NEVER buy Champion plugs!

[yellow 07 sky]

So here it is.

I own two ecotec cars. One nitrous, one turbo. In the fall a 140 shot spelled the end of the plug in the number 3 cylinder. The motor is FULLY built. Luckily it only took out two exhaust valves and the two seats.

Tonight, driving my Sky. Hahn Stage 2. Something seems funny. Pull over. My buddy pulls in behind me. My sky, sounds like his STI. Pull the plugs. Plug 3 is missing most of the electrode and the grouns strap. they are melted out hollow. The first pic is from the side. Second pic is down inside the plug.





So I get it that these aren't stock, but they ARE 2 steps colder than the factory spec'd plug. And they are the factory replacement for a Dodge SRT-4. Seems a little odd that somewhere around 280 horse spells the end for those plugs, and both times on the same cylinder.

Every problem I've ever had with an ecotec, it's been the #3 cylinder. But my parts guy says stop using Champion. Just thought I'd warn everyone.

[GhostRL]

Were they coppers or platinums?

[yellow 07 sky]

They WERE copper....

[cfjara]

they work great on my mower. ...

[Jet Sky]

Originally Posted by cfjara

they work great on my mower. ...

Exactly! I have not used them in a car since an incident in 1983! Never had a plug problem since. I use OEM brand except if it's a champion (Mopars), if that is the case I go NGK. There are other issues besides the plug itself that can cause plug failure, one of them is severe detonation. I don't go for gimmick plugs (Disco Plugs) either!

[Sky Hi]

Looks like a case of severe detonation to me.
I've always had good experience running Champions in a wide range of engines, 4 stroke and 2 stroke.
If it were me, I'd go another range cooler on the plugs (any brand). If you go too cold, you'll just foul a plug with no damage done. Remember cooler means a smaller number with some brands, and a higher number on others.
Good luck in not repeating the problem.

[ooomph]

You might want to map your injectors. Don't be suprised if your #3 is running leaner than the others. Any flows with more than a 3% to 5% delta loss across the board should be replaced.

I've seen these plugs run 400+ whp in SRT4's, hard to believe that one cylinder being that lean without a vacuum or fuel insufficiency.

Injector cleaning/mapping usually runs about $25 per. They'll map each injectors flow rate & replace the o-rings to boot. Just food for thought.

[yellow 07 sky]

I was considering the injector mapping.... The plugs are as cold as they can get for this motor. and there was NO sign of it getting ready to go... On a plus side, I am getting a whole new motor..... Seems odd though that cylinder 3 seems to be the one that goes most often, and we think we've found the reason why.....

[redhotchillipepper]

Originally Posted by cfjara

they work great on my mower. ...

I was gonna say they are good for a weed eater or a mopar...but I have too much respect for the spark plugs to waste them on a Hemi!

[Jay_Sin]

Considering both failures happened on engines that were far from stock, I wouldn't so quickly blame the plugs. I really don't know what might have caused your issue, because I know nothing about your car other then you have a hahn stage 2. If the plugs are already a range or two colder then the stock 2.4 plugs, then I would check over everything to make sure you are not having a mechanical fueling problem. Then if you find nothing, I would start worrying about the tune.

[RedlineBlue]

I never liked Champions either. I had a Pontiac Astre (a Vega) with a 4 cylinder engine. This is no perfromance car by any means and would eat Champion plugs like crazy (electrode would be gone). Once I went to AC Delco I never had another plug get eaten by this car.