VT feeling "slugish" ............?

[TigerVX]

my advice is go back to the holden mechanic.... tell them you want a full refund or else you'll report them to Office Of Fair Trading.... Holden Head Office Customer Care... even 7:30 Report... and next take your car for a test drive before accepting that it has been repaired properly... and if it isnt... ask for the manager and tell him you want it fixed properly...

Legally the mechanic has done nothing wrong. If he had any brains at all then he would have checked the plugs and leads first but the things he did look at could contribte to a problem like this. So there probably isn't alot you can do about it really.
If I ever leave my car with a mechanic I make sure they ring me before replacing anything that way you know what's going on.

 

[sno]

when he checked it he said if the problem keeps occuring bring it back and we'll change the plugs/leads instead of doin it now and costing more.. I started this thread to see wot u guys think becos Ive had more success on this forum than any other mechanic!

Back on topic - Leads - topgun? Plugs - bosch premium? hard to do yourself?

 

[accentstencil]

Easy enough to do yourself with a decent spark plug socket. The leads on the right are a bit more difficult to thread through the black flexible plastic conduit. Removing the alternator makes it easier. Don't overtighten the plugs though, they don't need excessive force.

 

[holden007]

Ripped of by a mechanic (in this case Holden Dealer), its so common these days. Suggestion, try to find the problem and fix it yourself, if you can!

 

[gogoboygareth]

Back on topic - Leads - topgun? Plugs - bosch premium? hard to do yourself?

Is there a sticky on how to change both the leads and plugs? I've never done them myself....

Do the leads every get replaced during normal services? Every 40,000km's my car has the standard "major service", and the filters & spark plugs get replaced - but do the leads get done too?

 

[accentstencil]

I wouldn't change the leads every 40,000, they should last longer than that. I usually wait until I have a problem with a lead and then replace them all.
Changing plugs and leads is easy. Pull the lead off the sparkplug carefully so yo don't pull the cable out ot the end of the plug. Get a spark plug socket and unscrew the plug and replace with a new one and push the lead back on until you can feel it click on. Replace the leads simply by tracing where the old one went. Do one lead at a time so you know exactly where it goes. To do the leads on the right hand side it is easier if you remove the alternator so you can feed the leads through. Do not overtighten the plugs, do them up finger tight and then about a quarter of a turn more with the socket. If you have a torque wrench tighten them to 15-25 Nm.

 

[WAGON MAN]

I wouldn't change the leads every 40,000, they should last longer than that. I usually wait until I have a problem with a lead and then replace them all.
Changing plugs and leads is easy. Pull the lead off the sparkplug carefully so yo don't pull the cable out ot the end of the plug. Get a spark plug socket and unscrew the plug and replace with a new one and push the lead back on until you can feel it click on. Replace the leads simply by tracing where the old one went. Do one lead at a time so you know exactly where it goes. To do the leads on the right hand side it is easier if you remove the alternator so you can feed the leads through. Do not overtighten the plugs, do them up finger tight and then about a quarter of a turn more with the socket. If you have a torque wrench tighten them to 15-25 Nm.

Also when putting new spark plugs in ensure they are gapped correctly:


V6 N/A 3.8L .............. 1.5 - 1.6mm

V6 S/C 3.8L .............. 1.2 - 1.3mm

5.0L V8 .............. 1.0mm

5.7L V8 .............. 1.5mm

 

[sno]

Also when putting new spark plugs in ensure they are gapped correctly:


V6 N/A 3.8L .............. 1.5 - 1.6mm

V6 S/C 3.8L .............. 1.2 - 1.3mm

5.0L V8 .............. 1.0mm

5.7L V8 .............. 1.5mm

A big WTF!! explain more please!

 

[accentstencil]

That is the size of the gap in the spark plug. But if you buy the correct plug the gap is usually right anyway.

 

[sno]

oh okay.. I understand.. Do I need to know anything when it comes to leads.. I heard topgun 10mm leads are great for commodores..