Spark Plug change cost

[Duck Sauce]

I slipped into my dealer for "scheduled service" at 12k miles this month. My SA informed me (after leaving it overnight and all day) that my maintenance had run out 11 days prior. Spark plugs, oil change, brake fluid flush......$4700.....GFY.....or they'd be glad to sell me another year of service for $2900 oh and by the way....those charge pipes void your engine warranty....... Thanks man, I'll do it all myself.

[ONEof500]

Originally Posted by TopJimmy

Don't use weird plugs in a $70K car.
Look up your car at FCP Euro and buy BMW or NGK from them. The lifetime replacements far outweigh any other cost saving logic.

Just buy 6 of these NGKs below, less than $15 each. Second time you buy them save the old ones to return and get your money back. Pay with PayPal and they refund your shipping too!

https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...plug-ngk-96987

Have the gaps set to 0.023" and you're good.

Wait. see this is the problem. Put NGK aside. There are two Bosch (not weird plug) that's sites call out for the S55. One is the exact spec part number with the M and is designated as "high power" this plug is "expensive". The other Bosch plug is the same part number minus the M and is not designated as "high power" and is half the cost but FCP for example calls it out as an OEM spec plug.

Nobody seems to be able to say why they are different and if it matters.

[TopJimmy]

Originally Posted by ONEof500

Wait. see this is the problem. Put NGK aside. There are two Bosch (not weird plug) that's sites call out for the S55. One is the exact spec part number with the M and is designated as "high power" this plug is "expensive". The other Bosch plug is the same part number minus the M and is not designated as "high power" and is half the cost but FCP for example calls it out as an OEM spec plug.

Nobody seems to be able to say why they are different and if it matters.

Dunno, but you want the NGKs instead.

[ONEof500]

Originally Posted by TopJimmy

Dunno, but you want the NGKs instead.

I went with OEM spec M high power Bosch as I have an extend warranty.

I challenge someone smarter than me to solve this. I did a ton of research…and no joy.

[paulo_f80m3]

Originally Posted by ONEof500

This is the debate I could never get a resolution to. The ECS ones above are Bosch "high power" which is = to the M version of the part number. The FCP ones are not "high power" and are missing the M in the part number.

Is there a difference…does it matter… nobody seems to know for sure.

I've had no issues with these plugs. My vehicle pulls just as hard as it did with the OE plugs. (CS Map)

[BzsBimmer]

Originally Posted by Duck Sauce

I slipped into my dealer for "scheduled service" at 12k miles this month. My SA informed me (after leaving it overnight and all day) that my maintenance had run out 11 days prior. Spark plugs, oil change, brake fluid flush......$4700.....GFY.....or they'd be glad to sell me another year of service for $2900 oh and by the way....those charge pipes void your engine warranty....... Thanks man, I'll do it all myself.

Holy heck… 1 year of service for $2900?!
I can understand the chargepipes comment but sheesh… this is why dealers are known as stealers..
If not wanting to do yourself, I bet an Indy will do for a whole lot less.

[rmanm4]

Originally Posted by Duck Sauce

I slipped into my dealer for "scheduled service" at 12k miles this month. My SA informed me (after leaving it overnight and all day) that my maintenance had run out 11 days prior. Spark plugs, oil change, brake fluid flush......$4700.....GFY.....or they'd be glad to sell me another year of service for $2900 oh and by the way....those charge pipes void your engine warranty....... Thanks man, I'll do it all myself.

WhyTF would charge pipes void your warranty? If anything, they should be thanking you for upgrading a weak point! That makes no sense cause they wouldn't offering you warranty for another year if charge pipes would make your engine un-warrantyable.

[icegrill]

Originally Posted by Duck Sauce

I slipped into my dealer for "scheduled service" at 12k miles this month. My SA informed me (after leaving it overnight and all day) that my maintenance had run out 11 days prior. Spark plugs, oil change, brake fluid flush......$4700.....GFY.....or they'd be glad to sell me another year of service for $2900 oh and by the way....those charge pipes void your engine warranty....... Thanks man, I'll do it all myself.

That's actually disgusting what assholes!

[IVM3]

Originally Posted by paulo_f80m3

I've had no issues with these plugs. My vehicle pulls just as hard as it did with the OE plugs. (CS Map)

Thanks for sharing that the FCP 5ZR plugs with good for you. I have the same plugs but haven't installed yet. They look identical to the BMW 5ZMR.

[vrptstyly]

Originally Posted by IVM3

Thanks for sharing that the FCP 5ZR plugs with good for you. I have the same plugs but haven't installed yet. They look identical to the BMW 5ZMR.

Same. I've had them for months now. My car just ticked over 50k so I'll install them soon.

[Reddevils7]

I recently paid $303 out the door at my local dealer for engine oil and rear diff service when I hit 50k miles. they quoted $1000 for spark plugs. I'll be ordering my ngk plugs and new aluminum bolts for the 2 braces with plans to diy.

[Silverlining_m2]

Bmw just did my plugs for me. Quoted $1100 I think. They couldn't get oem plugs from bmw for some reason over the course of 2 days, so I got my car back, ordered 1 step colder ngk, and took them to the dealership.

It was about $600 to install the plugs I purchased. They were $86 I believe? Some how I saved over $300 by just not letting bmw use their own parts on my car.

[vrptstyly]

I installed the 5ZR plugs from FCP Euro last friday before MPact, they were due and I was participating on road course. No issues at the event. The plugs do seem to have restored some responsiveness/power to the engine. They were done previously around 20k miles ago.

Lots to remove just to access the plugs, but surprisingly easy to DIY considering what shops charge for this. My first time doing plugs on the S55, took me about 1.5hrs.

[vic_m4]

Originally Posted by vrptstyly

I installed the 5ZR plugs from FCP Euro last friday before MPact, they were due and I was participating on road course. No issues at the event. The plugs do seem to have restored some responsiveness/power to the engine. They were done previously around 20k miles ago.

Lots to remove just to access the plugs, but surprisingly easy to DIY considering what shops charge for this. My first time doing plugs on the S55, took me about 1.5hrs.

Good to hear! Currently going to be installing the 5ZR plugs today so can't wait

[vrptstyly]

Originally Posted by vic_m4

Good to hear! Currently going to be installing the 5ZR plugs today so can't wait

Hope it went well. How did you gap them? I installed them out of the box. FCP states pre-gapped at the OEM .030 spec. Mine checked out closer to .028, so I threw them in as is. I am tuned, stage 1 but I mostly run the CS tune.

[PhatLyfe]

Originally Posted by icegrill

I can't believe the layers involved getting to the plugs😐

It's all German vehicles, over engineered in my opinion..

[jdarwin]

Originally Posted by espressoo

Dealer changed my plugs during the last visit as my 3 year free maintenance is coming to an end. Car only has 10K miles and 3 oil changes.

Ditto. 13,800 miles.

[therealkenc]

To add another couple of pricing data points:

BMW San Francisco quoted me ~$1900 for replacement of spark plugs.

Peter Pan BMW in San Mateo quoted ~$1800.

Also, a couple of Qs for all you experts:

1) Must the spark plugs be replaced at the same time that the engine oil is changed? I'm thinking to do the engine oil change and spark plugs at 2 different shops.

2) I can't seem to find a 5ZR NGK spark plug on FCP Euro, this is the only NGK I found - https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...plug-ngk-96987 is this the correct plug?

[spidy512]

Wow.

For comparison, my indy shop (VT Motorworks) quoted around $412.

I also asked my other indy in my home town, and they incorrectly quoted me an hour. So like $110 bucks. But that was not the mechanic, whom I am sure would correct the SW and push the quote to the book time of 2.5 hours. So maybe a smidge cheaper than VT. I am also going to ask them to install my new charge pipes, which I assume will increase the cost a bit.

I have the tools to do it if I get saucy. But after watching all the videos, they just make me tired and not want to do it. HAHA. Its nuts how much crap you have to remove.....

josh

[agentrnge]

Originally Posted by spidy512

Wow.
...
Its nuts how much crap you have to remove.....

Just think of how many things you get to clean before you put it back together though. I'm gonna make it part of a heavy detail or something one weekend.

[ecf34]

Originally Posted by therealkenc

To add another couple of pricing data points:

BMW San Francisco quoted me ~$1900 for replacement of spark plugs.

Peter Pan BMW in San Mateo quoted ~$1800.

Also, a couple of Qs for all you experts:

1) Must the spark plugs be replaced at the same time that the engine oil is changed? I'm thinking to do the engine oil change and spark plugs at 2 different shops.

2) I can't seem to find a 5ZR NGK spark plug on FCP Euro, this is the only NGK I found - https://www.fcpeuro.com/products/bmw...plug-ngk-96987 is this the correct plug?

1) No they don't. I had my engine oil and spark plugs changed 2 months apart.

FWIW BMW Manhattan quoted me $2027.20 to change my spark plugs.

[therealkenc]

Originally Posted by ecf34

1) No they don't. I had my engine oil and spark plugs changed 2 months apart.

FWIW BMW Manhattan quoted me $2027.20 to change my spark plugs.

Thanks. I decided to do them separately.

I wouldn't be surprised if you said BMW Manhattan charges $500 for an oil change haha. BMW SF's price recently shot up to $400 for the M4. Was paying $150-$175 previously.