Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums General Troubleshooting Correct spark plugs for a '96 2.5L??? No matches..

While in process of replacing wiring harness ($990 part), I decided to change my plugs. They'd been in since I had the car and I now have 127K miles on the car. Hehehe...

Can you say .85-.89 gap?!?! Gee, I wonder why I was losing power (in addition to a wiring harness that was completely rotted out in some spots (amazing pics to follow later!).

So anyways, I go to 3!!! different part stores. No one can supply (or has) the correct Bosch equivilent plugs! Doesn't Bosch make a Platinum plug that will work? All I could find were Motorcrafts, AutoLites, and I think some Champions.

The plugs I took out of the car were Motorcraft Platinum AWSF32F. They cross to another Motorcraft AGSF32FM. Still no matches worthwhile. What is anyone running in their '96 2.5L that aren't standard plugs? Bosch? SplitFires? NGK's? Who makes 'em and what part number?!?!?

I got mine at Canadian Tire, 16$ for 2, don't remember the number, but I can find it for you this week...
It is Bosh Platinium+4, And they work great!
Check in the book in Ford V6 2.5 all years, it is the same.
Vince

be very careful. i had gone to three different parts stores. including pep boys auto zone. they all try to give you a spark plug with long threads. the stock plug is short thread. and the only place i have been able to find them is ford. and also. you don't have to take the coil pack off. i know some sites say you do. good luck

I recently purchased some @ Canadian Tire (Bosch) and then returned them. I haven't bought the replacements yet because the BAT catalog says that the Ford originals are the best to use. Is this true?

I don't think so. When they looked up 95 & 96/97 on their computer, the part numbers came up different.

That's correct. The plugs I pulled are short thread, and the thread is slightly different than the Bosch. I used a micrometer to verify this.

I supposed the Motorcraft Platinums would work, but I figured since the car is Superchip'd, everything gets mapped a little differently and having a slightly better performing plug certainly couldn't hurt anything.

DO NOT get Bosch plugs.

That would be a major downgrade from stock. (and you are right they are NOT the proper heat range either!)

Go with either Autolite APP764 or Motorcraft AWSF32PP (same plug)

BTW - AWSF32F does NOT cross to any AGSF plug! An AWSF is an AWSF only.

Demon,
I'll be the first to say that I don't fully understand completely the dynamics behind differeing spark plugs. But how would the Bosch+4 Platinum be a downgrade? What about these newfangled NGK Iridums? Snake oil? Placebo effect for most people? As far as crossing the P/N's, I was somewhat looking over the guys shoulder when he showed me the cross. I believe we were looking in a Motorcraft book, but coulda been something else...

The threaded length does not matter (as long as it is long enough) - the taper seat is what sets the spark plug depth in the cylinder. Autolite/Motorcraft probably does not thread them all the way down (since they don't really need to) in order to save cycle time on that step of the manufacturing process.

See this pic to demonstrate. See the taper that is almost directly below the "S" in the "Send eCard" link? That is what bottoms the plug, not how long the threads are. Both of those plugs have been in my engine and I didn't ram a piston into the NGK plug. As long as the length from the bottom of the taper to the end of the ground electrode is the same, you will be fine.

And, you don't HAVE to take the coil pack off, but the ~5 minutes that takes makes the job much easier.

when i was hunting for plugs a couple months ago i went to about 4 different stores in one day and finally settled on some plugs that turned out were ap764 instead of app764...sooooo i finally broke down and went to the mis-dealer and got the plugs listed in my sig....only bad thing is that i paid 60 bucks for the set of six

far as i understand do not buy the bosch +4...they are not double platinum....no ngk plug is worthy of the contour as none of them are double platinum

i only had the ap764's in my car for about 3 weeks and when i pulled them out the plugs from the rear bank were already showing slightly more wear compared to the front bank spark plugs

in my opinion, stick with the app's or the ones in my sig....

thanks for the info on the threads on the plugs. i never realized. i just jumped on the fact that it seemed it would thread in further. now i can actually buy the plugs i want to in the future.appreciate the info.