Spark Plug Change - 2006 Nissan Murano 3.5L

After 130k miles it was definitely time to swap out spark plugs in the 2006 Nissan Murano 3.5L.
NGK SPARKPLUGS - amzn.to/2vkcuJK
FELPRO INTAKE MANIFOLD GASKET - amzn.to/2vkRnqy
PCV VALVE - amzn.to/2vGqZZh
As with most newer cars, this is not a simple task. I show you how to save about an hour by accessing the rear brackets from the side instead of overhead. The procedure does require you to remove the entire intake manifold and all the crap that goes with it. Also, Nissan uses the Coil on Plug method, so you must remove the coils to get to the plugs.
Total cost was just under $100 for spark plugs, intake manifold gasket and PCV valve.
This applies to the following vehicles with a 3.5L VQ engine from 2001-2015 Pathfinder, Infinity (Qx4, I35, G35, FX35, M35, JX35, QX60), Altima, Maxima, 350z, Murano and Quest. European models: Elgrand, Stagea, Skyline, Teana, Cefiro, Presage, Fuga, Nismo Fairlady S-Tune GT, Renault (Espace, Vel Satis, Formula V6 Eurocup, Dallara T05, T08, T12 World Series, Samsung SM7, Laguna, Latitude
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[@7daze432]

I remember changing the sparks plugs on my 98 honda crv in 15 min without having to use more than 2 brain cells…..this is insane on the Murano!!

[@alwayzdamrz]

That's what I said like wait is this really just a spark plug change or is this 3 different jobs in 1 video

[@richm.6220]

I watched other videos doing 06 Murano the same job and, I give you credit that your the only one who covered the intake ports once the intake was removed I give your credit for doing that.

[@jimbelmont9657]

Absolutely the best video on this out there. I followed his instructions step by step and had ZERO problems. Thanks so much. Took me about 2.5 hours!!!

[@GregsGarage]

Thanks brother! I'm glad it helped!!! The trick of getting around removing the cowl is the key to keeping this repair to an afternoon.

[@dannylaronde2354]

Thank you Greg. Took me 4 hours and a few scratches on the arms and fingers to change the plugs on a 2007 Murano. Appreciate your effort, and well done!

[@apache437]

Thanks Greg! Your video helped me find the rear bolts. Saved my sanity! Total job took about 2 hours start to finish. I was taking my time.

[@drummerplusone]

Just a few months ago I installed a new PCV valve on my 2006 Murano which I just sold today ironically. The engineering of these cars and SUV's is by design (on purpose) intricate and hard to basically discourage DIY's to do the job themselves and take the car to a Nissan dealership who of course will slam them with outrageous repair bills for something as simple as replacing a sparkplug. Back in the old days replacing sparkplugs would have been a cake walk, not anymore. It's all because of corporate greed.

[@CoreNiel]

Just letting you know, I changed out my plugs on a 2005 Murano. Your video helped greatly and informative so I knew what to expect and do. I did remove the wipers and cowl. It was much much easier and only took a few minutes. I would never been able to get the 3 12mm bolt out if I hadn't. Just made life easier. But Thanks again. Took me about 3 hours and the car even runs... haha

[@buddygallagher8866]

Do you remember what the intake bolt tourch was?

[@CoreNiel]

I do not. I just snugged it down what I felt was good.

[@mplsfarmer]

It is always recommended to change the coil boots at the same time as the plugs, especially since the back firewall side coil boots are so difficult to get to. I disregarded this advice once and it came back to bite me when an old coil boot failed a few thousand miles after changing the plugs.

[@dizzysnakepilot]

I was also able to avoid disconnected hoses to the throttle body by accessing the driver's side most plug working with the intake to the left. Dismounting the intake and moving it a little made getting the 12mm at the back accessed from the passenger side much easier. Don't drop your wrench down the back!

[@boots7859]

Per NGK itself, do NOT use anti-seize on their plugs. They aleady have a coating, and adding anti-seize changes torque applied.

[@jamescreasy7508]

Thanks, this is really good. I'm doing this on my wife's car soon and wanted a way to do it without fooling with the cowl. BTW- I did front struts at about 90K, they really needed it. Nothing unusual about compared to other front MP strut cars I've done. Compressing the springs is generally a pain.

[@KronkJuce]

love how you captured the car starting at the end.

[@jacobftorres]

I'm glad you have a murano ! " Life Saver "

[@jekyllheckler]

Nice informative video. Have 107k on my 04 and will be doing this in the near future. Thanks for the help.

[@tbhimself]

in my opinion the little extra time to take off the cowl is worth the extra working space

[@picklerix6162]

Believe me, life is a lot easier when that cowling is removed.

[@sawtanang]

@@Cryocide13 totally agree. I did it his way and struggled with my huge hands behind the air intake. Next time I'll remove Cowel for sure

[@kevinmcdonald403]

Nice video. I've done the alternator, struts, and power steering hose on an 06. The top cowl seemed to come off fairly easy. I will definitely use this video, the service manual is hard to understand on this procedure.

[@Holiday48000]

You are the "Man"... Thanks for the excellent video.

[@TheToysforboys]

Thank you for the effort of taken the video to help us.After I try to replace my plugs I decide to take it to the mechanic, but know I am going to do it my self, you save me a lot of money.Thanks.

[@GregsGarage]

+TheToysforboys Good luck!!! Take it slow. That's a tough job to do without removing the cowl. If you can't get to the stuff in the back, take 15 minutes and remove that cowl.

[@BruceAUlrich]

You'll never guess what I was just working on...VQ35DE! Yep, 2008 Nissan Altima with the 3.5L engine. I was needing to change the bank 1 O2 sensor and picked up some spark plugs because I thought it would be easy. Boy was I wrong! Mine is just about like this. I will definitely be referencing this video again. I will also go pick up a gasket, since I didn't realize the back 3 were under the intake manifold. I've never had a car where you had to remove the intake manifold to change the spark plugs. Good information, Greg!

[@GregsGarage]

Yeah. It's not an easy swap. Glad it helped out Bruce.

[@CommonSenseTipsAndTricks]

Thanks for a great video! I know this is a hard job but it's really not using videos like yours! Patience is definitely critical! It's not cheap either! I just paid $740 for about 6 hours of oil change, all spark plugs and 3 new ignition coils. But then we found out that the valve cover (s) were leaking onto my coils. So the price jumped up to $1000 and the shop still can't get my check engine light off! Plus it kept dying on me! So I had Advance check it and found code PO 340 which (usually) points to the cam sensor. Or anything related to it like the connector. So I changed the sensor myself and at least I saved $400. Car starts good and runs great now (especially since I found a disconnected vacuum line the shop left off going to the intake cover.) But the light is still on! My oil level is good and I'm stumped. I'm thinking about resetting the ECM.

[@bullnwv4u]

just used your video to do a complete tune up on my 2005 mo.it helped tons. thank you sir! !

[@GregsGarage]

+josh barr Sweet!!! It's a trick to do the nissan plugs, but def in most people's wheelhouse to do it.

[@aricunono6272]

I wish I had seen this video years ago... Good vid..

[@meshalee3730]

I'm so thankful For You video it helped me so much I tried it the hard way taking everything off first and then I found the video and I got it done within a timely manner

[@breedlovenathaniel8883]

This was such a helpful video saved me $650. My hats off to you sir!

[@GregsGarage]

+Breedlove Nathaniel That's why I make the vids!!! Stick it to THE MAN!!!

[@cecil6711]

Great job Greg. Those back 3 looked like fun. :-)

[@kouza001]

152,000 on my 2007. I am dreading replacing the plugs. Thanks for the video!

[@audioamateur]

Do the whole valve cover while you're at it (and ignition coils). The spark plug tube seals have a tendency to leak, they are mounted to the valve cover.

[@AranedaPato]

muchas gracias, muy buen vídeo. Saludos desde Chile

[@howardlowe7975]

first id like to say thanks good info, i own the tech shop and had my jr. service tech watch your video and the job went flawlessly . as to all the comments i read . WE NOW HAVE SMALLER MORE EFFICIENT MOTORS BECAUSE OF ALL THE TECHNOLOGY . I HAVE WORKED IN A FAMILY OWNED SHOP FOR THE LAST 37 YEARS AND I'M GLAD TO SEE ALL THE OLD SCHOOL CRAP GONE.

[@GregsGarage]

Howard Lowe Thanks man! Some of these "little jobs" are quite involved. I can't imagine owning a shop that is not a dealership and working on all different makes and models. There is a TON of info you'd have to have in your head and in your computer to get it right every time. Mom and pop shops get all my respect!!! I'm glad the video helped. It's a tricky little job.

[@cincomorales]

i just did a tune up ! to a 2003 murano ! your video its mega helpfull ! thank you !

[@EscoPicoTrane]

What all did you replace besides the plugs when you did the tune up?

[@mmini2600]

Thanks for the video. This is the best video on KZbin for Murano spark plug change. A few things that helped me. I wore a head lamp, that helped me see some of the hard to reach hoses and bolts. I used a paint marker to mark a symbol on both ends (male/female) of hoses, that took the guesswork out when reconnecting. I used needle nose locking pliers for some of the hard to reach hose connections on the back of the intake.

[@miguelgonzalez-mz3br]

great video Greg"s garage

[@jcharles1470]

Great Job my friend!! Querido Amigo!!!

[@tomswonderfulworld]

Good stuff Greg!

[@Vallejo83]

Great video helped me decide to take it in to shop to save me the headache. Thanks

[@lakers165]

Good job man. Ima pay some one to do it this weekend for me Nice explanation.

[@picklerix6162]

Good job. That line that connects to the back of the intake manifold is not a water line. It is the high pressure power steering hose because I had to change that hose when it started to leak. BTW, that leaky power steering hose is a very common problem on several Nissan models (including the Murano) and I doubt that Nissan has fixed it yet since hoses are not covered under warranty.

[@vw64manyrd]

think I'll stick to 67 and earlier or 80's diesels! thanks for the video!

[@JohnCarey1963Jag]

Nice work. Thanks for sharing what you learned.

[@333Paperdog]

Thank's Greg your video helped me very much. Very helpful.

[@ziggassedup]

NGK's are my plug of choice...I generally remove the throttle body from the manifold before removal of the manifold and leave the throttle body attached to the coolant hoses...a little more access and you can get the manifold out of the way and get you arm easily around the back to get those bracket bolts..Shh..Just between you and me...I've never torqued any of those bolts but I guess after a while you get a feel for what is tight enough.

[@shpo9738]

nice saved me alot of time when i was doing mine BIG HELP

[@EscoPicoTrane]

What parts did you replace when you did the tune up besides the spark plugs?

[@guillermogabrielminohermos4847]

muy bien me gustó el trabajó yo e tratado de arreglar mi carro pero no pude pero ya lo vi en su vídeo voy a tratar otra ves gracias amigo sige subiendo más vídeo

[@OSIS909]

bout to tackle some sparkplugs on a maxima v6 wish me luck lol this video for sure gonna help me out. thanks in advance

[@GregsGarage]

+OSIS_909 Good luck!

[@MrFito0004]

Thats whats ,,exactly I did on my murano 2004...was little longer that your experience...but I done on 3 hours..Anyways thank you..for your video..nice.

[@rooomyyyyy]

Hi Greg thanks for your videos they are always informative and helpful for all DIYers, I have a problem with my Nissan Murano 2003 148k miles, I bought it used a year ago, a week ago I drove 90 miles to my friend and in the way back the car was running slow so I pressed the gas pedal to floor and the car started shaking, I stopped for 10 minutes and drove back at a speed of 40 mph I saw the service engine light flash and the next day after returning home I tried to start the car and it will just click , I have codes p0420,p0021,p1800 and p0300 i got the battery and starter checked at autozone and they both are fine, I checked the fuses under the hood they are fine too. kindly suggest what should I do next or what could be the problem

[@marsttudio]

Excellent video Greg. Thanks!!

[@GregsGarage]

+XZiGEN No problem. Thanks for checking it out.

[@heranygzaw6203]

GOOD WORK VERY HELP FULL!!!!!

[@veromarlon]

thanks to you I felt confident enough to do this by myself. thank you. one thing....I did find a lot of oil residue inside the intake manifold where the gasket is at...is that normal? I did change the pcv valve just in case .

[@NFLYoungBoy223]

Marlon Rivera did yhu find your answer

[@bquist3152]

Thank you so much! This vid really helped... I also admire how you didn't swear a single time (maybe off camera). I did this in a renault vel satis 3.5 and cursed the whole renault concern and design department.. Tis is the perfect example of terrible and useless design

[@GregsGarage]

I'm sure I said a few adult words when the camera was paused!!!

[@bquist3152]

@@GregsGarage thx for the quick reply! How long did it take you? It took me a shameful 2.5 hours

[@kruzader]

Thank you. I got a hell of a project ahead of me. Have you worked on your power steering hose? I Figured while I"m doing all of that I might as well do all of this.

[@GregsGarage]

Xlyder I have not worked on the power steering. Haven't had any troubles with it yet.

[@mrshep8215]

Thank you for taking the time to share this information with the masses , overwhelming but informative.

[@MTLJack]

Nissan did such a bad design for the engine .... so difficult for anyone to do maintenance honestly... no wonder why every Nissan resale value drops like a rock.

[@yurinoelvillodas4577]

MTLJack , I agree. I have an 04 Murano, and I'm watching this video so I change the spark plugs on my own, even though I'm not mechanically entitled, and to me to take all those parts apart just to put the spark plugs in the rear... This is... Disappointment.

[@dylanderry5647]

MTLJack I swear thought I was the only one I had to struggle so dam long to replace the radiator fan.

[@moeynola6747]

Ive done my fair share of replacing sparkplugs and this by far is the worse design ive ever seen...all this just for sparkplugs

[@notasmo9120]

Agreed. Seems like a lot of car brands are doing this. My 16 Charger V6 has to have the intake removed to get to the drivers side plugs. Fortunately its just bolts and no electrical plugs or anything like that

[@sassiijaneen1206]

I hate mine

[@ILIAD9]

Many thanks Greg, Got-er' done.

[@userwl2850]

the spark plugs are the last problem with these. mine needs a new transfer box. big problem with this car.

[@Rapture1469]

I just did the plugs on my 2007 Murano. I started similar to you but when I tried to get to the 2 small cap-screws aft of the intake on the passenger side, I decided to remove the cowl. It was very easy to remove - only about 10 minutes and made things so much easier. Hardest part was the passenger side wiper took a little persuasion to pop off. I do not think I would have ever been able to get that small bracket near the PCV valve off without the cowl removed - don't know how you got in there. Anyway, I still recommend removing the cowl.

[@GregsGarage]

+Rapture1469 I agree... Nothing wrong with removing the cowl. I didn't have to, but my toolbox also has lots of options for getting into tight spots.

[@buddygallagher8866]

Do you remember what the intake manifold tourch specs was

[@kenyottahaire5102]

Great video! Thanks

[@mattnutt2738]

Have to check! I'm on the verge of of buying a 90,000 mile 2008 Nissan Murano (Gen 1), should I have any serious concerns about it? I am used to working on cars and so doing a thorough service, including a change of the CVT Fluid is easy enough. Thanks for any help you can provide!

[@dylanderry5647]

Matt Nutt I'd install a after market air intake. The stock is bad and eventually can cause bad air to fuel mix which leads to engine spark knocks. That's what I did with my 06 murano noise went away.

[@ganeshnarayan5505]

Hey Brother thanks for posting this video.

[@sclark1701]

Fantastic Video and very informative. However I would avoid putting anti-seize compound on plug threads as it will give an inaccurate torque reading.

[@GregsGarage]

+sclark1701 Kind of six in one half dozen in the other... With alum heads, cross-threading is a real thing. I've never been overly concerned about torque on a spark plug (probably because I've never had one blow out). I figure if it's off by a ft-lb or so, it's probably ok... I could be wrong.

[@mri8949]

####1 TIP..... take the cowl off!!! I timed myself and it took me 22 minutes and probably saved me hours of frustration and anger. Once the cowl comes off it opens up so much extra room to work and see. Its only a few screws and a handfull of bolts. Totally worth it.

[@motoryzen]

Is it necessary ( safety wise) to disconnect either of the battery cables from the battery BEFORE replacing the spark plugs? My gut always told me to do so, but never thought to ask if it was needed until now.

[@aldehiscent1]

wow! wonder how many hours my shop is gonna claim for labor..? glad I found this - so sick of janky mechanics working on my Murano.. ugh. Thanks

[@dylanderry5647]

Brandy Jay mechanics love telling you what's wrong with a car they no nothing about. Always bring it back to Nissan for detailed mechanic work because most mechanics don't no nothing about muranos

[@swah1963]

thank you for being so thorough about removing the plugs; including the intake manifold...soon I will be exchanging my old plugs...I have about 106k on my 2006 Murano..you the man.do have any tips about removing front struts?

[@GregsGarage]

I haven't don't the struts on the murano. It's probably not far away... That and new wheel bearings.

[@JuanCruz-zc4po]

HI there great video you explain how to do this very well it help me a lot!!!...have you replace the power steering hose and if so is it hard??

[@GregsGarage]

Juan Cruz I have not had to do that repair yet on the Murano. Some of the little hoses on this car are really well hidden. Not sure about the PS lines.

[@JoesCarSmartsNY]

I've replaced the power steering hose before. It's challenging but can be done by a good DIYer. the hardest part for me was attaching the new hose to the power steering pump. It was tricky to get it started to thread in.

[@boogienapster]

Would you remove the cowl to replace the rear valve cover?

[@tonymontana8217]

Ngk says not to use anti sneaze on their spark plugs so I was wondering what harm would be done doing so. Also is there a way to remove the hose that is covering cylinder 4 for easier access?

[@luisdavidlaraavila3309]

Hey viejo, me da una idea de como cambiar el empaque de culata, saludos hermano...

[@vladchan]

Nice to see a car with a non-plastic intake manifold for a change, a rarity these days

[@sawtanang]

I've done this. I was so pissed off how much work to change plugs. What he downt show you is the struggle to get behind there with wrench to remo5the air intake. This being said, I will remove the stripping ( whatever its called) above it as recommended. I'm guessing it'll make it much more accessible

[@mzeevirginia8749]

Thanks! Good stuff

[@johnlocke6020]

Very helpful video. The insulated hose that is attached to the back of the intake is the hi pressure line for the power steering. I fought with that bolt a few years ago. I broke my new PCV valve reconnecting the hoses so I had to clean and reinstall the old one. I had a heck of a time with the 2 bolts in the rear. Other than that, everything went as you said. Took me about 4 hours with a hoagie break in the middle. I did come across a rubber line coming off the top of the transmission that looked to be a vent tube. I can't see where it was connected to anything that I took apart. It comes straight up and make a u-turn and ends. Its right under the black plastic piece in the middle of the air intake system. Any clue?

[@GregsGarage]

+John Locke Oh man... I'd have to look at one that hadn't been touched to figure that one out.

[@johnlocke6020]

I did some more searching last night and the hose on the transmission is supposed to be a vent tube and be fastened to the bottom of the air intake tube.

[@RJ67.]

not sure if muy 07 is a bad coil pack or plugs intermittently sputtering then it goes good then sputters then good first thought it was condensation in the tank cause it sat for 65 months while I swapped out K frame member due to rotting out

[@johnmarks7243]

Good job . If I was you I wouldn't want to touch a spark plug for a while.lol

[@EscoPicoTrane]

Did you disconnect the battery first or was that not needed? Thanks

[@edensnicolas9593]

I ran to an issue which I can’t figure, after remove the two hidden bolts in the drive side and with intake bolts i couldn’t remove the intake. I’m able to wiggle it up but unsuccessful at removing completely and I’m not sure if there’s another bolt or something holding it down in the passenger side. It’s a 2006 Nissan Murano.

[@lfaulk36]

How did you to to the 10 mm nut on the bracket on The drivers side?

[@saffighadieh7931]

شغله متعبه غيار البوجيات اخدت وقت كتبر nice

[@equisequis.55]

I just bought a used murano and i hope i don't have to change the plugs soon. I must get rid of her first. If you want to be able to work on your car, get one that is older. 2000 and earlier.

[@TY-mx9fr]

What were the 2 extra parts you said we should change since we are there?

[@finpainter1]

not like the good old days

[@mattwall113]

Hello, at 10:10 in the video you suggest replacing a part but it’s not clear to me which part you’re suggesting. Can you please clarify?

[@stash420]

thanks for the help............

[@lawrencecox6558]

Hi Greg, Great video! We have a 2006 Nissan Murano with 206000 miles. We changed the oil religiously every 3000 miles since new. How much money should we expect to pay for a mechanic to do the work you did in this video?

[@nicholaskajfasz9558]

Lawrence Cox I saw it would be anywhere from 300 to 400 dollars. Ridiculous!!!!!!! This design is insane, almost everything on this vehicle takes so much longer to do.

[@veromarlon]

I have to change the rear valve cover in mine since is leaking....do you think I have enough space to put the new valve cover without removing the cowl? how did you get that green wire connector off? for the life of me I can't take it off

[@ndmac440]

You can remove the rear valve cover without removing the cowl. I have done it both ways and for the 30 minutes it takes to remove the cowl and wipers, the extra room and access is worth it.

[@kent1954]

Great Video... "PVC"? 🤔🤔🤔... Lol just pickin man... Worth the watch!

[@AranedaPato]

advice, put subtitles in Spanish. the video is very good and you could win followers. continues with murano

[@GregsGarage]

I added english subtitles. I'm wondering how well google will translate them to spanish now that the english ones are correct.

[@jesusoquendo5234]

good video

[@brandonfarmer7446]

What are the gap on those plugs are the the same as the 09 ?

[@julianalrey6451]

Excellent 👍

[@macster1457]

thank you so much for this video.. i own a 2006 S model with 112K.. CVT engine, does the transmission fluid need to be changed on these?... some mechanics say yes others say no and both of them pull the manual to back up their claim..very confusing.

[@GregsGarage]

I don't know that answer. We had it changed around 100k. 160k on it now, no issues.

[@macster1457]

did you do a drain and fill or a flush?

[@GregsGarage]

drain and fill

[@unitcount503]

just take the manifold screws and move it a bit to the side to take the plugs off

[@gang208]

Removing the cowl isn't as bad as it seems. You need to remove the wiper arms but not the motor assembly. It took me about 10 min to remove but only 5 min to put things back once I knew how thing fit together. It's worthwhile and make everything else easier. The time spent on the cowl may end up save your time on trying to reach those nasty bolts and connectors in the back especially if you have big hands or thick arms or if you wear gloves.

[@omarjaffar1548]

spark plugs in sunny 2013 what size plz

[@jeffreymeeks4051]

Can anyone tell me the spark plug socket size needed? I have a murano and I tried using a spark plug 5/8 6 point socket and the plugs wouldn't budge?

[@Sacramento9167]

Which one is #4 sparkplug

[@lesarazjay3731]

he made that look sooo easyy ! ughh , im fucked when it comes to taking off those spark plugs in the back lol

[@mariohernandes4866]

Lesa Missy in the back ok

[@lorialbo]

Thats exactly what i was thinking! The cars in the good old days were so easy to change the plugs and points.

[@acuravision63]

Lesa Missy did you get it done and how much

[@arturvieira9411]

someone help say what does this error code in the Nissan Murano 3.5L SL 2003

[@ImamGomaa]

Hi, Greg: The guy who changed the plugs for me found oil leaking in the three front plugs which are right under the cover. He told me that I need to replace the valve cover/oil gasket. Would you please recommend if he is right or not? In your opinion what might cause the leaking? Thanks

[@triggerthesound767]

Imam Probably is right. The gaskets around the spark plug hole get stiff and stop sealing so oil leaks into the spark plug hole. On this engine those seals can’t be replaced so the whole valve cover needs to be changed.

[@CountrySideClub]

I tell u..I bet u wish the Ford was like this lol..good job! CJ

[@princehakim._6427]

Pre gap ? WhT should it be ?