A great question that I get asked on a regular basis. But to make this little game of hide and seek as stress-free as possible, I’m going to point you to 3 simple areas. Your car, your owners manual, and a great online resource to find not only the stock plug for your car, but every other spark plug that is available.

If I had my way, there would be a sticker under the hood of all vehicles that lists the OE part numbers of every major component - light bulbs and paint color included. While we’re at it, if every car purchase included a handy little mechanic, I certainly wouldn’t complain. But since we don’t live in Utopia, we have to go hunting for this stuff.

Some vehicle manufacturers have kindly put the OE spark plug part number, yes, on a sticker even, under the hood, complete with recommended gap setting. But, if you’re in the same boat as me, and 90% of the rest of the world, your next stop is the owner’s manual. Don’t have the owner’s manual? I’ve got one more fabulous resource for you - and this one, you’re going to love!

Check out this cool tool at SparkPlugs.com - use the make/model/year lookup on the home page to find your vehicle. What magically appears on your screen is every spark plug available for your car by NGK, Denso, Bosch, Autolite, Champion, E3, Splitfire and Pulstar, complete with recommended gap settings. There will likely be some plugs that say something along the lines of “OE type or OE manufacturer”. If you know the brand the vehicle manufacturer put in your car, just find that brands plug with that handy label. Those are the stock plugs. All other plugs with that label are the stock equivalent in other brands.

Want more information on any of those plugs? Simply roll over the part number and the plug specs and image pop up on the left hand side. Click on the “more info” button and even more details come up. Looking for higher performance or gas mileage? After talking with some mechanics and spark plug techs we’ve learned 2 things.

#1- Never downgrade. If the stock plugs on your vehicle are higher quality than traditional nickel plugs, the vehicle manufacturer likely used them for a reason. Some manufacturers are starting to see the advantages of using ‘high performance’ plugs. Others have had the spark plug manufacturer make that specific spark plug just for your engine. Downgrading to a cheaper/inferior plug could actually lower your engine’s performance or even cause engine damage.

#2- Upgrading your plugs, on the other hand, can INCREASE your performance. Studies have shown that using ‘high performance’ plugs that are part of newer technology, such as iridium and fine wire plugs, can actually increase a vehicles horsepower, gas mileage and performance.

How can you tell what would be an upgrade vs. a downgrade? According to SparkPlugs.com, the list of available plugs is categorized according to a variety of factors that affect a plugs performance, resulting in a “super, premium, and ultimate” sort of ranking, with the best plugs starting at the top. With the information they’ve provided, it helps consumers like us to find the best quality at the best price, and allow our babies to keep pluggin along (no pun intended). Happy Tuning!

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