I know what you're thinking, "Another spark article Really?"
Yes, really. Everyday we seem to receive inquiries from customers regarding which spark plugs he/she should run in their 1.5L Turbo Honda. As these cars become more commonly modified these questions are going to continue roll in.
Let's start with the basics. Honda provides a nifty little maintenance schedule minder for those with stock/near-stock cars that drive rather "normal" with very limited spirited driving. Maintenance Minder 4 (100,000 miles) is the factory recommended interval those covered under the "normal" driving category. However, it is not a bad idea to check the plugs a bit more often than this if tuned, moderately modified or if you enjoy racing around town all the time like Johnny Tran all the time.
The Honda factory spark plugs for the 1.5T Civic Non-Si are NGK 95112 Laser Iridium Spark Plug ILZKAR8H8S Heat Range 8 and NGK 95660 ILZKAR8J8SY Laser Iridium Spark Plug for the 1.5T Accord, Civic Si, CR-V, 2.0T Accord and RDX. The only differences between these two plugs are the gaps.
*Technically the & 2.0T Honda Accord 2.0T and Acura RDX use a DILKAR8P8SY Heat Range 8 Honda part number 12290-6A0-A01, which is a Japanese NGK spark plug and can only be purchased through Honda at this time. However, it has identical specs of the NGK 95660 ILZKAR8J8SY plug and can be interchanged.
NGK Laser Iridium Spark Plugs provide superior ignitability and long service life.
The fine wire center electrode and the fine wire ground electrode offer the smallest tip diameter available with Iridium and Platinum surfaces that ensure a slow wear rate, provide a stable idle, offer superior anti fouling, improve your fuel efficiency, and lower your vehicle's emissions.
Features
- Laser welded Iridium center electrode tip
- Platinum disc welded to backside of ground electrode provides
- “Trivalent Metal Plating” provides superior anti-corrosion and anti-seizing properties
- Faster starts and quicker acceleration
- Long service life, better fuel economy and lower emissions
- Best OEM Iridium spark plug available
- Original Equipment Manufacturer approved design
These plugs are supposed to come out of the box with a 0.030" gap (NGK 95112) or 0.032" gap (NGK 95660), which is within factory spec for these cars. However, we always recommend checking the gaps just to make sure.
1.5T Si Factory Recommended Electrode Gap:
Standard (New)
0.70－0.75 mm (0.0276－0.0295")
1.5T Non-Si Factory Recommended Electrode Gap:
Standard (New)
0.7－0.8 mm (0.028－0.031")
K20C1 Factory Recommended Electrode Gap:
Standard (New)
0.7－0.8 mm (0.028－0.031")
Torque Specs: Aluminum: 10.8-14.5 lb. ft.
Longevity: 100k Miles
"But what if I'm full bolt-on or Stage 5 broooo?" At this point in time we recommend stock plugs for ANY power goals you may have. We are currently running stock plugs gapped down to 0.018" on our shop car making well over 600 horsepower without any issues whatsoever. If you're moderately to extremely modified and/or running high boost levels you will most likely need to gap your plugs down. Higher cylinder pressure(s) will increase the difficulty for spark to jump from the electrode to the strap. Tightening the gap between the electrode and strap will allow spark to jump much easier with higher cylinder pressure(s), reducing the risk of ignition misfire. If professional tuned/tuning, we recommend discussing spark plug gap with the tuner.
For reference, we have been using/recommending stock spark plugs in high power 8th Gen, 9th Gen and now 10th Gen Honda Civics for years without any ignition related issues. Modern coil on plug (COP) ignitions systems have replaced outdated distributor based ignition systems allowing, factory ignition systems to work much more efficiently.
Please do not fall for "1-step colder" plugs, "similar" plugs your buddy recommended, brands other than NGK or knock-off NGK plugs. At this point in time there are no "colder" spark plugs available or "similar" plugs that will work. We have worked directly with NGK to test fit a few different plugs that we were told may work. They did NOT. There's a reason Honda uses NGK. There are quite a few people offering fake/knock-off NGK plugs (CLICK THIS LINK ON HOW TO SPOT AUTHENTIC NGK SPARK PLUGS), so be sure to purchase off of a reputable vendor. (cough cough, we sell these)
