[dhpnet]

I was browsing, and I noticed that Bosch is now listing a double iridium spark plug for the Cruze. I cannot find it available anywhere, but they have a part number for it. It looks like the Bosch double iridium plugs were introduced late last year.

Bosch 96306
https://www.boschautoparts.com/en/auto/spark-plugs/double-iridium-spark-plugs?partID=96306

These are copper core spark plugs with a fine wire iridium center electrode and an iridium inlay on the ground electrode. The PDF brochure on the site says the ground electrode also has a copper core and they reduce voltage requirements by up to 24%.

Iridium has lower electrical resistance than Platinum and Nickel, which means these could potentially be better than both the OEM plugs and the nickel plugs everyone has been using.

Anyone heard of these?

 

[cyclewild]

Hadn't seen anything on these yet, they do seem very promising. All the benefits of the regular plugs with the longer life of iridium? sign me up.

 

[dhpnet]

I agree, these could be promising. Iridium has lower electrical resistance than nickel, and iridium is harder than Platinum, these could last longer than the OEM plugs and provide a better spark.

Electrical Resistance (Ohm*M)
Copper = 16.78
Iridium = 47.1
Nickel = 69.3
Platinum = 100

The site also says that they match the OE specs for spark position.

 

[jblackburn]

Without platinum in the ground strap, I bet they'd run quite well.

They're also probably a pretty penny.

The tricky thing may be trying to find one with a gap and heat range that corresponds to a "7" in NGK plugs.

 

[TheRealHip]

The best out there in my opinion are Double Iridium Pin-To-Pin

 

[sedanfan]

I stick with the copper plugs. They are cheap enough to replace every 6 to 12 months, perform great and in this car it's super easy to change the plugs in just minutes.

 

[dhpnet]

I stick with the copper plugs. They are cheap enough to replace every 6 to 12 months, perform great and in this car it's super easy to change the plugs in just minutes.

So called "copper" plugs are actually nickel. Almost all plugs have a copper core, but copper is too soft to use for the electrodes, so they use nickel. Nickel is not as conductive as iridium. For people who want to get as much performance as possible out of the tiny 1.4, a double iridium plug has potential.

I have seen the Bosch double iridium listed for $7 each, but nobody has them in stock.

 

[ChevyGuy]

Interesting. I noticed that the 2011-2013 1.4 is listed as using a different plug (9698)

The 96306 is for use in the 2011-2013 1.8 and 2014-2016 (all models).

The difference appears to be the 9698 has a heat range of 6 while the 96306 has a heat range of 7.

 

[dhpnet]

Autozone now has these in stock online. Thought I would try them out and got them today. They are very pricey at $13.90 each. I checked them with my caliper and they all measured at .0275 inches, which is perfect. They say they have a heat range of 7. Not sure when I will install them, but I will let you know how they work when I do.

 

[1988gmc355]

I just checked Rock Auto and they are $6.77 each. Interested to know how they run as they would be worth the price if ordered from Rock Auto.

 

[wasney]

Autozone now has these in stock online. Thought I would try them out and got them today. They are very pricey at $13.90 each. I checked them with my caliper and they all measured at .0275 inches, which is perfect. They say they have a heat range of 7. Not sure when I will install them, but I will let you know how they work when I do.

View attachment 249729

I would love to know how this goes.

 

[dhpnet]

I probably won't install them until after the holidays, but I will let you know how it goes.

 

[Hazlitt777]

Off topic a bit...but how long with your stock plugs last? 100,000?

 

[dhpnet]

Off topic a bit...but how long with your stock plugs last? 100,000?

My Owner's Manual says to change them at 97,500 miles. But, a lot of people report that they need to be replaced around 60-65K.

 

[Noiitekk]

Bumping this because I picked up a set and plan to install them hopefully this weekend when it warms up a little bit. I'll report back with results.

 

[dhpnet]

Bumping this because I picked up a set and plan to install them hopefully this weekend when it warms up a little bit. I'll report back with results.

That's great. It will be interesting to hear your thoughts. I was going to install mine this weekend, but it was raining too much. Maybe next weekend.

 

[KenH]

I put these into my 99 Mazda and immediately the check engine light came on… no thanks. Replaced the Bosch back to OEM plugs and problem solved.

 

[Noiitekk]

So I installed them today and they run great. The old plugs were pretty gross with only 15k on them. Install was a breeze. Here's a pic of the original plugs.

 

[dhpnet]

I also installed mine today. I only drove about 10 miles, but it seems like they are excellent. No hesitation, similar to the BKR7, but maybe even better. I have tried the BKR7E, BKR7EIX and BKR8EIX. So far I like these the best. I will give an update again later after I have a few more miles on them.

 

[dhpnet]

So I installed them today and they run great. The old plugs were pretty gross with only 15k on them. Install was a breeze. Here's a pic of the original plugs.

Looks like a lot of carbon on the plugs. It might mean you are running rich for some reason. Have you checked your engine air filter lately? Sometimes that can cause carbon on the plugs.