Bosch Platinum +4 Spark Plugs-Any Good?
 

Has anyone ever used the Bosch Platinum +4 Spark Plug in there F150. Are they any good or would you recomend a differnt spark plug?

IMHO the +4's are just a gimmick, just like the splitfires. No noticable difference in performance, just a gouging on the price of them. I found std platinums work just fine.

save our money if ford wanted a platinum plug in any motor it would be there from the factory,,many motors do and do not run correctly with them, i try and stay with oem or in the case of my fords autolite and have not had any personal problems in doing so. plus 4's are as stated above

I would have a difficult time believing a scam…. Bosh a very reputable company with millions of dollars in research and development…………and not finding an advantage to a multiple "spark" plug….they did, and they sell them.
Spark plugs with only one electrode have a tendency to foul all around the porcelain …except where the spark fires, the position and angle, of the four electrode design, creates multiple spark path, that will cause the spark to jump sideways. This has a self-cleaning effect on the center electrode. IMO they are a very good plug for many different applications…like older cars that can foul plugs. BOSH simply took the physics of firing a plug and made it to clean...pretty inventive.
When you are trying to pass emissions on older equipment it could help.

Electricity always takes the path of least resistance, so if it jumps from one electrode once it will likely always jump from the same electrode. It will not jump from multiple electrodes in a single spark.

Check out their web site.....

They explain.... their products, far better than I :rolleyes:

They definately made a difference in my little Suzuki Samurai, where every little bit helps. I was able to lean the mixture on the Weber racing carb. Got maybe one or two more hp out of them. And they don't seem to foul as much as the other one's did (autolites I think.) Expensive little buggers though.

Fbina109
 

I have 60,000 + miles on a set in my dual cam V-6. They perform great and have lasted very good. The best that I have read talks about there being an advantage to the four prong system in how the spark performs. I would agree go to their site and read what the engineers say. You also might check on racing forums, seems that I have seen them being used in racing vehicles. I repeat I have been very pleased with there performance and life.

OK, here is the deal. They don't generally work well in Fords. You will often notice a rougher idle, hesitation, or lower fuel eonomy. Stick with Motorcraft. As for there claims; they are trying to sell a product, do you expect them to tell you they suck?

Multiple Electrode Plugs
 

:-X15 Physics is Physics. Electricity follows the path of least resistance Period....

OK, I went to this page: +4... quite amusing, really. Read between the lines and understand it for what they are really saying and what they want from you; your money!

All it says is exactly what I said in my previous post, along with sales jargon.

That's got nothing to do with the plug; that is fundamental physics. It means nothing, only one electrode path is going to be used at any given time and if one provided the path of least resistance once it likely always will.

I don't buy that, A longer gap means a weaker spark unless you supe up your ignition.

Any decent platinum plug should get 50-60k mi.

My uncle swore by the splitfire plugs using the seat-of-the-pants dyno but they are the same thing as the +4's only with half the number of spark paths. Not to mention that the vehicle was just tuned up when the plugs were put in.

I put a set of them in my 81 F150 4.9 and had to take them out because of rough idling. So I put back the Motorcrafts/autolites. The rough idling smoothed out. The Autolites seem to last a long time in my truck.Maybe I had a bad set. I just don't know.

What do you think would be the best spark plug for my 1994 f150 302 4x4?

Not sure about other applications, but I know that Ford DIS/EDIS "waste spark" igntions do not like Bosch plugs of any kind. In such cases, Motorcraft or Autolite double plats, or Motorcraft's new "fine wire" (FM series), are the only way to go.

i had a 99ranger supercab with the 3.0v6. at 30k miles i put the regular bosch platinums in. i gained about a mile per gallon increase. got about 25mpg on the highway and about 21mpg in the city. at 80kmiles i switched to bosch platinum +4. fuel economy there was no difference. i did have a smoother idle and better acceleration. 137kmiles those plugs were still in there and good. a platinum plug is not meant for every engine. a +4plug is not meant for every engine. sometimes you have to try a few different things until you find what works best in your vehicle and budget.