Honda Element Owners Club banner

How do i change spark plugs on 03 element?

39K views 59 replies 37 participants last post by  Elemental Guy 
#1 · (Edited)
Spark plugs changed on 03 element

i have been working on cars for years but i have never changed spark plugs on a direct injected engine/coil pack ignition.but i figure principal is the same :D
i have my element since 03 when it was brand new and it is got 55000 miles now but i have never replaced spark plugs yet.

i went ahead and got denzo spark plugs instead of NGK from my local auto parts store. just personal preferences

first step.i removed the spark plug cover by removing 4 10mm bolts.
and then removed another 2 10mm bolts that holding the spark plug wire connector.
disconnected each moduel to the spark plug wires.
and man those spark plug wire sockets are deep.
and i removed 4 sparks plugs

as you can see in the pictures,they are worn.side by side comparison.
i applied some anti-seized paste on the new plugs.
installation is the reverse of removal. :D
test drive around the neighborhood and it runs good. :lol:
nice and easy.took me about 30 mins to finish the whole job.and by the way dont forget to adjust your throttle cables on your early model elements.it does make a lot of differences.
enjoy the pics below.

and oh.i painted the plastic covers red a couple years ago and they still look good.no peeling or fading yet. :D







 
See less See more
4
#5 ·
Are there any special tools that are needed for changing the spark plugs in the Element?
 
#7 ·
Once again EOC you have schooled me...here I was thinking it'd be just a plug and play for the plugs and you throw in throttle cable adjustment...LOVE THIS SITE!!!:D
 
#10 ·
I used a spark plug socket with a rubber piece in it, the rubber piece kept coming off on the new plug down in the head, my extra long needle nose couldn't grab it...so I grabbed a section of hose, thanks for the tip, stuck the plug in the hose and started threading with that set up, tightened with socket sans rubber bit...all is good.
Def regap plugs, mine were all at .030 out of the box.


As for the Bosch comments...I have only seen problems with the Plus4 platinums on older high mileage vehicles...people use to think I was the psychic parts guy..."How did you know I put those in my Vanagon 2,000 miles ago?" I love their Silvers ie Silber on the package. Just my two cents...for what it's worth.
 
#13 ·
nah i just thought it was specialized tool.... for the tubing.. i like having toys for my car...

I 've change plugs before and it isn't so hard.. i just thought it was some fancy method that i wasn't aware of...

i just use a sparkplug socket with the rubber end, i hand screw the new plug, set the torque at 13lbs...

i like the pics....
 
#19 · (Edited)
confused...

Sorry, but why would you have to 'adjust throttle cables' at all when replacing spark plugs?
Is this just a 'because I'm there already' maintenance issue?

I just replaced my plugs yesterday, no problems AT ALL thanks to this site!

However, I'm still having part of the problem that caused me to replace the plugs in the first place...rough idle caused by misfire. I bought an OBD-II code reader and it threw codes for 'random misfire' and misfire on several different cylinders. As old plugs could be part of the problem and I was at 109,150 miles anyhow which is when the plugs are recommended to be changed (110K) I went ahead...
After plugs replaced, I still get misfire but ONLY on Cylinder 1

I realize I've continued with a separate problem than the first question I had...sorry just getting used to how to post to these forums and it's a bit confusing....
If anyone can point me in the right direction to the correct thread for misfires, I'd appreciate it.
 
#20 ·
Welcome, Awadek.

I don't think Dohcvtec meant that throttle adjustment was related to a plug change, but rather as you said, a "while you're under the hood" kind of thing.

For more on your issue, try search term "misfire" or the trouble code (P0300?). The coil on that cylinder is one possible culprit.
 
#29 ·
Thanks to the OP for putting up this thread and to all who added various tips.

With your help I got my plugs changed this AM. The mileage is around 125,000 so I'm a little late to the party. My plugs looked like the worn ones shown just above.

I was a little concerned about all the talk of 3/8 tubing and cross threading but I found a technique that worked perfectly. The key to its success was a spark plug socket with the rubber retainer inside. I know some sockets don't seem well mated to their rubber plug retainers but when I tested mine the rubber stayed in place. Test yours by inserting a plug all the way in then pull it out. If the rubber comes out with it you need to fix that first. Maybe a little flexible adhesive or rubber cement.

To minimize the chance of losing the rubber down inside the engine I inserted the new plug just far enough for the rubber to engage the top of the plug--just barely but enough to keep the plug from falling out.

I do not believe it is likely you will cross thread the plugs. The space is so narrow and tall that thread alignment seemed automatic. Of course I did all the early turns by hand, just spinning the socket extension between my fingers.

I struggled a little to get the wire connectors disconnected from those long black things until I thought to use an oversized slotted screwdriver to get them started. You press on the release tab, with your thumb, with the screwdriver slipped in between the plug and the top of the black thing. Then twist the driver just a little to get things started. Once it has moved about 1/8 inch it's pretty simple to pull them off the rest of the way.

One more tip I will pass on is this: to minimize the possibility of getting trash down in the holes, pull and replace one plug at a time. Leave the long black things (coils?) in place until you are ready for that particular plug, then replace and reconnect everything before moving to the next plug.
 
#35 ·
Finally got around to changing the plugs last month and now I'm getting terrible mpg. 13 - 15 around town. Here's the back story. I purchased a torque wrench from Harbor Freight for the job and after several attempts, couldn't get it to click. So using info from the forum, I did the job by feel. After checking mileage, I immediately knew something was wrong. Went to Autozone, borrowed a (faulty) torque wrench and repeated the process. After not getting it to work, again I did it the old fashioned way by feel only this time a little tighter than "hand tight then quarter turn". I know what you're thinking, "this guy doesn't know how to use a torque wrench". However, the guy at autozone couldn't get it to work correctly when I returned it to them. So, after I re-installed plugs my mileage was back up to normal. Now, a few tanks later, I'm getting 15mpg around town. What gives? Improper tightening and compression leaking? Maybe someone is stealing my gas! I've come up with several scenarios in my head. Maybe someone else has a theory?
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top