Not a pretty sight is it.

The plugs are Splitfire triple platinum and are supposed to last forever. These have been in for a couple of years. The damaged plug has eroded back past the split in the electrode.

I'd been having an overboost problem whilst on the last 'ring trip but once I was back home the car developed a misfire. Took it to the local dealer who straight away said it would be plug damage due to poor quality European fuel. Well they were right, despite me using only 98/99 RON fuel whilst in France, Belgium and Germany.

I've probably done about 6000 miles in Europe in the last 2 years and would have probably left these plugs in another year. How many of us check the condition of our plugs even once a year?

Don't take any chances get your plugs checked between changes, this could have been very costly to put right.

[Edited by Andrew Timmins - 10/24/2001 10:46:20 PM]

 

Looks nasty -- good job you caught it when you did. What plugs have you put in now? Do you have any other mods? I'd be tempted to take it up with Splitfire, don't they have a lifetime guarantee?

 

Splitfires are just snake oil. You're much better off with something like NGK Platinums.

 

Brickboy,
The dealer fitted NGK Platinum which are the standard plug. I may take the plugs back to the shop I bought them from, just to see what they have to say.

I've had decent performance gains on other cars in the past by using multi-electrode plugs such as Bosch Super 4 so thought I'd give Splitfire a try. A friend on mine is a mechanic at a Vauxhall dealer and he says the consistancy of manufacture of Splitfire is terrible, if he takes 4 out of a car there is nearly always one burned out. Looks like a regular diet of NGK for my car now.

 

Try HKS/Denso Iridiums - they are very good and last well.

You can get them from BRD/Park Lane as well as other places.

Trout