Counterfeit Toyota spark plugs effects on car.

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Technical Discussion' started by Java’s_Prius, Feb 24, 2021.

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  1. Java’s_Prius

    Java’s_Prius New Member

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    Long story short ,20000 miles ago I had ordered some OEM spark plugs from eBay for 15 bucks (great deal right !!) and installed them in the car. Did not think much about the price, since I was not tracking it counterfeit spark plugs even existed.
    Until this month, the car misfiring. Started with cylinder 4 - change the coil / no change effect on the misfire.
    2 days later I was also getting a misfire on cylinder 3. (Dam probable head bad head gasket.

    Decided to drive the car around for a couple of days and track when the misfires were occurring the most. It would always be during the first start up of the car and at 38 MPH. Again I thought to my self (bad head gasket).

    Got my hands on a bore scope to look in the cylinder first thing in the morning ... and guess what no coolant was present . What I did notice was the spark plugs were almost destroyed.

    Did some research and discovered that indeed counterfeit spark plugs do exit and are a common issue on eBay and Amazon. The spark plugs I had installed in the car worth about 16 bucks each with Toyota .. not 15 for all 4.

    Well what was done was done.. replaced the spark plugs with some autolites from oriely and the car ran super smooth ^^.
    Inspecting the spark plugs I did discover the tips were super worn out and one of them ceramic had cracked. Also appears that all of the had signs of combustion bypass on the ceramic.

    Lesson well learned .. do not plan on ever buying auto parts from eBay.
     

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    #1 Java’s_Prius, Feb 24, 2021
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  2. SFO

    SFO Senior Member

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    Hope you had a chance to write up a scathing review for the seller.
     
    #2 SFO, Feb 24, 2021
  3. PriusCamper

    PriusCamper Senior Member

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    yes tell us who the ebay seller was so we can avoid them! Also ebay will refund your money if you complain...
     
    #3 PriusCamper, Feb 24, 2021
  4. 05PreeUs

    05PreeUs Senior Member

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    Peter does a good job of explaining why "will fit" is likely more accurately will NOT fit.
     
    #4 05PreeUs, Feb 24, 2021
  5. Aaron Vitolins

    Aaron Vitolins Senior Member

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    How many miles did you put on the counterfeit plugs?
     
    #5 Aaron Vitolins, Feb 24, 2021
  6. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    how much were the oreily plugs?
     
    #6 bisco, Feb 24, 2021
  7. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    I love the way the "iridium" fine wire center electrode is gone and is now a 'rounded off nub'.
     
    #7 TMR-JWAP, Feb 24, 2021
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  8. mr_guy_mann

    mr_guy_mann Senior Member

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    That spark plug in the first pic has a carbon track down the side of the insulator. The thing is that it will usually also burn that track down the inside of the coil boot as well. Replace just the coil and the problem spark plug is still there, and it might damage the boot on the new coil. Or possibly not if it was only a short time before replacing the plugs. Just something to be aware of.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
    #8 mr_guy_mann, Feb 24, 2021
  9. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    That's what comes of substituting froyo for the iridium.
     
    #9 ChapmanF, Feb 24, 2021
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  10. Java’s_Prius

    Java’s_Prius New Member

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    Sencer_team is the seller.

    Around 20,000 miles

    I think they were 3.99 a pop for the platinum auto lights. Just ran 100 miles on them, no performance issues and still getting great gas mileage.
     

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    #10 Java’s_Prius, Feb 25, 2021
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  11. Java’s_Prius

    Java’s_Prius New Member

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    The plug on the 1st pic was installed on cylinder 4 . It was the first cylinder that initially started to misfire. For trouble shooting purposes I did replace the coil initially and left it installed.
     
    #11 Java’s_Prius, Feb 25, 2021
  12. Zeppo Shanski

    Zeppo Shanski Active Member

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    In the last five(5) years I'v swapped out over 100 sets of plugs in all different makes and models. Every time, the plugs came from RockAuto. Not any problems ever.



     
    #12 Zeppo Shanski, Feb 25, 2021
  13. edthefox5

    edthefox5 Senior Member

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    That burnt brown stuff on the original Denso plugs on the porcelain is oil in the spark plug well. Valve cover gasket is leaking oil filling up the spark plug well. That alone can sometimes cause misfires.
    Very common. Found mine was leaking at 110,000 miles. There's no hardened seal there on the gasket
    at that plug well hole like other 4 banger sometimes have. There's no bolts bolting down that gasket area in the middle there just bolts around the edge of the cover. Gaskety shrinks cover gets slightly loose and will weep at that area.

    Probably the ends of the cop boots are shot now too from oil damge. Take a cop boot off and pull on it its edge end see how cracked the boot is.

    This car probably has 200,000+_ miles on it.

    And if you think counterfeit plugs are bad your going to love 4 cops on amazon for $40 lol...

    Stock cop is $85 each last I looked. Wouldn't waste my time on anything else. Unless you love going back in again and again.

    I changed my plugs 4 Denso Irid's bought online from Toyota and 4 new oem cops at 110,000 miles drove away 40,000 miles later car running perfectly.
     
    #13 edthefox5, Feb 27, 2021
    Last edited: Feb 27, 2021
  14. TMR-JWAP

    TMR-JWAP Senior Member

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    With minimal overhead, Rock Auto has the Denso and Hitachi COPs for about $50 each if anyone is in need.....
    As always, they also have other brands available for significantly cheaper between $13 and $50. Typically you get what you pay for and don't get what you don't pay for....but every situation is different.

    If just the boots are messed up, they have them available for less than 5 bucks each.
     
    #14 TMR-JWAP, Feb 28, 2021
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  15. johnHRP

    johnHRP Active Member

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    A1Auto, Rockauto, or any local stores are great. If we buy online, always check if the seller well established on selling parts or actual Toyota dealership with address and phone number.

    We can measure the resistance on each plugs. They should be in kOhm range and the difference is less than 30% from one to another. Fake plugs are often 100% or more differences.
     
    #15 johnHRP, Nov 21, 2023
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