Tuesday, October 25, 2011

I have a 2000 Plymoth Neon and I was wondering how hard was it to change the spark plug and wires?

I'm trying to do this for the first time. I'm not sure how to go about it so if anybody can give me some ideas on whether this is better to take to a mechanic or is it actually possible for me to do on my own would be appreciated. Thanks alot. :)
I have a 2000 Plymoth Neon and I was wondering how hard was it to change the spark plug and wires?
Very easy to do yourself and even though it is cheap, you can still save about $50. First off go to an autoparts store and buy 4 spark plugs and the wires. Tell them what kind of car you have and they will get you what you need. If you don't have a tool set you will also need to buy a ratchet, 6%26quot; extension, and spark plug socket. You should really get an extension that will lock to the socket so that you dont get the socket stuck down the spark plug well. They will also be able to tell you what size spark plug socket you need. A spark plug socket looks just like a regular deep socket, but it has rubber inside to cusion the pocelin and help to keep you from breaking it. You will also need a spark plug gapper tool.

Now open your hood. Remove the first spark plug wire from the spark plug. It may be stuck on so be careful. Since you are replacing the wires as well it doesn't really matter, but usually you want to make sure that you pull from the rubber boot that fits over the plug and not the wire. If you pull from the wire you can pull the wire out of the boot and ruin the wire. Now put the socket and extension into the well and turn it until you feel the socket fit over the plug. Attach the ratchet and turn counter clockwise until you feel no more resistance and the plug can pull out. If the plug keeps falling out of the socket you can stick the boot back in the well and pull the plug out with that.

Next you will want to take out a new plug and gap it according to the specifications for your car. If you look on the underside of your hood you should find several stickers. One will tell you the proper spark plug gap. The gap refers to the space between the electrode of the plug and the metal above it. Most new plugs come pre-gapped, but I still like to double check. Now just put the plug back in the hole and tighten it up. Start tightening it without the ratchet to make sure that you don't cross thread it. It should go in very easy with no force for a few turns. When you are removing the plug and putting it back in make sure that the extension is perpendicular to the engine head. If you move it around from side to side you can break the spark plug because the body is made of porcelin (very fragile).

When the plug is back in follow the spark plug wire to the distributor and unplug it at that end. Now take out your new wires and find the one that is the same length and plug it into the distributor and the spark plug. Repeat for the other 3 cylinders.

Good luck with your project and thanks for not being lazy. OHC 4-cylinder engines are very easy to change plugs and wires because all the plugs are right on top of the engine and it is easy to get to them all.
I have a 2000 Plymoth Neon and I was wondering how hard was it to change the spark plug and wires?
you can totally do it yourself, but it's a cheap operation, I'd go with a pro
It's easy to do with mechanical knowledge. Without, I would let a shop do it.
I would check on Auto Tips . com possibly you can post your question. I myself see no problem in doing this---just be sure to do a plug/wire at a time--and do not forget to set the gap! Hope this helps you!