acdelco R43XLS sparkplug diagnosis

[Harry L.]

IMG_1111.JPGIMG_1113.JPGIMG_1110.JPGIMG_1110.JPGLooking for a diagnosis on my sparkplugs to see how my engine is burning. These plug are 3 years old

[Duke W.]

Re: acdelco R43XLS sparkplug diagnosis

Three possibilities:

Overly rich mixture
Oil consumption
Short trip driving

Duke

[Dick W.]

Re: acdelco R43XLS sparkplug diagnosis

Harry, does not look like much fouling due to oil or over rich fuel mixture. Actually probably pretty good for 43's as cold as they are. 45's are my plugs of choice on these old cars, had real good luck with them (or their equivalent) in many cars over the years.

[Larry M.]

Re: acdelco R43XLS sparkplug diagnosis

Harry, does not look like much fouling due to oil or over rich fuel mixture. Actually probably pretty good for 43's as cold as they are. 45's are my plugs of choice on these old cars, had real good luck with them (or their equivalent) in many cars over the years.

Agree with Dick.........change to 45 heat range. Duke has also been recommending this heat range for years for street driven cars. I made the change on my car about 5 years ago. Before that I would foul a set of 44 heat range plugs every few years. Haven't touched the 45 range plugs since I installed them.

Larry

[Patrick N.]

Re: acdelco R43XLS sparkplug diagnosis

Harry, out of curiosity, is your car hard to start?

[Harry L.]

Re: acdelco R43XLS sparkplug diagnosis

Thanks I agree that I drive short distances. I do not use any oil, so I will adjust my gas mixture and try 45xls sparkplugs. What is the story between projected vs non projected sparkplugs? Thanks, Dutch

[Dick W.]

Re: acdelco R43XLS sparkplug diagnosis

Extended tips self clean a little better (supposedly)

[Harry L.]

Re: acdelco R43XLS sparkplug diagnosis

Patrick, at a cold start, 3 pumps on the gas petal and I am ready to go, always an easy start. Dutch

[Duke W.]

Re: acdelco R43XLS sparkplug diagnosis

Three possibilities:

Overly rich mixture
Oil consumption
Short trip driving

Duke

We just had a thread on the R45XLS, and that's what I mistakingly read on this one, so the above doesn't apply. A proper heat range plug should show clean insulators - white to tan in color with no deposit build up. The carbon build up in the photos is due to the plugs being too cold, so AC heat range 5 or equivalent should be used. The photos are a good example of why the OE heat range was too cold.

In that other nearby thread I gave some cross references to the original non-resistor 43N (which was not extended tip) in a heat range equivalent to AC 5 in both non-extended and extended tip versions.

Duke

[Patrick N.]

Re: acdelco R43XLS sparkplug diagnosis

Patrick, at a cold start, 3 pumps on the gas petal and I am ready to go, always an easy start. Dutch

I ask because I experienced a hard start car in my past and the plugs where very similar to the ones you show, a little "ash" but otherwise looked good.

Best,
Pat

[Harry L.]

Re: acdelco R43XLS sparkplug diagnosis

Thanks, Dutch