Sooo, a couple of days ago I wrote about the travesties that face us all when we get work done at professional car repair shop. Well, I wanted to give you all a closer look into the actual work that had to be done. The above picture is basically what my engine looks like. In order to change the spark plugs in my 1999 Nissan Maxima I had to first remove the black plate that has NISSAN written on it. It was only held in with 4 small hex head screws so that was simply enough. After removing that there were the 3 ignition coils attached above the spark plugs. I had to remove the two philips head screws that held each coil in place and then pry the connector off (which, believe it or not, was probably the hardest part of the whole procedure because I lacked the shear dexterity to remove the connectors). Then each ignition coil would just lift right out and I could remove the spark plugs beneath. For this step I required a standard ratchet with a socket and an extender between the two, I also used a long magnetic to pull the spark plug out once it was fully unscrewed. Below is a picture of one of the new spark plugs I installed and the older ones that I was pulling out after about 111,000 miles of wear and tear.

Well after repeating the procedure 2 more times I was done with the front spark plugs; now onto the back. The back spark plugs were still readily available the only problem was that I would have to physically reach to the furthest point in the back of the engine in order to take out the next three. I also had to loosen a bolt on a guard in order to pull the 8 inch ignition coils out. Other than that the procedure was very simple and straightforward. I made sure to replace all the screw, nuts, and bolts to their original places and I closed the hood making sure all of my tools were clear. At that point all I had to do was hook the diagnostic computer up to the car, hit 5 buttons and the check engine light went off.

A total of 2 hours of my life spent on this little project and I was able to save approximately $320, that’s an average of $160 an hour. HELL YEAH!!

So, in the end, if you can do it yourself, even if you need to consult the internet or your friends, a job done yourself is both very economical and incredibly satisfying.

Written by Partial Outcome

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