plug opinions, new owner

[m3f_Sliquepimp]

Mine idles like clockwork when warm between 550-575RPM confirmed by the digital tach in the cluster. You look good there. Here is what my plugs look like: Yours look a little dark.....maybe running rich? Hows your fuel econ?

I seem to be getting approx. 22-25 city and 30+ hwy. But, I haven't had it long enough or put enough gas in it to make a true determination yet. Plus, I am going to seafoam it and change my fuel filter soon.

[m3f_M3Works4Me]

BKR6E's are the #1 choice for most of us who have a fair amount of experience with plugs.


No other plug will make more power or get better gas mileage or do anything else miraculous except last longer.


For the cost of these plugs, I'd rather have fresh BKR6E's every so often than Iridiums in for an eon.


This has come up dozens of times and it's always the same answer, eventually.

[m3f_epj3]

there's a reason why manufactuers use what they do. i'm sure there's nothing wrong with using a single electrode.



i tend to stick with what the manufactuer specifies. i've been in this trade too long and i've seen how much of a nightmare a simple plug change can turn into

Read up on spark plugs. The heat rating is the only thing that matters for performance. Everything else (multi electrode, metal type, etc.) is for length of service ONLY. There may be something with newer engines using Ion sensing, but otherwise this is true.


And before anyone reads this and thinks they should investigate a hotter/colder plug for a possible performance gain, they should realize doing this without reason and care WILL end up with shattered pistons/bent rods, or a car running rich and misfiring and then fouling the plugs.

[m3f_epj3]

If that were the case, why would a tight ass company like BMW spend the extra money building these cars with installing Bosch 4 points on the assembly line right from the factory? If a single point plug worked equally as well, don't you think they would just use a cheaper single point plug at 5-8$ less per plug and want to save all that money?

Practicality and Justification.

Because it saves the dealership and owner money (you indirectly answered your own question ) by not needing single electrode copper plugs replaced every 12,000 miles. That's the only reason


Technically speaking, copper is still the best (best conductor of electricity of all plug types) but has a relatively short life. Again, it's all about the heat rating that matters.

Copper absorbs and transfers heat more effectively than Iridium, but at the cost of shorter lifespans. I would worry more about the different gap, and insulator nose length (temp. stepping). I know guys who run Iridium, and copper, and have never heard of and horror stories from either. I'm sure both would suffice just fine.

True copper has a higher specific heat capacity than the others, but the insulator makes up for this. Every plug that "fits" our car (in the sense it matches the proper heat rating that was chosen to be optimal for our engines) will produce the same amount of heat to induce ignition.

[m3f_Porschetech]

Read up on spark plugs. The heat rating is the only thing that matters for performance. Everything else (multi electrode, metal type, etc.) is for length of service ONLY. There may be something with newer engines using Ion sensing, but otherwise this is true.

why should i read up on spark plugs? i know how they work

[m3f_Sliquepimp]

BKR6E's are the #1 choice for most of us who have a fair amount of experience with plugs.



No other plug will make more power or get better gas mileage or do anything else miraculous except last longer.



For the cost of these plugs, I'd rather have fresh BKR6E's every so often than Iridiums in for an eon.



This has come up dozens of times and it's always the same answer, eventually.

Awesome. Thanks so much for confirming this. Sorry if it has been asked/posted before, but it's new to me.....

[m3f_Braymond141]

why should i read up on spark plugs? i know how they work

Just wanted to say at the same time I also agree with Anthony on this one. It just so happens that the plain copper NGK's work great with this engine. There are others who have used correct specs of other brands and have had plug failures/damage. There is absolutely nothing wrong with OE plugs... hell, most of us got our cars with 100K mi + and OE plugs still working great.


If you're in doubt and want longevity, go OEM.

If you're in need of more power, FI, and upkeep, go NGK Coppers.


OT; The S54 is requires OE plugs to run it's best... so go figure.

[m3f_Porschetech]

Just wanted to say at the same time I also agree with Anthony on this one. It just so happens that the plain copper NGK's work great with this engine. There are others who have used correct specs of other brands and have had plug failures/damage. There is absolutely nothing wrong with OE plugs... hell, most of us got our cars with 100K mi + and OE plugs still working great.



If you're in doubt and want longevity, go OEM.

If you're in need of more power, FI, and upkeep, go NGK Coppers.



OT; The S54 is requires OE plugs to run it's best... so go figure.

i found this on teh web.....thought this would be an interesting read, aside from teh obvious of longevity of using multi electrode plugs







"Every time a spark plug fires, a tiny bit of metal is lost in the electrical discharge. Over time, this can

degrade a plug's performance." "Multiple electrodes and precious metals minimize this degradation from metal transfer."

Other benefits to the multi-electrode design include "Surface air gap technology increases the electrode gap for better ignition, without

increasing the voltage requirement, enabling the production of a larger flame core in the combustion chamber. Tests show that the four-

electrode, platinum-core plugs transfer more energy efficiently to the air/fuel mixture. And plugs with four ground electrodes have up

to 33% better cold restart reliability than conventional plugs,"

[m3f_Anubis]

The BKR6E are a great choice. I run them with my supercharged setup (although I'm on 7 step), and I had them when I was NA too (6 step). The only drawback to these plugs is lifespan. 5-10k miles service intervals doesn't make sense to BMW when their choice lasts over 100k. That doesn't mean that the chosen BMW ones are any worse though.



I like fresh coppers every few months

I have the BKR6Es in my car. No issues. Great spark plug.

[m3f_antik]

I have the BKR6Es in my car. No issues. Great spark plug.

+1


I get a hiccup at idle when my plugs have aged. It's just a tiny noise. I notice a touch less willingness to rev, etc.


When I did my first plug job with a set of multi-electrode plugs and noticed the stumble 7k miles later, I figured I'd try copper if I was going to replace the silly things so often.


I use BKR6E and replace them often. It takes an hour of my time and $16. I feel I get what I'm paying for: I certainly enjoy the way the car feels more than I did when it was running multi-electrode plugs.


Every S52 is different though. YMMV.

[m3f_M3Works4Me]

I should probably mention that I have used many different plugs in this car and have found no measurable difference between any set of new plugs.


I use the BKR6E's because they work well and are cheap, but as already mentioned, I could use OEM plugs and they would be fine too. I have no problem with the multi electrode Bosch/BMW plugs that came with the car.


Btw, I've also seen tests on newer individual plug types that could convince almost anyone that they are the solution to common problems plugs have.


Basically, you pick your plug & throw it in & it should be fine.


Also, this whole business about copper being a better conductor than platinum or iridium may be true, but it has little bearing on what goes on in a spark plug that sees tens of thousands of volts pop across the gap.


The resistance of modern spark plugs are typically between 4.5 and 7.5 Kohms and they all have copper cores. In tests I've seen, the copper plugs were actually higher in resistance than some of the platinum and iridium plugs - go figure.

The difference of a couple of Kohms of resistance is pretty insignificant when you're talking about a 20K to 50KVolt spark, it makes the differences pretty much moot in terms of resistance. The gap might be measured at around 10 - 20 MEGA Ohms, which is a few thousand times more resistance than the plug itself. Plug resistance goes up with heat, but the net result is a difference at most of a few hundred volts out of say 40,000.


The precious metal coating on platinum and iridium plugs are to stop the erosion of the tip and can theoretically make a smaller point from which the spark can jump, which would also theoretically make a hotter spark.


The design of the plug and the insulation are key factors, not to mention the gap, but one of the issues with platinum or iridium plugs is the possibility of the tip breaking off and leaving a huge gap of plain old copper. Also, iridium plugs are most often more platinum than iridium, because they apparently need to mix iridium with platinum to bond the tip better to the copper.


The reality is any good solid spark will do, so, if you put in new plugs that are either properly gapped or have multi electrodes, your car should run great unless there are other factors making it not do so.


Much like oil threads, spark plug threads are full of opinions and theories, which is fine, but some people make up stuff and believe it or they read opinions and take it from there and create a whole new interpretation.


Let's just say that lots of plugs will work well in these cars, but many of us use the BKRE's because they are cheap enough to facilitate frequent changes.

[m3f_BG M power]

The first law of electricity is, electrons flow to the path of least resistance. There for you can have an many electrodes as you like for your plugs but only one is actually going to get the spark at one time. The argument that the high payed engineers that made these cars know best is silly, especially since the car was designed almost 20 years ago tons of things have changed and improved since then.

PS I believe if you go to a BMW dealer right now and asked for plugs they will offer you 3 different plugs.

[m3f_Supered ///M]

Hate to bump a semi-old thread...but I actually have a very interesting symptom that I think in some way is related to the BKR6E plug


I bought these plugs to replace single electrode copper ones about a month ago. Car ran just as well, if not better at idle. My other ones were covered with carbon deposits.


Once I put them in though, I started to notice power issues related to my HID lights. I would turn on my lights (55w HID ballasts wired directly to battery using a relay for the stock headlight wiring to activate the relay and turn on the light) and sometimes only one bulb would turn on, both would turn on, or neither would turn on. If both of them turned on, it wouldn't be for long. As I was driving one of them would turn off. When I floor it I can get both of them to turn off.


What I think this is related to is a power consumption problem from my battery and the inability of my alternator to supply adequate current under heavy load. These ballasts demand quite a bit of current and I'm thinking the inconsistency in supplied current is causing the bulbs to turn off. Furthermore, the reason they don't turn back on, i believe (unless I turn the lights on and off...and then they only flicker and go off) is because they require higher current to get them started. Once the HIDs are turned on, they are able to maintain themselves with smaller amount of current than was required to get them up to operating temperature.


So I am going back to single electrode. I honestly have no explanation for why this kind of spark plug (a 4 electrode one) would somehow draw more current causing my lights to go out and my engine to bog when I turn them on at idle (forgot to mention that symptom). But the fact that this problem coincides with me replacing my sparks makes me think it is in someway related.


Any electrical geniuses want to chime in?

[m3f_epj3]

Hate to bump a semi-old thread...but I actually have a very interesting symptom that I think in some way is related to the BKR6E plug


I bought these plugs to replace single electrode copper ones about a month ago. Car ran just as well, if not better at idle. My other ones were covered with carbon deposits.


Once I put them in though, I started to notice power issues related to my HID lights. I would turn on my lights (55w HID ballasts wired directly to battery using a relay for the stock headlight wiring to activate the relay and turn on the light) and sometimes only one bulb would turn on, both would turn on, or neither would turn on. If both of them turned on, it wouldn't be for long. As I was driving one of them would turn off. When I floor it I can get both of them to turn off.


What I think this is related to is a power consumption problem from my battery and the inability of my alternator to supply adequate current under heavy load. These ballasts demand quite a bit of current and I'm thinking the inconsistency in supplied current is causing the bulbs to turn off. Furthermore, the reason they don't turn back on, i believe (unless I turn the lights on and off...and then they only flicker and go off) is because they require higher current to get them started. Once the HIDs are turned on, they are able to maintain themselves with smaller amount of current than was required to get them up to operating temperature.


So I am going back to single electrode. I honestly have no explanation for why this kind of spark plug (a 4 electrode one) would somehow draw more current causing my lights to go out and my engine to bog when I turn them on at idle (forgot to mention that symptom). But the fact that this problem coincides with me replacing my sparks makes me think it is in someway related.


Any electrical geniuses want to chime in?

The first problem is you're likely using a non-OEM HID ballast. All non-OEM ballasts are junk - pure and simple. I have NEVER heard of an OEM ballast having issues like not starting, etc but have experienced myself aftermarket ballasts not igniting the bulb, or not keeping it lit. OEM ballasts are far far more forgiving with voltage variation.


This has absolutely nothing to do with your spark plugs though - it may be something with the ground, some sort of interference from the coils maybe? I would try picking a different ground for the ballasts, but it is definitely not your plugs. Make sure you reconnected all the coil ground wires too. Plus single electrode (and copper) is the way to go. I think it's a fair gauge to determine if a person genuinely understands these motors or not

[m3f_das borgen]

I never use any other plug maker than NGK...their stuff is like autocross, SRS BSNS



I've had bad luck personally with Champion, know a few people who've had bad luck with Bosch, Autolite and a few others but NGK (and even Denso) work amazingly well...never use antiseize on plugs due its lubricant nature





just ask your local NAPA for the NGK equivalent for the M50 motors. Copper plugs are perfectly fine...the only difference between plugs of the same properties but made from different materials is longevity (copper VS platinum and iridium etc) Copper lasts less than platinum and iridium and stuff.

Pretty much every OEM nowadays uses the longer lasting plugs, which is why they recommend 80k mile intervals and that is perfectly fine. If you go replacing iridium/platinum plugs every 10-20k miles, you like throwing money away just as much as the guy who replaces his synthetic oil every 2-3k miles by not fully using what you paid for.



With copper lasting like 20k-30k perfectly fine, I have a great excuse to get my hands dirty and replace the plugs, a task from which I derive 2 things

1)quality wrench time

2)close examination for valve cover leaks (on these M50 series motors, the VCG can leak oil into the spark plug openings, which incidently can cause misfires)





my 2 cents........Also a copper plug is much much cheaper than its longer lasting counterparts (think 2 bucks versus up to $15)