code4aliving

I've got a 2000 Chrysler Town and Country 3.8L LXi van with 165,000 miles on it. It burns very little oil (like 1/4 quart in 4 months of fairly regular driving, 12k/year). I'm wondering what the experts think the best brand and type of spark plug should be used for this car.

Changing spark plugs on this beast is a complete hassle. The last time I did it, it took 9 hours (which included 2 hours of hunting down tools that the kids had "misplaced"). To get to the back 3 plugs, it involves removing the windshield wiper tray, alternator, intake plenum, and a bunch of other stuff (wires, hoses, etc). Because it is so difficult to change these plugs, I want to get it right. I'm also going to change the spark plug wires.

Does anyone have any strong feelings on what the proper brand of plugs is that I should use for my T&C, and the type? I know that platinum or iridium have a longer lifetime, which is a plus because changing the plugs in this thing is such a pain, but I want to do it right. If copper is truly the way to go, that's cool. Hopefully someone out there has suffered picking the "wrong" plug for this car, so that I won't have to repeat the same mistake(s).

Thanks for your time. Please post more than 3 words:)

I've got a nice little 1988 Ford Festiva, 1.3L, engine type CVH. This car has a mechanical fuel pump, and is carbureted. There's no gas in the oil, no coolant in the oil, and no oil in the coolant. Exhaust plume looks fine. I changed the distributor and coil this summer, and the fuel filter in September.

I'd like to get the opinion of the real gearheads in here. About three months ago my Festiva started having trouble going up hills. I'd floor it, but could only maintain about 60MPH. It was acting as if the 2nd barrel wasn't kicking in. So I threw a bottle of Lucas Injector/Carb cleaner in the gas, and within 5 miles of driving it started driving perfectly. For a couple of months.

Then the other day, I was driving to work - going up a hill, and I started to lose power. The power finally dwindled to the point where I was going 10 miles per hour. I pulled over to the side, and had trouble keeping it running. It acted like it was missing. I would floor it, and it wouldn't get above 1.5K RPM. I shut it off for a minute, turned it back on, and voila - it worked somewhat better (still weak) and I limped to a local convenience store. I bought a random bottle of injector/carb cleaner, put it in, and started home. Within about 3 miles of the convenience store, it acted like its normal self. I went out to test drive it tonight, and it has full power.

I WISH I had smelled the exhaust when this failure occurred -- but I could never keep it running long enough to get back there and check. It was windy, so I could never get a whiff. It would have been NICE to know if it smelled gassy or not.

Anyway, I'd like to ask you guys your opinion about what it might be. I'll start with what I think is most likely, and please let me know what you think.

- Fuel filter. You would think so, but I just changed it in September. Who knows, maybe junk from the gas tank mucked it up. This is an old car, after all. Maybe the injector cleaner helps break up the muck and makes me go for another few months.

- Carb needs rebuilt. Jets maybe are filthy.

- Fuel pump. Remember, this is a mechanical fuel pump. Could it be so gunked up that the injector carb/cleaner helped it out?

- Crap in the gas tank -- muck from the gas tank is plugging up the fuel line inlet. The injector cleaner scrubs some of it away, and I'm good for a while.

- Gas line that is sucking air. This doesn't seem likely - I can't explain why injector/carb cleaner would help this for a couple of months afterwards.

Anyway, I appreciate your feedback.