# Spark plug change



## chevycruze2012 (Nov 13, 2012)

I wanted to check my plugs today, but was having one **** of a time trying to get the coil pack rail off so I gave up after awhile. I could of swore I seen a thread on here awhile back with pictures on how to do this. Can anyone point me in the right direction. Even though my car has only 10k on it, id like to check the progress of my plugs to see if they are fouling or premature burning. Thanks in advance. =]


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## bduffey723 (Apr 30, 2012)

I had the same issue. The only thing you can do is take your time and wiggle it around while you pull up. IF you happen to tear a rubber boot, like I did, I have 3 extra now because you CANNOT buy just the boot. You have to purchase the whole unit that is $157 from dealer.


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## EcoDave (Mar 7, 2013)

I uploaded a video on how to do this, it's not perfect but it should give you an idea 

Chevrolet Cruze Spark Plug check - YouTube


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## chevycruze2012 (Nov 13, 2012)

****...Well I did try to wiggle it a little. Probably not as much as I needed to but I didn't want to tear a boot like you said. I found those coil packs on ebay from AC Delco for about 90.00 which isn't bad really. Another member on here posted a thread about how to do this and I remember coming across it awhile back and wish I saved the thread because I could surely use the steps and pictures =]


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## chevycruze2012 (Nov 13, 2012)

EcoDave said:


> I uploaded a video on how to do this, it's not perfect but it should give you an idea
> 
> Chevrolet Cruze Spark Plug check - YouTube


You made that look so easy pulling those boots out lol. I tried wiggling mine but they wouldn't budge much haha. Tell me your secret ;]


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## bduffey723 (Apr 30, 2012)

chevycruze2012 said:


> ****...Well I did try to wiggle it a little. Probably not as much as I needed to but I didn't want to tear a boot like you said. I found those coil packs on ebay from AC Delco for about 90.00 which isn't bad really. Another member on here posted a thread about how to do this and I remember coming across it awhile back and wish I saved the thread because I could surely use the steps and pictures =]


If you tear one I am more than willing to give you one so a fellow cruzetalk member doesn't have to spend $100 on a piece of rubber.


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## chevycruze2012 (Nov 13, 2012)

bduffey723 said:


> If you tear one I am more than willing to give you one so a fellow cruzetalk member doesn't have to spend $100 on a piece of rubber.


Okay well thanks =]. How would I get it from you? Im assuming shipping it to me lol


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## bduffey723 (Apr 30, 2012)

chevycruze2012 said:


> Okay well thanks =]. How would I get it from you? Im assuming shipping it to me lol


Ya I would just throw it in an envelope. Lol


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## chevycruze2012 (Nov 13, 2012)

Okay cool=]. Id appreciate it a lot. hopefully I wont have to take yours out of your spare parts bin, but atleast I wont have to worry about spending $100.00 on one. Hope you would still have it if another member hasn't taken it yet from ripping one of their boots ;]. If not, ill try to come up with a good story when I take it to the dealership to get it fixed free lol.


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## bduffey723 (Apr 30, 2012)

chevycruze2012 said:


> Okay cool=]. Id appreciate it a lot. hopefully I wont have to take yours out of your spare parts bin, but atleast I wont have to worry about spending $100.00 on one. Hope you would still have it if another member hasn't taken it yet from ripping one of their boots ;]. If not, ill try to come up with a good story when I take it to the dealership to get it fixed free lol.


Well I'm not advertising them for sale or anything. You're the only one I have offered. Lol Free is always good. I thought about shoving it back in there and telling them it's misfiring. Then when they pull it apart, OH NO IT RIPPED! Lol


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## chevycruze2012 (Nov 13, 2012)

Id even buy it from you cheap so I could have one as a spare so if I do tear one, I can change it on the spot lol=]


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## bduffey723 (Apr 30, 2012)

chevycruze2012 said:


> Id even buy it from you cheap so I could have one as a spare so if I do tear one, I can change it on the spot lol=]


If you take your time and be patient I'm sure it won't tear. A lot of people have had no problems at all. I'm the first that I know of.


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## chevycruze2012 (Nov 13, 2012)

Okay lol. Yeah ill be careful not to. Im usually pretty patient with stuff like that...Especially when the car is new and in warranty. Id rather not break anything on the car that's my fault and have to replace it. Hopefully if I ever do, the parts are cheap and its at my own ability to fix it. I changed 10 wheel studs in my cruze yesterday on the back and that was done in a flush =]. Once I got the stubborn torx screw out that holds the drums on, I had all ten studs pounded out and new ones installed in ten minutes. So it was pretty wasy. First time I actually did anything like that.


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## bduffey723 (Apr 30, 2012)

chevycruze2012 said:


> Okay lol. Yeah ill be careful not to. Im usually pretty patient with stuff like that...Especially when the car is new and in warranty. Id rather not break anything on the car that's my fault and have to replace it. Hopefully if I ever do, the parts are cheap and its at my own ability to fix it. I changed 10 wheel studs in my cruze yesterday on the back and that was done in a flush =]. Once I got the stubborn torx screw out that holds the drums on, I had all ten studs pounded out and new ones installed in ten minutes. So it was pretty wasy. First time I actually did anything like that.


Ya I'm not nearly as patient as I should be when working on my vehicles. I blame my background on working on tractors and trailers where the saying is, "If it don't come off, grab the torch and cut the summabitch off."


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## chevycruze2012 (Nov 13, 2012)

I guess it pays off when your patient lol.


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## Vetterin (Mar 27, 2011)

Just make sure to put some diaelectric grease in the boots before you put them back on and your future checks will be much easier.


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## 70AARCUDA (Nov 14, 2010)

Vetterin said:


> Just make sure to put some *dielectric grease *in the boots before you put them back on and your future checks will be much easier.


FWIW - that is 'standard practice' for ALL spark plug & coil connections these days, not just GM products.


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## chevycruze2012 (Nov 13, 2012)

Yess for sure. I always put dialectric grease on my plugs and wires. Good thing I already had bought GM dialectric grease=].


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## Barney (Sep 27, 2013)

Have almost 91000 on my 2012 eco, with original plugs. Car runs great. Still get 50 mpg easily freeway. I put a ton of miles on cars. I've put many hundreds of thousands of miles on Honda and Acura cars. Tired of their BS. Wife's 97 Honda CRV needed a U joint at 200,000 miles. Cant get just the U joint. Like we used to be able to fix in the garage. Had to blow $1100 on the entire driveshaft. Eff you Honda, I'm gone. I'm 52 and have owned and rebuilt a lot of old muscle cars. Used to do all my own work. Now I just take this car to the dealer. Next time in for oil change, it gets plugs and air filter. BTW, I love this car.


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## devoh (Apr 15, 2016)

bduffey723 said:


> I had the same issue. The only thing you can do is take your time and wiggle it around while you pull up. IF you happen to tear a rubber boot, like I did, I have 3 extra now because you CANNOT buy just the boot. You have to purchase the whole unit that is $157 from dealer.


Whats the big deal about tearing the boot?


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

The boots are an electrical insulator. A torn boot allow the spark current to jump to the side of the cylinder wall, which causes misfires. Thinking about it - take your car in and have them check the plugs. If they tear the boot they get to replace it.

The boots aren't sold separately from the ignition rail, which runs about $80-90 on Amazon.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

The boot acts as an insulator to keep the spark ignition current from arcing to the cylinder wall.


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## Mr95Kenny (Jan 13, 2019)

Here is my howto video on replacing the spark plugs!

https://youtu.be/_F6KEdcjA4o


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