Check plugs every 4K ????? (repost from the "other" board.

[Drainfade]

Sorry for the repost if you're on the "other" board but I'm lookin' for a big audience to hear what other FZ owners are doing. This is the first Yamaha head scratcher for me...

Ok, so I bought my '08 back in December of '09 and am finally hitting 5K. I had to adjust the clock after a battery disconnect recently and realized that I was almost 1K past the 4K minor service. Well I'm leaving for Laguna in less than a month so I started the service immediately. I see she needs the t-bodies synched, spark plugs checked (????) and various other lubing and checks....no big deal. I started on the plugs as the hardest job and the service manual states remove top rad screw, bottom screw, and get to the plugs, I'm thinking hell yea this'll be cake so I dive right in. Quickly I realized that unless I was a small japanese man there was no way in hell I could comfortably pull and reinstall the coils without pulling the rad off. I'm thinking the bike is 2 years old sitting in a stealership so I may as well just give her some new coolant anyway...so no big deal. Them I come to reality and am like...."What the hell was Yamaha thinking when they have check the plugs every 4K if you have to pull the rad ?". Then once I realized the plugs are CR9EK's with double grounds I'm thinking "Why the hell would Yamaha have you gap a plug that's pretty much ungappable ?".

So here's the real question...does anyone actually check their plugs every 4K ? That's just insane in my book as a complete waste of time and every other japanese bike from other manufacturer's are just a simple 8K replacement...period.

Enquiring minds want to know...

 

[Polestar]

On the morning of my 4K service appointment the Service Manager advised not to have the plugs checked, unless I was going to change them. He then asked if I was having any issues with the engine or bike in general. I said, "none". He then gave it about a 5 minute visual inspection in the garage bay and said, "save your money, we'll see ya at 8K". BTW: He knew I changed the oil regularly as well as kept the chain up and did minor adjustments myself. Charge for 4K service-$0.00. I'll have the plugs changed out at 8K.

Thought about Laguna Seca myself, but after crunching the time numbers, decided against it. What's it: about 900mi from the Seattle-Tacoma area one way? How many days did you give yourself to get there? Spending any time on Rt. 1 or a straight shot down I-5?

 

[NJFZ1]

Yea, I wouldn't bother checking them at 4k miles. Doesn't really make a whole lot of sense if you ask me, especially since it's a PITA as you found out. My '06 has a little over 7k miles and I haven't so much as looked at the plugs. Still runs fine. I will sync the TBs soon as I'm sure that it needs that. The plugs I will just change over the upcoming Winter at whatever mileage I have then (probably will be close to 10k or so).

 

[Drainfade]

Yea, I wouldn't bother checking them at 4k miles. Doesn't really make a whole lot of sense if you ask me, especially since it's a PITA as you found out. My '06 has a little over 7k miles and I haven't so much as looked at the plugs. Still runs fine. I will sync the TBs soon as I'm sure that it needs that. The plugs I will just change over the upcoming Winter at whatever mileage I have then (probably will be close to 10k or so).

Yea that's what I'm thinking....from now on. So the bike will get a new set of plugs a tad early, fresh coolant, and I noticed some increased buzzing around 5K so a TB sync. The rest is cake...and I'll be less inclined to touch the plugs for atleast 8K from here on out. Thanks for everyone's feedback...greatly appreciated.

 

[gtbigup01]

Quickly I realized that unless I was a small japanese man there was no way in hell I could comfortably pull and reinstall the coils without pulling the rad off.

Or had the correct tools or training. I just got my 4K mile service done on my 07, and sat there and waited on it looking in the bay from time to time, No radiator pull was req'd to check my plugs, and no small Japanese men worked there either.

 

[FZ1inTX]

Wait... what? We have to service the plugs? I'm at 8500 miles and haven't touched them yet because the bike is running better than it was new. I didn't check them at 4k either.

Seriously, I plan on a 10k change (about a month) and I'll be putting on the AIS blockoff plates at that time to remove the AIS system totally. I will also remove the rad and flush the system to install some quality coolant. And, at that time, I intend to make the leap to 10w fork oil to stiffen up the front some more.

All this and more coming to a Busted Knuckle Garage near YOU!