How To Replace the Spark Plugs in the BMW i8 for required service maintenance

[@PatsGarageOnline]

This video is one of many in my BMW i8 How To playlist. Check it out: kzbin.info/aero/PL49e1IbCevjJOwwZ21wNERrR0Ygn8Mg6K

[@BJones24]

Nice. Just got a 2019 i8 and the plugs need to be replaced- dealer wants $500. Great tutorial ima get the tools and try diy.

[@teku412]

Ive been worried about buying an i8 due to maintenance cost. But your videos have made those concerns go away. I'm hands on, i can do a majority of the work on this myself, especially with your vids to help. 6 months left until I'm ready to buy an i8 now, i cant wait!

[@Aslan_Selfmade]

I admire your intelligence and your experience. Through your videos, I learn and do everything on my I8 myself. Thank you very much for your videos, especially that you share them and show everything so perfectly.

[@PatsGarageOnline]

Thank you for the kind words. I am very glad that my videos are useful.

[@Aslan_Selfmade]

@@PatsGarageOnline I hope your KZbin reach will increase, so that people like to learn from you.

[@michaelrawlins419]

Great video! Now all I need is an i8! Once the roadsters depreciate, I’ll be interested.

[@dustin8513]

Hope you could buy a fancy i8 soon !!!

[@dustin8513]

WOW tHANKS FOR YOUR PERFECT ADVICE, TIPS AND KIND VIDEO !!!

[@macnallyv]

Pat - what a wonderful series of videos so detailed, explicit and informative. You have a definite talent for presentation. Own a 2017 I8 myself and have no hesitation in doing a service with your help. Your comments on requiring 10k a year in the back pocket is a bit worrying. Thanks for the videos and keep it up

[@PatsGarageOnline]

Thank you for the kind words. I'm glad that this information is useful and helps make it a little bit easier to do the work yourself. Yes, I like to have a good reserve of cash in case there are problems. It is a bit worrying to many folks, but I feel it's best to let them know what they're getting into. I hope you have great success with your 2017 BMW i8!

[@hyperlime]

Love your channel on the maintenance and everything about the i8! Keep it up Pat! - an i8 owner myself, cheers!

[@PatsGarageOnline]

Thank you so much! I'll be running out of DIY stuff, eventually, but hope to continue to show what the ownership experience is like for me.

[@JayBrav0]

Excellent tutorial Pat!👍

[@jimwelsh844]

Wow you are amazingly meticulous ! I doubt that any authorized matches doing yourself. I am now thinking of changing my i8 roadster spark plugs myself. I have only 8000 miles an 2 years on them. I will probably change them ahead of 30K. Thank you for a great video!

[@PatsGarageOnline]

Thanks for the kind words. Glad I could help!

[@retbul001]

great videos , best youtube manual for i8!

[@jeffreynavarro7838]

This process looks so easy, you do a great job explaining pat. I like how you follow all of the steps by the book. Where can I buy the service manual? Also, are you ever going to attempt to change the coolant and do the bleeding on your own or would you say it's better to take it to the BMW dealer.

[@PatsGarageOnline]

emanualonline has the ISTA application which contains the "service manual" data. If I had to do a coolant change, I'd likely try to do it myself. I don't know how long I'll own the car, however, so it may be sold before the coolant expires.

[@jeffreynavarro7838]

I’m curious about why you would wanna sell it if the car is so beautiful and you know how to fix it yourself.

[@jaychong4690]

Thinking about getting one (I8) AWESOME tips and videos ! Thanks for sharing....

[@dustin8513]

Very useful one !!! 👍

[@shahzaibzafar629]

Thank u sooo much for these videos.. Much much respect sir

[@PatsGarageOnline]

Thank you very much!

[@michaelbass8021]

Great job👍👍

[@shipcaptainsview]

THANKS-A-LOT

[@d3viant]

Why use the red plastic spark plug holder to install the new plugs? Surely the removal socket can do the same job, given it's magnetised?

[@PatsGarageOnline]

The service manual states that it's to prevent cross threading. I don't know how delicate the head is but I don't want to screw it up.

[@xtc-jewelry]

OMG Excellent Job. Great Work. Keep Up the wonderful job you doing.

[@PatsGarageOnline]

Thank you!

[@jorgeperez6339]

Hi Pat, First of all Thanks a million for posting all these videos! I also want to ask you, if you had to adjust the gap in your spark plugs before you installed them?

[@PatsGarageOnline]

Thanks for the comment! I did check the gap with a little gap tool that I had, off camera, when I first got the spark plugs. They were in good shape. But I would always recommend checking them before you install them. I accidentally left that out of the video commentary. I should add that to the description. Thanks for the reminder!

[@ElectricBlakeGames]

Strange that such a long steel thread would not recommend anti-seize! Personally, I would have ignored that, great video as always, watching as I am considering purchasing one of these cars now that depreciation has hit One last thing please don't run your car without proper ventilation int he garage You seem to be a very nice guy, would want you to stay safe as CO2 is a silent painless killer Sorry for the dark note there Happy Motoring!

[@PatsGarageOnline]

I was surprised that no anti-seize was required but with high compression GDI, I didn't want to mess with it. I've had one plug back out of a head, slowly, causing a misfire over the decades, so I try to be careful of the procedures in the manuals, these days. Yep, I got a CO monitor and was sure to open the doors after paused the video. Thanks!

[@HeidiandFranny]

Hi Pat, Very thorough and well-lit workspace. Super easy to follow :) Porsche says the same thing about anti-seize... I think it is for conductivity and it does slightly change the torque value. Did the NGKs have any instructions on them? The set I threw into the 356C said to seat and then like 1/2 turn so no torque spec. Curious if your's said the same thing. Gaping them is a little hairy... That center electrode is just tiny and super fragile... Nice job! I've never started the engine like that ;) But it makes sense. Obviously, your parking brake was set so the electric was trying to push against it and started the engine to help - but that was in neutral... Is that right? Good to know! It's probably in the owner's manual, huh... :) Anyhoo, great job! Thanks for the bit about fpceuro. I'll have to check them out. Franny

[@PatsGarageOnline]

Hi Franny and thanks for the kind words. The NGK plugs didn't come with any instructions. I used the newtis web service manual to find the torque settings. There was no mention of any specific amount of turns required, only torque. I checked the gap between the old and new plugs off camera with a set of feeler gauges just to make sure they were close, and they were. I misplaced my gap tool somehow. It's been a few years since I had to do plugs on any of my cars. From the manual, I read that it will start the car if you touch the accelerator pedal but it won't actually try to accelerate. You don't feel or sense any attempt to accelerate forward. The computer in the car likely sees that it's in Park so any pressure on the pedal is a request to start the engine. I can only imagine what happens when the computer gets confused. LOL! Yes, FCPEuro was a surprise when I heard about it. Someone also told me that if you pay for the parts using Paypal Checkout, Paypal will cover return shipping up to $30. So, next time I'm checking out with Paypal and sending them the receipt for shipping so any replacement item will actually be 100% free.

[@tylergrube3001]

Hey Pat, how do you reset the spark plug service notifications?

[@PatsGarageOnline]

I don't remember having to do that. I have a video on how to reset the oil life and you might try using that video to find the spark plug maintenance reset

[@cobby4444]

Great Video. Great job Thank You. This gives me confidence that these jobs are not difficult to do. Just watched this as well as the oil change video. How BMW can justify £400 (UK) I am staggered.

[@PatsGarageOnline]

Thank you! Yes, the dealership will definitely charge a premium to do this work when it's not required. The i8 is one of the simplest performance cars to perform routine maintenance and I love that we can do this work, easily, on our own.

[@cobby4444]

Pat's Garage Online Many thanks Pat for the reply. My 2018 roadster has only done 7000 miles but the service indicator has hit the two-year trigger. Bmw are suggesting that spark plugs would change on this first service. This feels to me to be overkill, especially as probably only 50% of the miles have been done using the engine...ie the equivalent 3500. Would you change them in this scenario. Using your video, I have pulled one plug out just to look at the condition. It looks pretty good to me. (Hoping to join your webcast this evening...it’ll be 1am in the UK here. )

[@PatsGarageOnline]

@@cobby4444 I would not change the plugs at 7000 miles. The plugs should not go bad based on the length of time they are in the engine, but how much wear they receive with use. Our direct injection turbocharged engines do put a lot of pressure on the plugs, but they should last 30000 miles. The mechanic needs to evaluate two things before suggestion a spark plug replacement: The service manual states 30000 mile change intervals and if the vehicle is not exhibiting a loss of power, they do not meed to be changed. Thanks for following my channel and I'm looking forward to seeing you tonight. I appreciate you staying up late. There will be 5 of us on the panel so I may not get to a lot of i8 questions but I hope to save the chat and make another video just for i8 questions.

[@cobby4444]

Pat's Garage Online Really excellent advice Pat, thank you. Good luck later, and hope all goes well. KR Warren

[@paulmoe1]

Hi Pat. I enjoy your videos. Keep up the good work. Question, when you take the I8 to a car show or a cars and coffee event, do you have any idea as to how long you can keep the doors open before you have to be concerned about the battery drain? Thanks

[@PatsGarageOnline]

Thank you, kindly! I don't know the exact figure, but the interior lights and LEDs will turn off when a certain amount of time expires. It often happens when I'm detailing the interior of the car, so likely under 10 minutes. I typically arrive at events with 10miles or so of electric remaining (driving in Sport Mode if I need to), so that I don't have any issues with the doors and lighting. Thanks!

[@shipcaptainsview]

WHAT THE GAP ARE THERE SET WHEN YOU BY THEM THANKS, RICHARD

[@PatsGarageOnline]

.030"

[@mikewestwood567]

Wish I had the knowledge and experience to service my own vehicle. I bet BMW dealers wouldn’t take this much care. Once I had an oil change performed at main dealer and the low oil warning came on when I was driving home as they hadn’t put enough oil back in the engine.

[@PatsGarageOnline]

I've had mistakes happen at dealerships as well. I've had a warranted item fail, resulting in two follow up trips to the dealership because one thing was broken during the warranty repair, and another thing was broken when trying to fix the first thing that was broken.

[@ViralKiller]

How can I reset to system to delete the "rear camera failed" error...the camera is fine but the error persists

[@PatsGarageOnline]

If this error is coming up on the iDrive display, there's really no way to remove it. You'll have to take the car to a garage to have it diagnosed and reset if possible.

[@reggiesparks4357]

Did you change the exhaust speaker? Hehe.

[@PatsGarageOnline]

Nope

[@apponlinefl]

Hey Pat, love your videos! Was debating to pull the trigger on the i8 since i own 2 M cars, e39 M5 and E63 M6, (6-Speed Manual), but your videos made me much more confident. Going to pick up my i8 today! it will have 43k miles. I am able to do all the work myself as i have my all my bmw tools and my quickjack.. ;). i want to do a refresh on the i8. new plugs, igntion coils, oil, etc. do you recommend 5w40 liquimoly molygen? and which igntion coils do you recommend? the car is coming with 22 in wheels staggered and want to install new tires. which ones do you recommend for summer use? thx again Pat!

[@PatsGarageOnline]

Congrats on the new i8! I would recommend sticking with the OEM ignition coils. People have tried doing aftermarket things resulting in more costs down the road, and with the amount of heat coming from this engine (which is trapped under acoustic covers) sticking with OEM is best. I'm planning on swapping to new coils over the winter (likely 35k miles) just to have the best performance possible. 5w40 isn't going to work in this engine, per Edo Motorsport, as they've tried it. They recommended, and I'm using Motul v300 5w30 right now, max 4000 mile interval. OEM oil is produced by Shell. BMW recommends 0w20 for fuel economy but there is fuel dilution in my oil analysis report, probably due to the direct injection and compression ratio. I've seen other i8's have dilution as well, so I wouldn't run anything weaker than a 30 weight. I would recommend getting off the 22" rims as many people have reported blowouts and bent rims going with 22's, unless you're OK with the replacement costs and roll backs (I'm not). I'm running all season tires (Continental DWS06 year round) but Edo Motorsport recommends the Michelin Pilot Super Sport for street driving as they perform well and they are lighter than the OEM stock tires and have a 30k mile wear rating. OEMs do not. Also, stick with an OEM air filter on this car because it sucks up so much debris from the road. Going with a K&N results in it being clogged more often than you want and the OEM has higher CFMs than other brands.

[@apponlinefl]

@@PatsGarageOnline Hey Pat, thx for the reply. Forgot to mention that I do live in Florida where its mostly warm and humid. I always purchase my parts from FCP Euro, but I did not see the Motul v300 on it. Where would I find it? As for the 22s, roads here are pretty okay compared to up north with "salt" pot holes. The current owner does not have the stock wheels. I test drove it and the i8 drove smoothly with 22s. Im thinking of getting the Continentals ExtremeContact DWS. 255/30 Front and 295/25 in the rear. What are your thoughts? Once I drive the i8 more often, ill update you and inform you if 22s are better in the sunny south. Ill be the 3rd owner. I do use mostly all OEM. I noticed FCP doesnt carry many parts for the i8. I really miss BavAuto. :( . ECS is not the same..... What other companies do you use for alternatives? Thx again for your videos and info. Keep it up! :)

[@PatsGarageOnline]

​@@apponlinefl KZbin just erased my long reply, so I'll keep this short, lol www.realoem.com/bmw/enUS/partgrp?id=2Z21-EUR---I12-BMW+i-i8 is where I start my search for parts and use the part numbers to cross reference. If FCP doesn't have it, I google for the lowest cost. Here is the link to the Motul at FCP. Their search engine might have issues: www.fcpeuro.com/products/300v-power-racing-5w30-2-liter-103128 I can't recommend tires for your aftermarket wheels because I don't know the specs, and I'm an OEM wheel user. Wheels Boutique out of Miami is recommended on the i8 forums if you have any questions as they do a bunch of i8 aftermarket work.

[@apponlinefl]

@@PatsGarageOnline ok great!! thx again Pat!

[@petercarey6883]

Well, I'm here for W Pat. But with a 29 minute upload, 🤦‍♂️ I'll be back. I have to put a pot of coffee on.😉

[@artlorddavis5836]

Pat how often does the spark plugs needs to be changed? Got an i8 roadster recently and I really need to know all these for myself

[@PatsGarageOnline]

I answered this question 0:15 seconds into the video. 30k miles.

[@artlorddavis5836]

Thanks Pat. Well I actually just skipped to the part you started replacing them lol

[@hermanmunster8655]

I don't torque with swivels on my extensions

[@PatsGarageOnline]

Swivels do change the amount of torque applied, depending on the angle of the joint. So, it's good advice not to use them. However, the BMW service manual indicates that the swivel must be inline while tightening to torque. I'm assuming they have already determined that the amount of angle of the swivel is within the required range of torque, otherwise, they would have never required it.

[@hermanmunster8655]

@@PatsGarageOnline aaahhhh I see. They specifically mention the Swivel 🤷🏼‍♂️ WOW, who knew

[@petercarey6883]

Well, I'm back. Boy, that was exhausting changing those plugs, but I never got my hands dirty. 🤣 Now, how about some statements and questions? 1. Do the plugs come pre-gapped? I'm guessing yes, but do you trust your fellow man enough not to double-check? 2. There you go again using that non-OSHA approved folding chair.🤦‍♂️ 3. FWIW, I always wear sweat pants when working on the Vette and thereby eliminating the chance of my belt scratching any body surfaces. I'll also wear a microfiber apron that I have. Hey, what can I say, I like to play it safe, so when I'm not in the garage I also wear a belt AND suspenders. You never know.🤷‍♂️ 4. With all of the I8's electronic gizmos and wizardry, won't it remind you when it's time to change the plugs? 5. So the plugs get installed at 17'lbs. Hmmm, when you were cracking them loose it sure didn't like they were at that that setting. More like 37'lbs. 6. I'd be curious to know how much BMW would have charged for this service? Save the Wave.🙋‍♂️

[@PatsGarageOnline]

Thanks for checking this spark plug swap video! I have a few answers to some of your great questions. 1. The plugs do come pre-gapped and I ashamedly lost my spark plug gap tool. Rather than go out and buy one, I combined some feeler gauges and compared the old and new plugs off camera. All felt good. 2. I tried to find a BMW stamped step stool, or equivalent, but none exist online. I may consider getting one from harbor freight and marketing it as a Pat's Garage Online official tool. I could have a monopoly on these things and make some decent dough. 😃 3. I also use sweat pants when working on cars when I'm not on camera. Having the appearance of a real mechanic builds trust on KZbin. Next time, I'll thread my belt in from the side so the buckle will be positioned elsewhere. 😂 4. I couldn't find a "service spark plugs" info alert buried anywhere in the on-board computer, including in the Condition Based Service menu. However, "service brake fluid" is there and that's due at 30k miles, so I'll be doing that and resetting the brake fluid life monitor. I checked a pamphlet online and it indicates that the spark plug change is linked to the 3rd oil change, or 10,000 miles each change (even though I change early). 5. I agree that the plugs felt much tighter coming out than they did torquing them. They also had a lot of discoloration in the thread area and I'm assuming that's likely blow-by of some sort. The torque may be to prevent tearing the threads up, leaving final sealing of the plugs up to the combustion process. 6. I'm not sure how much it costs the dealer to perform a spark plug change. I found people with 6 cylinder engines sharing the costs online and it looks like it can be $200-$300 with parts and labor. So doing it yourself would yield significant savings. Most BMW owners purchase something called a maintenance plan from the dealer, which includes all of the required maintenance and can be purchased for up to 6 years of ownership. I believe this can run about $1k per year.

[@petercarey6883]

Thanks for the reply Pat. I like your idea about going to Harbor Freight. One just opened by me this past summer. I love Harbor Freight. I've purchased several shipping blankets from them. No, not for working on the car but for me to use as throw blankets while I'm watching your videos up here in Ice Box, NJ.😉 Plus, I use them on the back seat of my Ridgeline for my when I take one or two of my Shepherd's out for ride. Now, as to your attire. I definitely approve, except for the use the buckled belt,😂, but you need to include some BMW white. I think the wearing of a white ascot or bow tie would be in order, especially for such a gentleman mechanic as yourself.😊 Moving on. Lose the wrist watch for safety purposes. I know, how will you tell the time then? I'm glad you asked. Go to Harbor Freight. They have tire clocks, about 14 inches in diameter. Stencil Pat's Garage on it and voila, a Garage Clock! I've purchased four of them, one for each corner of the garage so I can always tell the time no matter I am. Hey, it helps keep my OCD at bay, I think. I may need to purchase two more to mount on the ceiling in each bay of the garage.🤪 So, "without further adieu," Man, I've got to stop watching you youtubers, I will sign off and say that this was an excellent upload.

[@PatsGarageOnline]

Thanks Peter! Yes, I love those shipping blankets and the coupons where you can get one for free with any purchase. I got a few free things from Harbor Freight that way. I can see how it is useful for those cold nights and for transporting the dogs. 😀 I do have an ascot but it is blue with orange spots. I may have to consider that for the next upload. A top hat would also be a good addition, but I haven't found one that fits well. Maybe a set of spats for the shoes and I'll be singing Putting On The Ritz while swapping brake fluid next video. 😂 I have a vinyl cutter at home so I can customize anything with Pat's Garage Online. I may have a nitch market for i8 trunk egress! Thanks again!

[@petercarey6883]

I think your new proposed attire would be PERFECT!👍 Don't forget to include the cane, for dancing purpose only.😉

[@scottboelke4391]

What! watched the whole thing and learned how to change the plugs on a car I'll never own, and no Becka! ...nada!

[@PatsGarageOnline]

She has to tend to her horse the majority of the time. It will be rare to have her in videos.

[@scottboelke4391]

@@PatsGarageOnline I mean... It's not like you want viewership or anything

[@PatsGarageOnline]

@@scottboelke4391 I'm thinking most people just want to save money fixing their i8's.