Hey guys,
I'm not the most mechanical of minded but im going to at least change my spark plugs on my '05 XC70. Can anyone tell me what tools I'll need to buy please and what are the best spark plugs. Apparently I'll need to set the plugs to the correct gap so if anyone knows what I'll need or has a good foolproof step by step guide that'd be much appreciated.

Cheers
Steve

 

A 3/8 drive, a 6 inch extension, and a 5/8 deep well socket. Also a 3/8 wobble extension is helpful if you don't have a good 5/8 spark plug socket, (it helps to keep the socket straight on the plug no matter the angle you have your drive and extension at, which helps one not crack or break the plugs insulator when tightening them). If the 5/8 deep well socket doesn't have a rubber boot to hold the spark plug in the socket, a magnetic pick-up tool would be helpful to lift each plug out. A cheap bottle of furniture polish from the dollar store like dollartree to clean the ignition coils and ignition coil boots. After cleaning the boot put a dap of dielectric grease on each boot end. For the spark plugs threads you can use a small bead line of anti seize, but I just spray the threads with my cheap furniture polish, which coats the threads just enough to keep the plug from ever seizing to the head. For plugs I personally use Bosch FR7DPP plugs as they run a little hotter, which promotes a cleaner burn. The reason I use Bosch FR7DPP plugs is they run hotter than the Volvo, NGK(s) or Denso plugs. After couple hundred miles, be sure to re-tighten your plugs one-time!

 

I may be wrong, but I never have to set the spark plug gap,just plugged and play. Any body say?

 

For the most part you do not have to if the plugs your using are per-gapped. It's always a good thing to check to make sure.

 

For the spark plugs; There are few companies made and supplied the spark plugs to all the car manufacturers, car companies don't make the spark plugs themselves, so you just go to auto parts stores and tell them your car made, MY and the engine, they will give you the one that work for your car, you don't have to buy OEM from the dealers to pay two-trhee times higher. The car companies might have the supplier to stamp their name or logos on the spark plugs that supplied tho them, but still the same spark plugs they made and sale on the market.