Corrosion on 1 spark plug, other 2 find. Need thoughts/advice

[Fummins]

I get all that, but he has one plug that looked totally different than the other two.

And I get all that, so I suggested he get a new boot. It's not a common problem. At least not around here.

My point was that there's a good chance that YOU probably wouldn't need to replace your own boots in your own car. That is, if you're a cheap ******* like me. For my cheap car it's not getting any extra special treatment. That'd cut into my beer, quading and camping money.

[Dirk Diggler]

Hey Dirk is this the original engine?

Yes it is.

[Dirk Diggler]

I'll say weak coil.

The crazy thing is the car runs great, just bad mpg but I do drive fast. It's already had a coil replaced too a couple of months before I got it. How complicated is replacing a weak coil? Is it just 1 part?

[Fummins]

Keep fixing it until it's broke. Maybe that plug turned green from the coil that the dealer replaced. If it runs fine drive it.

The coils are easy to replace. Unplug your maf sensor(squeeze bottom of plug and pull down), loosen off the upper hose clamp on the aircleaner(10mm), Remove 3-10mm bolts holding air cleaner, lift on front drivers side corner to remove. Aircleaner has a dowel that sits in a rubber plug on the front drivers corner of valve cover and can sometimes stick in there good. Ignition coils are right on top, 1 10mm bolt holding each one in place. You could have replaced your spark plugs with 2 sockets, a ratchet and an extension. Cobrajet or topfuel did a how-to I believe.

[Dirk Diggler]

Keep fixing it until it's broke. Maybe that plug turned green from the coil that the dealer replaced. If it runs fine drive it.

The coils are easy to replace. Unplug your maf sensor(squeeze bottom of plug and pull down), loosen off the upper hose clamp on the aircleaner(10mm), Remove 3-10mm bolts holding air cleaner, lift on front drivers side corner to remove. Aircleaner has a dowel that sits in a rubber plug on the front drivers corner of valve cover and can sometimes stick in there good. Ignition coils are right on top, 1 10mm bolt holding each one in place. You could have replaced your spark plugs with 2 sockets, a ratchet and an extension. Cobrajet or topfuel did a how-to I believe.

That's what my mech friend said too. I making a pot roast for him for the help. I wish you weren't so far away bro, I'd make you my famous 5 onion pot roast. Its got garlic, shallot, white onion, dehydrated onion, and leeks. Plus carrot, celery, and red potato. Come on down to Hotlanta! I think you'd dig the hwy blocking stunt driving scene. Have you ever fired a MAC10 with compensator in the air? I can make that happen.

[Dirk Diggler]

It's a cheap item. It's just a suggestion on my part. I may just replace the three spark plug boots when I do my spark plugs. Rockauto makes that recommendation when ordering the OEM NGK spark plugs for a Mirage.

Would the new plugs improve power at all? Or is it a placebo effect of it feeling more punchy?

[Mark]

Would the new plugs improve power at all? Or is it a placebo effect of it feeling more punchy?

Since you are experiencing low mpg, having your ignition coils checked would not be a bad plan. Low mpg can be a sign of a bad coil -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVVKX1df4yc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZPiD7nv9Bw

If you had a really bad coil, however, I think a 3-cylinder engine would run really rough. You don't seem to experiencing that.

[Fummins]

If you had a miss fire your engine light would be blinking.

[Mark]

If you had a miss fire your engine light would be blinking.

I give! Fummins knows way more about these cars than I do!

I don't plan on changing spark plugs until 100,000 miles, & I am only half way there.

In past vehicles, I noticed ignition wire issues during damp weather.

If Dirk's not happy with his Mirage's mpg, he may want to buy his used Prius sooner rather than later!

[Dirk Diggler]

The more I think about it the more the mpg is just a result of my lead foot, cheap tires at 35psi, heavier alloys, doing 75 mph on the hwy, lots of short trips, etc. The G4 gets similar but slightly better mpg. This might be all on me.