Just FYI...apparently changing the spark plugs on these cars is a pain in the a$$. As someone recommended here I had it done with my (early) 15,000 mile service, and the plug change alone took 6 hours of labor, +/- $500 cost. Hope it was good preventive maintenance

 

Factory procedure is to remove the rear bumper and heat shields, remove the intercoolers, remove more heat shields ...
then time needed to realign the shields precisely afterwards or escaping heat through open seams can melt the bumper..
I'm having plugs changed on my MBZ today as part of yearly maintenance - 16 plugs ( 2 per cyl) and pulling off the fuel injection and shrouds and shields etc. there and it'll be almost $600 for that alone !

 

The dealer quoted me a price of $650 + tax for the plug change on the Turbo!!

 

Wow ! A local dealer ( Stevens Creek ) will do the complete 30K service on a 996 Turbo, including new plugs , for $529 !

 

WOW is right.

I'm going to do it myself.

 

I was interested in doing the spark plug change over the winter also. Loren (Renntech) says in his procedure, that you do not need to remove the rear bumper - but I'm not clear if the directions are for a TT or a NA 996. Has anyone done the plug change without removing the rear bumper?

 

It is a pain. It took me 4 hours.

 

The bumper doesn't HAVE to come off but it is a bit easier to access the plugs with it off and removing the bumper (on the lift of course) isn't any big deal. (Regular 996NA is cake, no bumper off or exhaust.)

 

Yes it is....It took me 12 hours....but that was with the new turbo install!

Ken, I need to know the tools you used to do it without removing the turbos. I may have to go back in there to check a plug.

 

Other than standard sockets, I only recall using two different universal adapters to get at them with the funny angles.

 

Did you remove the rear bumper and intercoolers? And what part of the process took the longest?

 

remove the bumper, intercoolers and remove heat shield fasteners and carefully bend the heat shields out of the way, at this point you will see the coils, upon reassembly rebend the heat shields to their original position

Be careful not to strip the coil allen fastener heads
It is tedious but not all that difficult, a lift helps tremendously

 

KPV did you use a lift, ramps, or jack stands?