Platinum +4 wtf????
#1
08-28-2010, 08:25 PM
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Elizabeth City, NC
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Platinum +4 wtf????
I have to ask... Why do people use these plugs in Land Rovers? Let me explain why I ask.
1. No matter what you only get one spark at a time, I hope folks don't think you get 4 sparks (one for each electrode).
2. Platinum is not a better conductor of electricity then copper, it just lasts a bit longer without care.
So why platinum? Why platinum +4?
It seems to me that you could just buy plain old $1.99 bosch copper spark plugs gap them properly and index them and get more for your money then buying platinum +4. In fact thats what I did today and my truck runs great. Now I will have to clean mine up occasionally and check the gap but I spent $16 instead of $64.
1. No matter what you only get one spark at a time, I hope folks don't think you get 4 sparks (one for each electrode).
2. Platinum is not a better conductor of electricity then copper, it just lasts a bit longer without care.
So why platinum? Why platinum +4?
It seems to me that you could just buy plain old $1.99 bosch copper spark plugs gap them properly and index them and get more for your money then buying platinum +4. In fact thats what I did today and my truck runs great. Now I will have to clean mine up occasionally and check the gap but I spent $16 instead of $64.
#2
08-28-2010, 08:29 PM
#3
08-28-2010, 09:06 PM
Bosch plugs
You asked, I will explain. The 4.0L and 4.6L engines were designed for, and do, work very hard. They are true stump pullers and need all the power they can generate to move 5500 lbs plus passengers and cargo.
That is why premium fuel is required, not recommended, and that is also why the original Champions specified in the owners manual were platinum. They did have a single electrode due to the technology available at that time, and now the replacements were, and are, very difficult to come by.
However, the Bosch Platinum +4 plug, by nature of its design with four electrodes to produce one spark, is a much more cleaner burning plug than those with one electrode and it does not require gapping either. As it also contains more platinum than the single electrode plugs, it produces more power consistently and aids efficiency.
I use these Bosch plugs with Bosch wires on my 99 DII with 115K and consistently achieve an avg. 15.5 MPG city and 16.5-17.6 MPG hwy @ 70 mph, which in my experience is not possible with single electrode plugs.
As far as platinum vs. copper, platinum is a much harder and durable substance that can better tolerate conditions in the engine. The days of copper plugs are almost at an end when even economy cars have platinum plugs with 100k change intervals.
By using copper plugs, the performance will be adversely affected. True, the copper plugs cost 1/4 of what the Platinum +4 cost, but they won't last as long as the platinum and won't perform as well.
That is why premium fuel is required, not recommended, and that is also why the original Champions specified in the owners manual were platinum. They did have a single electrode due to the technology available at that time, and now the replacements were, and are, very difficult to come by.
However, the Bosch Platinum +4 plug, by nature of its design with four electrodes to produce one spark, is a much more cleaner burning plug than those with one electrode and it does not require gapping either. As it also contains more platinum than the single electrode plugs, it produces more power consistently and aids efficiency.
I use these Bosch plugs with Bosch wires on my 99 DII with 115K and consistently achieve an avg. 15.5 MPG city and 16.5-17.6 MPG hwy @ 70 mph, which in my experience is not possible with single electrode plugs.
As far as platinum vs. copper, platinum is a much harder and durable substance that can better tolerate conditions in the engine. The days of copper plugs are almost at an end when even economy cars have platinum plugs with 100k change intervals.
By using copper plugs, the performance will be adversely affected. True, the copper plugs cost 1/4 of what the Platinum +4 cost, but they won't last as long as the platinum and won't perform as well.
Last edited by Thor1; 08-28-2010 at 09:09 PM.
#4
08-28-2010, 09:19 PM
very good
You asked, I will explain. The 4.0L and 4.6L engines were designed for, and do, work very hard. They are true stump pullers and need all the power they can generate to move 5500 lbs plus passengers and cargo.
That is why premium fuel is required, not recommended, and that is also why the original Champions specified in the owners manual were platinum. They did have a single electrode due to the technology available at that time, and now the replacements were, and are, very difficult to come by.
However, the Bosch Platinum +4 plug, by nature of its design with four electrodes to produce one spark, is a much more cleaner burning plug than those with one electrode and it does not require gapping either. As it also contains more platinum than the single electrode plugs, it produces more power consistently and aids efficiency.
I use these Bosch plugs with Bosch wires on my 99 DII with 115K and consistently achieve an avg. 15.5 MPG city and 16.5-17.6 MPG hwy @ 70 mph, which in my experience is not possible with single electrode plugs.
As far as platinum vs. copper, platinum is a much harder and durable substance that can better tolerate conditions in the engine. The days of copper plugs are almost at an end when even economy cars have platinum plugs with 100k change intervals.
By using copper plugs, the performance will be adversely affected. True, the copper plugs cost 1/4 of what the Platinum +4 cost, but they won't last as long as the platinum and won't perform as well.
That is why premium fuel is required, not recommended, and that is also why the original Champions specified in the owners manual were platinum. They did have a single electrode due to the technology available at that time, and now the replacements were, and are, very difficult to come by.
However, the Bosch Platinum +4 plug, by nature of its design with four electrodes to produce one spark, is a much more cleaner burning plug than those with one electrode and it does not require gapping either. As it also contains more platinum than the single electrode plugs, it produces more power consistently and aids efficiency.
I use these Bosch plugs with Bosch wires on my 99 DII with 115K and consistently achieve an avg. 15.5 MPG city and 16.5-17.6 MPG hwy @ 70 mph, which in my experience is not possible with single electrode plugs.
As far as platinum vs. copper, platinum is a much harder and durable substance that can better tolerate conditions in the engine. The days of copper plugs are almost at an end when even economy cars have platinum plugs with 100k change intervals.
By using copper plugs, the performance will be adversely affected. True, the copper plugs cost 1/4 of what the Platinum +4 cost, but they won't last as long as the platinum and won't perform as well.
Thats a good explanation...i have heard many about this topic. i have also owned rovers for going on ten years and my 95 RR 4.0 SE would get 18mpg at 70 all day long on copper plugs. I would need a better incentive to spend almost 6 time the money. When it boils down to maintainece...if you can save on ten items $100.00...you save a grand...and if you drive these piles long enough you will find out that they need constant maintainence as they where not designed to work hard as the motor design is a POS.....
#5
08-28-2010, 09:28 PM
Winching
Not sure what the RAVE calls for on the DII but the RAVE for my DI with the 4.0L calls for RN11YCC. The YCC indicates it is copper. If the RAVE calls for the RC11PYPB4 that is a copper plug with a platinum coating and a platinum center "button". So unless the RAVE specifies something different than these two it does not call for a solid platinum plug. As to which works better I think it depends more on the truck. My truck runs great on brand new properly gapped copper plugs from wally world. Just thought I would throw this out there.
#6
08-28-2010, 10:00 PM
I know that the owners manual requires a platinum plug, and the ones that were removed from my engine were the original platinum Champions. The DII engine was a Bosch redesign with their electronics, eliminating the Lucas bits, so maybe that had something to do with the platinum plug requirement.
I understand the point of the copper plugs, but with the performance I have and continue to get with the Bosch Platinum +4 I highly recommend them. I also buy them at AutoZone when there are promotions and I can save some money, so the difference is significantly smaller.
I understand the point of the copper plugs, but with the performance I have and continue to get with the Bosch Platinum +4 I highly recommend them. I also buy them at AutoZone when there are promotions and I can save some money, so the difference is significantly smaller.
#7
08-28-2010, 10:52 PM
I have the E3's always advertised in the sidebar of the forum. Just for kicks. Now with the Volo Gas Saver chip and keeping track of every tank full of gas. I get 18.8mpg on the highway and 15.2mpg + in the city. I dont drive hard. I have used Bosch +4's but have heard that they the require higher amps from the coil packs. So my next round I may go with the NGK's iridium which others' have had great success with. I dont care if a spark plug change cost $55 if it makes my engine purrrrrrrrrr.
Last edited by bosshogt; 08-29-2010 at 01:20 AM.
#8
08-28-2010, 11:10 PM
You asked, I will explain. The 4.0L and 4.6L engines were designed for, and do, work very hard. They are true stump pullers and need all the power they can generate to move 5500 lbs plus passengers and cargo.
That is why premium fuel is required, not recommended, and that is also why the original Champions specified in the owners manual were platinum. They did have a single electrode due to the technology available at that time, and now the replacements were, and are, very difficult to come by.
However, the Bosch Platinum +4 plug, by nature of its design with four electrodes to produce one spark, is a much more cleaner burning plug than those with one electrode and it does not require gapping either. As it also contains more platinum than the single electrode plugs, it produces more power consistently and aids efficiency.
I use these Bosch plugs with Bosch wires on my 99 DII with 115K and consistently achieve an avg. 15.5 MPG city and 16.5-17.6 MPG hwy @ 70 mph, which in my experience is not possible with single electrode plugs.
As far as platinum vs. copper, platinum is a much harder and durable substance that can better tolerate conditions in the engine. The days of copper plugs are almost at an end when even economy cars have platinum plugs with 100k change intervals.
By using copper plugs, the performance will be adversely affected. True, the copper plugs cost 1/4 of what the Platinum +4 cost, but they won't last as long as the platinum and won't perform as well.
That is why premium fuel is required, not recommended, and that is also why the original Champions specified in the owners manual were platinum. They did have a single electrode due to the technology available at that time, and now the replacements were, and are, very difficult to come by.
However, the Bosch Platinum +4 plug, by nature of its design with four electrodes to produce one spark, is a much more cleaner burning plug than those with one electrode and it does not require gapping either. As it also contains more platinum than the single electrode plugs, it produces more power consistently and aids efficiency.
I use these Bosch plugs with Bosch wires on my 99 DII with 115K and consistently achieve an avg. 15.5 MPG city and 16.5-17.6 MPG hwy @ 70 mph, which in my experience is not possible with single electrode plugs.
As far as platinum vs. copper, platinum is a much harder and durable substance that can better tolerate conditions in the engine. The days of copper plugs are almost at an end when even economy cars have platinum plugs with 100k change intervals.
By using copper plugs, the performance will be adversely affected. True, the copper plugs cost 1/4 of what the Platinum +4 cost, but they won't last as long as the platinum and won't perform as well.
#9
08-28-2010, 11:19 PM
Rock Crawling
I know this isn't the purpose of the thread, but I was appreciative of this info from another board member and it made my decision easier.
Last edited by DiscoIIBrandon; 08-29-2010 at 08:32 AM.
#10
08-29-2010, 12:28 AM
