Originally Posted by Hanger

Any tips for getting to the plug closes to the passenger ? (cyl1?)

Originally Posted by HP41

Data point on dealership cost:

I was comp'd a spark plug change due to it not being done by prior owner/other dealership as part of pre-paid maintenance plan at 30K. I did receive a copy of the bill which will be handled internally between dealerships.

Parts: 6 plugs @ $182.16
Labor: .95 hour @ $128.25

Total billable cost $310.41 (I paid zero)

Great reason to make this a DIY job.

I was all prepared to do job myself (already had the plugs on-hand) but did not want to pass up the offer to get it done under dealership umbrella while still under warranty & CPO. I plan to do the 60K plug change when that time arrives.

I have been very happy with the work done at my dealership (they replaced several parts as part of the CPO / new owner inspection process).

Regards,

Chuck

Originally Posted by dougcayenne

Lucky you. I bought 2014 4s last year 2016, the car is 34K now. My local Porsche fremont Porsche and stevencreek wants $1300 for 40K service.

This is an excellent write-up. I think I am ready to work on this spark-plug over the weekend.

Originally Posted by rmjjensen

Go for it! My dealer wanted $1500 for the 40k. I did the plugs, air filter, cabin air filter, oil change, wiper blades - all DIY. Also bought an iCarsoft Por II to scan for codes and clear the service intervals. None of it was difficult just make sure you have all the parts and tools on hand and you're good.

The only thing left is a brake flush. In the end I probably didn't save any money due to the time it took and the tools I had to buy. However, I now know more about this car and prepared for future servicing. It's actually a really awesome car to work on.

Originally Posted by cheetos72

Thank you very much rmjjensen for posting this! I am about to do this on my 2011 Turbo and I was wanting to get all of the aluminum screws to replace. I saw in your posting the following:

--- WHT-004-595
--- WHT-005-204
--- WHT-004-635 (x2)

Do you have a part number for the 8 screws for the decorative covers (Step 6)? (Are they WHT-003-425?)

Are there any other aluminum parts that should be replaced during this process?

Thanks again!!

Originally Posted by rmjjensen

I just changed the plugs on my non-turbo v8. Honestly it was really easy but you will need some special tools that you can pick up anywhere. Also, the screws for the coils are aluminum and they need to be replaced.

It should take 1-2 hours the first time. If I were to do it again it would honestly probably take ~30-45 minutes to change all 8 plugs.

Parts:

-Spark Plugs - FGR5NQE04 (turbo has different plugs)
-Aluminum Screws (Porsche recommends to always use new aluminum screws)
-- Coils - 948-105-146-00 (Generally regularly available at the dealer)
-- Engine Torque Damper (I reused these parts)
--- WHT-004-595
--- WHT-005-204
--- WHT-004-635 (x2)

Tools:

You do not need all these tools but they will make your life easier. If you have all of this readily available the swap is extremely quick and easy. There is NOTHING difficult to reach / remove by having the swivel, wobble, and mini ratchet wrench. No cursing at all.

Attachment 471690

Torx bits - I don't remember the exact sizes. One required a security type.
Large torx - T40 & T50
External / Inverted / Hexalobular E12 socket
Pick or very small flat head
Wrench (adjustable or combo wrenches)
Wobble extension set (the wobble makes life easier)
Swivel socket
Socket wrenches
5/8 Spark plug socket
Offset mini ratchet wrench
Dielectric grease

Procedure:

Attachment 471689

1. Remove the torx screws holding in each corner cover and pop them off.
2. Pop the vacuum lines (passenger side) off of the black clip and use your pick to remove the black mounting clip completely. Remove the wiring harnesses (driver side) from the black clip and use your pick to remove the black clip completely
3. Use the T50 bit and adjustable wrench to remove the two aluminum bolts. Slide the damper up and remove it.
4. Use your mini ratchet wrench with the proper security torx bit to loosen the bolt that holds on the black plastic pathway blocking access to the farthest plug. Remove the screw by hand so that you don't drop it.
5. Use the T40 and remove the screw holding the positive jumper post. This, in conjunction with step 4, makes it easier to remove the farthest coil and plug as you can now move the large gauge wire out of the way
6. Remove the 8 screws holding the two decorative covers
7. Lift up on each cover and slide them out to remove
8. There should be plenty of clearance at all 8 coils. Remove the eight coil screws using the E12 socket. Be aware of how much force is needed to remove these screws - you will use LESS force to tighten the new ones. Note: I needed the swivel socket to take out the screw for the driver's side closest to the firewall (marked around the step 4 outline)
9. Unplug the harnesses from the coils
10. Remove the coils by griping with your thumb and index finger and rotating back and forth, then out. Inspect the boots for any cracks - if you find some, you'll want to replace that coil.
11. Grab the 5/8 spark plug socket with the appropriate extensions. Slide onto the plugs, remove with a socket wrench. I did not need a swivel for ANY of the plugs.
12. Place a new plug in the spark plug socket with the wobble extension. Thread it in by hand until hand tight. Attach the torque wrench and finish by torquing them to 22 lb ft
13. Place a SMALL amount of dielectric grease on the tiny inner lip of the coil boot. Do not glob it on and avoid getting it into the boot. Reattach the coils to the spark plugs by pushing firmly into place.
14. Install the ignition coil screws through the coils and into the valve cover BY HAND. Snug them up with the E12 socket ...barely! Do not "tighten" them - just snug them up. They will snap easily!
15. Perform the reverse scenario to put the car back together ...might want to put the damper back on (with the old bolts - you'll need to remove it again to put the cover back on) and try starting the car first.

Hope I didn't miss anything - I'm doing this mostly from memory. Again, this is how I did it - doesn't mean it's THE ONLY way.

Originally Posted by avusm3

remjjensen - thank you very much for this terrific write up. I probably would not have tackled the job without it. It took me about 1.75hrs start to finish.

Originally Posted by ih82lose

I did this a couple weekends back as a "while you're in there" while replacing the coils. Had a bad coil on cyl 7 that caused misfiring when starting the car when hot.

FYI - when a coil fails, lots of scary messages appear - start/stop disabled, PSM failure, check engine. Thankfully I had the iCarsoft POR-II to help pinpoint the bad coil instead of dropping it off at the dealer and letting them $ort it out. Paid for itself quickly!

New plugs and coils from Sunset and the car idles and accelerates like new.

Originally Posted by bebeqq1231

You mean i should change the coil too? My car has 52000 mile. Isn't that a little too soon for coil change? What mileage should i change the coil? Thanks