car hadn't been running for 24hrs!

Anyway, the job was a 6 on a 1 to 10 scale. The hardest part was reinstalling the front two coils on both sides (I have a '96 300ZX TT so I know all about working in tight spaces.) No give reinserting the coil packs between them and the brake lines on the P-side...had to work some magic. On the D-side, you DEFINITELY have to move the power steering reservoir to reinsert the first two coils...I tried not to and finally gave in.

Total time took me around 3 hrs. 80% was on the front four...the back were cake. I could do it again in around an hour but not on a hot Louisiana summer!

MEM

Originally Posted by starioncorrado

Thanks fro this post, I did it with in 45 minutes. It is as easy as 1,2,3 !!!!

you did it in 45 minutes and it took him 3 hours and was a 6 on a scale of 1-10? Was the 3 hour job a 760?

There may be some differences in the engine bay between model years but I doubt it. I like to take my time to work on first time projects and allotted 3hrs. I probably could have knocked it out on 2hrs or so if I rushed but those front four coils were a ******. Now, I could do it in 45 easy...and knock the rating down to a 3.

I advise everyone to give this DIY a shot. It is definitely worth it!

MEM

p.s. This was a horrible week in the entertainment world. RIP to Ed, Farrah, and MJ!

Judd,

In one of the pics posted it says you have to remove the power steering fluid and I guess power steering fluid container; is this true?

Originally Posted by rquedog1

Judd,

In one of the pics posted it says you have to remove the power steering fluid and I guess power steering fluid container; is this true?

No need to remove power steering fluid... The power steering reservoir has two nuts holding it in place. Once removed, you can lift the reservoir upwards (will take a bit of prying to get it over the bolt-ends) and then maneuver it out of the way so that you can get to plugs on the front-left side... You don't need to "remove" it, just let it sit off to the side.

i tried to change my plugs but was only able to change the first 3 on either side and the last 2 near the fire wall i couldn't get out. the coil itself when pulled upward was hitting my engine bay. i was like what the hec is this. so i only changed six and left the two rears.. which sucks.. i have an 03 745i and every1 seems to have changes all of theres successfully.. any suggestions fellas.. thanks.

Originally Posted by teejaylentz

No need to remove power steering fluid... The power steering reservoir has two nuts holding it in place. Once removed, you can lift the reservoir upwards (will take a bit of prying to get it over the bolt-ends) and then maneuver it out of the way so that you can get to plugs on the front-left side... You don't need to "remove" it, just let it sit off to the side.

Correct, you do not need to drain any fluid.

as for the back ones the coil should have plenty of room to be removed on the back ones. is the wiring disconnected?

yea man i disconnected the wiring and was able to pull the coil about 1/4 of the way up and baam it was right up against the engine bay with no room to maneuver. i will have to take a pic and post so u can see it for yourself bro.

I guess the different model years might have less room...??? Mine definitely had very limited space (hence the 3 hours it took me!)

For the coils themselves, I had to pull at an angle pretty roughly especially on the ones at the very very back... it didn't seem like it was going to come out, but if you keep pulling it should... However, that's not the end of it... given the limited space at the back, getting the spark plugs themselves out is a challenge...

You should buy a U-joint adapter for your socket wrench along with different-sized extensions - this will allow you to bend your wrench at an angle (not going straight in)... I would say it's pretty much a requirement for getting the back ones out. And use tape wrapped around to hold all the adapters together - last thing you want is to lose an adapter in a spark hole at the back of your engine and then have to get creative on how to get it out)...

The second problem I had was my spark plug holes had some oil in them (will get around to changing the valve cover gaskets one of these days!) which caused the rubber boots around a couple of the coils to get stuck in the hole seemingly from suction on the back of the boot (the coil came out, but the rubber boot didn't with it). I put the finger of a rubber glove over the coil and stuck it in the hole and it gave it enough friction to pop the boot out.

I did this DIY early this afternoon on a 2004 745i. Took close to 3 hours. The tight space was definitely a challenge. The coil boot closest to the firewall on the drivers side took close to an hour of wiggling, twisting and sore fingers before it popped out. Thanks to the OP for the post. I too used NGK #BKR6EIX plugs. $6.99 each.

My videos showing how to get the difficult spark plug boots out, and pictures showing the general process --> here.
 

Originally Posted by Keif

My videos showing how to get the difficult spark plug boots out, and pictures showing the general process --> here.
 

nice, very helpful will change mine soon

Thanks Keif, I actually had your videos up on my laptop in the garage when doing the spark plug change. Very helpful !

Thanks for the feedback guys!
 

Those videos were sweet Kief!

I did my 02 745i about two weeks ago. I think it took about 45 min.. If you take the factory number of the original plugs you can get them at Kragen Auto for about $8.00 ea. Much better than the dealer. Also the back two cylinders you have to move the plug boots back and forth to wiggle them out. This is a very easy DIY job don't waste your money with the dealer.

The taped extension method made this job tolerable. I made 2 - one with a smaller extension and swivel, and one with a slightly longer extension no swivel. Also had a 1 inch extension that came in real handy. Saved conservatively $400!!!

Here's some more photos from when I did mine if it helps:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?ai...7&l=5e43b4b45c

Yes - I did have oil in my plug holes . And no, I haven't changed out the seals (yet) . That's the next project on the list .

Well, I just completed my 200k spark plug change. the coils were stuck on the plugs quite hard and I think I broke all my fingers removing them but they came out. since my $2 plugs lasted 100k without any issues and were giving ~23.5mpg I decided to replace them with the same NGK G-Power Platinum Alloy Spark plugs (BKR6EGP)
they were about $2.70 each this time.
There is no oil in the spark plug holes or on the plugs, great news for a car with 195k miles!

I also used two different spark plug sockets. one with a rubber insert for taking out the plugs and one without a rubber insert to put on the plugs. this eliminated the step using the tape because the socket would not get stuck after torquing down the spark plug.

Anyone have a write up on the 760? I thought it should be a simple enough DIY, but finding out its not...

What part are you getting hung up on? Pictures?

After removing the center cover from the top of the motor, which just pops off, I removed a back plate that gave me complete access to the top of the air intake. Which had numerous amount of Torx screws in it. After removing all these screws and trying to gently pry the top of this off I was concerned about proceeding because I did not want to damage anything. Did I miss something here? Should it be that difficult to change the plugs?

Yep, TIS does say that you have to remove the intake manifold to replace the spark plugs on the 760's...crazy. Looks like it's pretty straight forward after that.

The attached file is from TIS, and is for a 2004 760Li (N73 engine).
 

Ah I see now, I was trying to remove the top part of the Intake. Not removing the throttle body connections and hoses.

What kind of spark plug would be best for the e66?
What kind are spark plug they sell at the dealer? They have told me its about $28 each.

NGK
Pulstar
Bosch
Denso
Champion

Thx