ptmdsharp

Ordered OEM NGK's from ECS Tuning -- I was told they would be pre-gapped at 0.032. But it's actually closer 0.028.

I notice that online recommendations seem to be all over the place. My engine is not tuned.

Thoughts?

LightningTruck

It will be fine. Give her an oil change and a bath, call it a day!
.

parthiban

Answered here. https://www.audiworld.com/forums/a4-...anged-3038732/

ptmdsharp

If only it were so simple. My German car shop said 0.028 is the proper gap. It shouldn't be fuzzy. Argh.

ptmdsharp

Argh, all four of the rubber boots got stuck when I pulled out the ignitian coils using the special tool. What a pain. But I digress...

The plugs I pulled from the engine looked good, and were gapped at ... 0.028 ... same as the pre-gapped OEM plugs that I installed.

So there you go.

SMac770

You won't find a single statement anywhere from Audi of the correct spark plug gap. Your only source of info will be the actual gap on the stock spark plug p/n. Which in this case is documented by NGK at 0.8mm. NGK for the EA888 2.0T has always been 0.8mm, while the original Bosch plugs were 0.7mm. Why the difference, why the change, who knows. Again, since Audi has zero documentation on what it should be anywhere, .... Is it possible NGK misdocumented the p/n for the Gen3 plug and is producing them at 0.7mm? Maybe. Worth asking NGK about the situation. The NGKs for the Gen2 engine always showed up with 0.8mm gap; I've never had to regap them. If yours show up at 0.7mm rather than 0.8mm, I don't think I'd bother to mess with them; use them as is. But would certainly be worth an explanation from NGK.

ptmdsharp

Yep, on the NGK website they're .8mm. ECS Tuning told me they'd be .8mm. But the VW/Audi-branded NGKs were .7mm. It's weird, to me, that Audi doesn't just state preferred gap, or even range, for a stock engine.

142 guy

Audi might not provide a number because with fine center wire plugs you probably don't want to go adjusting the gap. Live with what comes out of the Audi OEM spec package unless it is obviously defective. I have seen people use this type of gap tool to open up the gap by inserting it between the center and shell electrode and then rotating it to force the force the shell electrode up.



That is an invitation for disaster on a fine wire (platinum , iridium) plug. With the correct tool you can adjust outer electrode without touching the center electrode; but, I wouldn't. Bending the outer electrode to adjust it is flexing the metal with the potential for fatigue failure at some point. If the plugs come gapped at 0.028" I would leave them alone rather than try to change it to 0.032".

uberwgn

Yeah, I've seen a warning on NGK's website not to tinker with the gap on the Laser Platinum plugs for fear of damaging the fragile center electrode.