Guys please help me, I just picked up an Evo 8 the other day and wanted to do some general maintenance on the car. I just purchased some new iridium spark plugs and wanted to swap plugs. I pulled the old ones out (they didn't even look too bad) and swapped the new ones in. Torqued to 21 ft/lbs and went to start the car....and it smells of fuel and sounds like a Subaru!!!! I went over all the work I just did and found NOTHING wrong. So I re-installed them again to the same results. I even swapped my old plugs back in and the car STILL is running rough. I noticed a little plume of gassy smelling smoke coming from the first cylinder. I did everything the way it was supposed to be done and CAN NOT figure this out. I was really looking forward to some plans I had tomm and using my car for them, I really need this taken care of ASAP!!!

Can it be the coil packs?? I don't know what I could have done wrong, why is my car running like this?? I've done spark plugs in an Evo before and it was easy and had no issues! Why is it now giving me problems?? Any light shed on this is GREATLY appreciated.

 

Double check all your connections (2, 1 on each end of the valve cover, that plugs into each coil pack) and make sure the two spark plug boots are securely on each spark plug...the two that are not screwed down to the valve cover. I would even put some dielectric grease on each boot opening if you have it handy.

You don't need to be using the more expensive iridium plugs...what did you have in there before?

I use the NGK BPR7ES gapped to .026 and run just fine with my basic mods (in my sig) on CA 91 Octane.

 

I think the coil packs are wrong, firing wrong cylinders. Cycle is 2&3, 1&4 not anything else.

 

start the car and start pulling coils out to see if the sound changes, if you pull one out and nothing changes then you found the culprit plug/coil.

 

Maybe the wires are on wrong, it has happened to other members before.

Should be like pictured.

Good luck

 

^^ use picture above.you see grey connector?chek these on both coil packs.

 

I had some iridiums in my 8 and it hated them, broke up under any boost and ran like junk. Went back to BR8ES coppers and car is great.

 

Similar thing happened to me on my 03 awhile back. It was the wires. Make sure they're properly connected and if that doesn't help check each for spark.

 

What are the chances you got plugs for an IX ?

 

Thank you guys for the feedback! it is really greatly appreciated!

As for the car, I got it running good now. First issue was my fault, I had it wired wrong until I saw the pic (thanks btw). Next issue was, I was sold the WRONG plugs!! Once I got it set-up right, the car still ran pretty bad. Compared plugs and they are deff. different than the ones that came out...ahhh.

 

Did you use dielectric grease on the boot? The spark can arc through an old boot and cause it to run bad. Just dab some on your finger or a small screwdriver and ring it around the inside of the boot.

Also, I had no luck with copper, I put in NGK BPR7ES.

 

What plugs came out of the car & what are the new ones?

Make sure you gap your plugs correctly.

The NGK BPR7ES is a copper plug. Not sure if you were refering to it as the problem or solution.

Don't know why you guys are having issues, I prefer the NGK Non-Resistor lineup myself.

 

Push down FIRMLY on the coil packs. They have to snap in.

 

(A) Make sure they are gapped correctly. Hopefully you didn't just pull them out the box thinking they would be gapped.
(B) Dielectric grease on the boot
(C) Make sure you plugged the coils into the proper cylinder
(D) Make sure the coils are seeded correctly

 

Guys he got it, read post #10