Repairs Still Necessary?

[1UZ-FE]

i've always gotten between 12 and 14 MPG (city) and i was thinking about doing plugs, wires, and cleaning my throttle body. i recently drove to california from the east coast and got 25 MPG. does that prove that all that work really doesn't need to be done and that city driving just kills MPG or does it prove nothing at all? you may say that all that work really isn't much work at all but i am poor and cant afford $80 in plugs and $140 in wires. a little help plz?

[VMF]

well sometimes it needs to be done! plugs burn out completely after 60k miles and wires needs to be changed every 120k as well as rotors and caps and timing belt. these cars will last forever if properly maintained.

[1UZ-FE]

just wondering for the sake of gas milage. know the intervals but i dont know when they were last done. all i need is opinions on whether or not doing this work will improve MPG.

[VMF]

nope, it wont, at least it didnt in my case but performance improved.

[blake918]

nope, it wont, at least it didnt in my case but performance improved.

Same here...my LS ran better, but no fuel mileage increase. My car was so used to the old, origional plugs and wires that when I started the car for the first time after I put the new wires, rotors, caps, and plugs in the check engine light came on for a few days...it went out as it adjusted to the new igniton componets. I was still getting about 18-18.5 mpg in the city on the orgional wires(they had 1995 stamped on them! 225k miles they still worked pretty decently...pretty darn good!) and from the looks of things the origional plugs too.

What are your driving habits around town? Agressive, relaxed, etc??? I changed my gas pedal habits and picked up 3 mpg in the city!

[blake918]

1UZFE, what year is your rig? Mileage? Any service history that you know of?? That is awful weird that you get specified mpg on the highway but not in the city!

[tansupplyman]

Suggest when you change plugs that you install double-platinum plugs---[on the anode and cathode]. Then you won't have to change plugs but every 100k, but yes they cost more.

This should apply to anything that it takes 2hrs+ to change plugs--F150's, vans, Northstars, etc---

FYI: a dealer charges $100. to change the plugs on the back bank of a Northstar Cad.-----and that is with you giving them the 4 plugs !!!!!

[VMF]

there are better plugs onthe market now, Iridium plugs from Denso, since Denso is OEM supplier for toyota and those IK-20 plugs are the best from them i think they are the best outthere for the stock engines.

[tansupplyman]

Will not run those plugs and do not recommend them----they have 0.4mm center electodes.

Will/would not even run Bosch plat. plugs[they were the first on the market] because of the same reason.

Once snakebit--always snakebit !!!

Have seen MORE than one cylinder on a car ruined because of the small center electode sometimes will break off and go down between the piston and cylinder wall [spell: ruined engine] !!!!

Normal diameter center electodes(w/platinum) will not break off and if they did they are too big to go between piston and cylinder.

But, maybe they are better than they used to be--who knows---I don't, and won't find out.

[VMF]

well i installed thjose denso iridum plugs because couple of trusted shops and fellow lexus and supra drivers recommended them. i did 10k on those spakr plugs and so far so good. all of them use denso iridium plugs and none of them had any trouble. you cannot compare bosch cheap products with the original japanese denso plugs that go at the warehouse for at least 8$ a plug. i have them in my both cars and i love them perfomancewise.

[vyhanh]

Hi,

While enjoying a beuatiful Sunday, I cleaned my throttle body. Very dirty !!! By the marks on all the rubbered-area clamps, it seems that cleaning was done before but still dirty. Definitely recommending it: car seems to be smoother and hesitation seems to be gone for now.

VH

PS: Also tried to change front pads on wife's 99 ML320: Followed manual and other info: undid 5 lugs but wheel would not budge (seemed like welded!) Any help? Thanks