Picked up a set of these to replace the stock NKGs on my 2005 Honda Accord 4 cylinder after 97k miles. The originals were still good -- just doing a spring-time overhaul.
Engine felt smoother although that could be psychological. What is real, however, is a solid and consistent 2 MPG increase in fuel economy from what I was averaging over the last 60k miles.
I'll try to update this review after 30k miles or so. Denso (5304) IK20 Iridium Spark Plug, Pack of 1
This fits in 1999-2003 Toyota Sienna. Trick to replace the three spark plugs in the back is to remove the windsheld wipers and the plastic piece for intake air and rain water collector -- a big piece from left to right.
After the spark plugs replaced, the engine runs smooth, starts faster. Since Iridium is very expensive, the tip is little -- 0.4mm in size, so that it can spark easily. Denso's web site says it has life 60,000 miles. Denso also developed one for Toyota and Lexus that has 0.7mm tip, that one can last 120,000 miles. 0.4mm has more precise ignition time, so that better fuel econemy.
Until recently, platinum was considered the best material to use on the top of an electrode because of its durability. However, Iridium is 6 times harder, 8 times stronger, and has a melting point 1200 degrees higher than platinum. Put that into a harsh environment such as an engine piston chamber, and you have a spark plug that can resist wear much better than platinum.
I just installed a set of these in my 2001 GL1800. I previously had NGK standard plugs with under 1,000 miles on them and AC Rapidfire plugs with 24,000 miles on them.
The AC Rapidfire plugs were my previous favorite, but it seems they are not the same plug anymore, having lost the serrated center electrode. The Rapidfires I had previously installed were the non-serrated type. They still provided faster starts than new NGK plugs, but not the improvement I had witnessed in other engines with the serrated Rapidfires.
The IK20s, which, in spite of the title and picture, are Iridium Power plugs, provided about a 1/2 second start time, where new NGKs gave a slightly longer than one second start, and the Rapidfires gave a slightly less than one second start. The engine is running smoother than with the 24,000 mile Rapidfires, but that is no suprise. I can't tell if it is running smoother than with new Rapidfires, as the difference is negligable. That is the extent of my review so far, as I have not yet collected enough data to see if I get a fuel economy change, and the power difference is too negligable for me to tell.
The Iridium Power spark plug is good for 30,000 miles as per the Denso FAQ. If a 5% fuel economy gain is achieved, then the plugs will pay for themselves a couple of times in that time.
There is also a Denso Iridium Tough plug available, the VK20, which is supposed to give less of the benefits of the Iridium power, but last 60,000 miles while still giving improvements over conventional plugs.
I have been using iridium since 2001 on my civic. I saw quite a few comment about lifespan of the plug.
My denso iridum on the box said good for 250000 miles, and my civic is at 260000 and still running swell.
So they do last long, unless they reduce the quality so denso can make more $$.
After reading reviews, talking to mechanics and taking auto manufacturers relationships with suppliers as sceptic, I tried these plugs in my Mini Cooper 2003 (a hesitant slug) which was seen by the reputable dealer with this complaint. Never improved after their expensive tuneups. With near recommended gap (all 4 matched) , the hesitation is gone. Normal heat range, these inspire you to drive more sportingly with somewhat greater efficiency, yet the real gain is in sureness entering highways. The previous factory recommended plugs do not come close. They (set up correctly still hesitated) Makes you wonder? I put 5 in my wife"s Volvo V70 with similar yet less dramatic improvement. Is this rather subtle company one of those best kept secrets?
I recently bought a set of 6 Denso IK20 Iridium spark plugs for my girlfriends jetta vr6. They were a direct replacement of the oem's and installed smoothly. The car desperately needed a new set and now runs great. Awesome price and free shipping is nice too.
Just a warning for everyone, these are NOT for Audi's. The gap on these is .044" (1.1mm) which is incorrect. the Audi must be at .032" (0.8mm) for OEM standards. I spoke to Denso support and they have it incorrectly listed on the Audi 2.7T engine as a .044", in their master book it's a blank so they didn't actually know the gap and therefore assumed it to be the default for the part which is 0.044". BUT WAIT!!! you would think, no prob, just adjust the gap right? WRONG.... IR plugs and their tiny spark tip are extremely fragile and you WILL BREAK THEM!!! don't cost yourself $50+ in broken plugs or have the hassle of all that work just to return these because the replacement work on an Audi is multiple hours of tear-down. Do yourself a favor and don't buy... After my mess and hours of research I found that the NKG 6458 PFR6Q is the best plug you can get, it's what Audi installs from the factory and that is correctly gapped. - Iridium - Civic - Fuel Economy - Spark Plugs'
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