I am looking for someone who can teach me how to replace spark plugs and ignition coils. The vehicle in question is a 2018 KIA Forte LX Sedan. Although I have watched instructional videos, I have not performed this task myself and would appreciate hands-on guidance to build my confidence.

I have no tools either. I inquired in my local community college to take a class to learn, but was told "NO" unless I am planning to get a degree which I am not. I ive in Texas, zip code 76179.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: JeffSig2022,

What kind of car?
Year/Make/Model.

It's usually a fairly straightforward job.

I've got a Subaru, so it's a bit more of a pain, being a boxer engine.
My wife's former Flex & sister's Edge, the rear plugs/coils were definitely tougher.

Most inline 4s & 6s and RWD V engines aren't too bad, other than tight quarters near the firewall.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by P250UA5:
What kind of car?
Year/Make/Model.
2018 KIA Forte LX sedan

quote:

2018 KIA Forte LX sedan

Its fairly straight forward, the plugs and coils are under the plastic engine cover, it will pop right off you just have to grab the ends and pull up.

Do you have a friend who is mechanically inclined, if so see if they will mentor you, pizza, beer, maybe a box or two of 9mm if they are into shooting, you do the work, have them guide you.

On your own, then here is a step by step, Plug type, tools needed, pictures of the process, if you can use a socket wrench you can do this.

Tools, since you don't have them, Harbor Freight is your go to, or, you can see if the local auto parts store has a loaner program, usually free if you buy the parts from them so you could borrow a torque wrench.

Things to watch out for:

Cross Threading plugs, when you put them back in do it by hand, be sure you have a 5/8 SPARK PLUG socket, it has a rubber insulator that protects the plug and holds it in the socket.

Since these are down in a hole you want the plug to stay in the socket and turn the extension by hand to start them so you don't cross thread anything.

Once you have them in properly you can tighten them down with the ratchet attached to the socket.

Take your time, do one at a time so you put the coils back in the correct hole, take pictures before you remove things so you have a reference when putting them back.

https://www.forteturbo.org/thr...lug-replacement.726/

quote:

2018 KIA Forte LX sedan

A straight-four. If non-turbo (sometimes with turbos intake ducting is on top of the plugs), usually a straightforward job. Provided no coil connectors break, a piece of coil doesn't get stuck on the plug, the valve cover seals aren't leaking oil into the cavity ... But if you do have trouble, we can help out, or there are lots of YouTube videos covering these.

One thing when you procure your parts: use the same brand and type of spark plugs as OEM. This will most likely be a Denso or NGK, platinum or iridium. Don't substitute a different brand or any "gimmicky" plugs that make outlandish claims, or you may get misfires where (I assume) you didn't have any before.

And is this preventive maintenance based on mileage (time is irrelevant), or is there some drivability problem?

And is this preventive maintenance based on mileage (time is irrelevant), or is there some drivability problem?[/QUOTE]

Engine light just came up last night and diagnosed this morning at Auto Zone. So, no A-Premium sparkplugs?

I'd help you but I'm half a country away.

That car has a coil on plug inline 4 cylinder. Everything is right on top, and it really is as easy as it looks in the videos.

Go buy a 3/8 drive socket set with an extension and spark plug socket. Don't be cheap and get the dollar general set. Your basic home improvement store brand or craftsman will be fine, and not cost you too much. If you plan to expand your skillset and tackle more projects in the future, maybe spring for a bigger and better set now so you're not paying for redundancy later, but you won't need a huge one for this job. Even he Pittsburgh stuff from Harbor Freight will work...yeah it's made in China but all consumer-grade tools are these days, it has a lifetime warranty, and it's serviceable.

Unplug the coil wires.

Remove the bolts holding the coils in (if present).

Pull the coils out.

This is where you're probably going to find a bunch of oil from a leaking valve cover gasket, which is usually what causes this problem in the first place. If that's the case, you're going to have to research changing the valve cover gasket and do that, otherwise you'll be right back where you started in a few days. If there isn't any oil, lucky you, keep going!

Use the extension and spark plug socket to remove the spark plugs.

Buy factory OEM replacement plugs and coils. You'll get better performance out of them, and the plugs should come pre-gapped so you won't have to mess with that.

Carefully start the plugs by hand and make sure you don't cross-threaded them. I like a little anti-sieze on the threads, but it's not strictly necessary. Once they're all started by hand, snug them down with the ratchet.

Pop the coils back on, reinstall the bolts (if present) and plug them in.

Should be good to go.


Part of learning to work on stuff is being willing to take on the risk of screwing it up. Go slow, use your head, and refer to videos if you get lost...there's so much good info out there on YouTube these days that I wish had been available back when I started learning. Or ask here...somebody will be able to point you in the right direction. This is a pretty basic job and an easy one to cut your teeth on...the valve cover gasket will be a little more involved and probably require a torque wrench if you find oil in there, though. Good news is, if you do find oil you always have the option to just pop the coils back on and take it to a shop if you don't want to tackle that on your own.

Diagnosed as what? Is it missing? If a misfire (sets codes P0301 through P0304, inclusive), does it feel like a fish nibbling, or is the engine rough, with a power loss and the engine light flashing? Or something else? And I have never heard of an "A-Premium" spark plug.

Rock Auto is showing three engines for this car, a 1.6 turbo and non-turbo 1.8 and 2.0.

quote:

. So, no A-Premium sparkplugs?

Correct. OEM only. Replace them with the same thing it came with from the factory... probably listed in your owner's manual.

quote:

Originally posted by egregore:
Diagnosed as what? Is it missing? If a misfire (sets codes P0301 through P0304, inclusive), does it feel like a fish nibbling, or is the engine rough, with a power loss and the engine light flashing? Or something else? And I have never heard of an "A-Premium" spark plug.

Rock Auto is showing three engines for this car, a 1.6 turbo and non-turbo 1.8 and 2.0.

P0301. is the 2.0

Where are you located? If you're close to a SF member who willing to help, it may be worth the drive. I'm in the Sacramento area and own a lift (although not needed in this case).

quote:

P0301. is the 2.0

That's a cylinder 1 misfire. According to Google, that's the one closest to the passenger side on that vehicle. I'd start by popping that coil off and seeing what it looks like in there.

Buy a 3/8' torque wrench also. The torque values aren't much at all for any of that stuff. Snug on those is usually enough, but if you haven't wrenched much, you don't want to guess.

It looks dusty, but I see no damage and no sign of oil either.

Well that's good. If you have the ability to read codes, you could swap the 1 and 2 coils and see if the misfire changes cylinders...might only need to buy one coil and swap that out if the misfire follows it. Could save you some time and money, but depending on the mileage it might not hurt to just change everything as a preventative measure anyway if you can afford it.

Thank you in advance to everyone for their input. I just cancelled my order for the "A-Premium" parts and am ordering the OEM parts suggested by you guys. I will have to wait until they arrive for more questions im sure I will have. I will also visit the store to buy a starter kit of tools as described here.

It may be nothing, but something looks suspicious.



The little white spot may be a burn-through. If this has happened, your spark, taking the path of least resistance, will jump through it and arc to the metal spark plug tube. Take a screwdriver or similar object with an insulated handle, fasten an alligator clip lead wire to it and a good ground on the engine, and use this as a probe. With the engine running (it will have a dead miss, but don't worry about it, you won't be doing it that long), run your probe first into the open end of the coil. A bluish-white spark will jump at least a half-inch gap and be steady and even. Next, run your probe along and around the body of the coil, paying particular attention to where the rubber boot joins the plastic part and that white spot. If the spark jumps from anywhere other than the open end, the coil is bad and you've found your problem.

Regarding the 5/8" hex on the spark plug socket, not necessarily. This was standard for decades, but more recently there are plugs with 9/16", 14mm and even 12mm hexes. Rock Auto's picture has nothing for a scale reference, so verify your socket size before purchasing.

I see from the photo that you have one coil off, All you need for this job is a 10 millimeter socket, a spark plug socket, extension and ratchet. I'm on the other side of town outside of Kaufman, After 3 strokes I'm now retired after 29 years in the field, Still have all my toolboxes and tools that you would be welcome to use but it would probably be easier to buy those few tools from harbor freight than to drive all the way over here.

New spark plugs with crush washers are easy without a torque wrench. Hand tighten until seated, then a little over a 1/2 turn with a wrench.

Should you want to use a torque wrench it's 10.8lb-ft to 14.5lb-ft for aluminum heads. That's from NGK for the spark plugs for your car and it's a 5/8 socket.

Go to Harbor Tools and pick up these.
I keep these in a tool bag in each car.
It'll do most basic jobs.

https://www.harborfreight.com/...-10-piece-67923.html

https://www.harborfreight.com/...soft-grip-59828.html

https://www.harborfreight.com/...t-4-piece-67926.html

https://www.harborfreight.com/...rench-set-42305.html

https://www.harborfreight.com/...river-set-94607.html

https://www.harborfreight.com/...t-6-piece-64729.html


https://www.harborfreight.com/...4-pockets-61469.html

https://www.harborfreight.com/...4-pockets-61469.html