Spark Plugs replacement shock

Just purchased a 2013 Limited with almost no maintenance record in the carfax. Dealer bought at auction in Canada. 128K miles. Great shape but am doing some repairs myself, front brakes, oil change, frame rust clean-up / misc. Probably needs plugs. I checked with local Toyota service department on cost. They want a staggering $675 to change out the plugs. So I watched a couple how-to videos on youtube. My guess it would take a technician with the right tools about 2 hours at most so that puts service cost at about $300/hr. Guess I'll do it myself. Don't care if it takes me a day!

 

I'm not a DIY guy, but I haven't dealt with a new or used car dealer or the service department of a new car dealer in almost 30 years. I can't believe somebody quoted you that price with a straight face. I just looked it up and the typical price for replacing the plugs on your vehicle in my area is around $220 U.S.

 

I'm sure I said something like, "you must be kidding." He said there is a lot of stuff to remove and it might need some air valve gaskets. So he wasn't kidding. Toyota of Grand Rapids. I may call one of the local small shops but will likely just dive in and do it. I can get the factory Denso plugs at Autozone or Advanced Auto for about 11 bucks apiece. When I asked the price of the plugs at the dealer it was over a hundred dollars so there's a nice mark up on that too. It will feel good to save myself 600 dollars...

 

He's quoting you a price that includes the cost of stuff it "might need" instead of quoting you a base price and saying if I find you need air valve gaskets it would cost this much more? Wow. No telling what else he would come up with needs doing when he's under the hood. Maybe dealerships do 95% of their work to vehicles that are under warranty and just throw out insult pricing to somebody with an older vehicle as a way of saying we don't want to do it, unless you're a sucker who will pay an outrageous price. It might not be a bad idea to check with an independent repair shop or two near you. If you look at their websites or ask when you call, you'll probably find some certified Toyota mechanics who used to work at a dealership - not that you need one of those to replace the spark plugs. It's good to find a independent repair shop you can trust in case a major repair that you can't do comes up down the road. Giving one a couple of small jobs lets you assess their professionalism while you're in the shop during the service.

 

You may be right - a worst case scenario price. I don't have anything in writing from them.. just me talking to a service rep. There's a couple shops around with great google reviews and I may place a call to hear what they have to say. I am leaning toward just doing myself. May pick up a ratcheting hand-wrench set or cordless ratchet wrench (used in the youtube videos) to make things easier. I'll post something after. The good news is: 4runners are top rated for reliability. New plugs and Mobil One extended mileage full synthetic oil and I will travel anywhere!

 

Don't use a electric impact/drill to do the plugs, you need to do them by hand or you'll risk damage to the plugs or the threads in the heads especially since you're not used to using an impact/drill.

You will also need a long extension for the socket, the socket also needs to have either a magnet (best) or a rubber insert that will grip the plug so you can pull it out of the plug tube and also not have the plug fall out of the socket when installing the new ones, also when installing the new plugs get them started by hand using only the extension and socket, tighten them down by hand and then use the ratchet, even better is to use a torque wrench for the final tightening to the correct torque specs (recommended) instead of just guessing at it using a ratchet or impact drill, too tight and you risk stripping the threads, too loose the plug could become loose and even come completely out of the head at some point while the engine is running, neither is good and damage will be done to the head.

These tools can also be gotten from many main stream auto part store via their "Loan A Tool" programs for free in the end, what you do is get all the tools needed, you pay the going price of that store for all the tools, once you're done and return all the tool they reimburse you all the money you paid if the tools are in the same condition as when you got them, if you go this route be sure to inspect all the tools in front of the sales person and note any missing parts, pieces or damage, if any thing is noted make sure you get that in writing or have them get you another set of tools if available, either way just make sure you cover yourself so you get your money back.

 

Yup, really good advice as I remember this from 40 years ago
changing plug on the front fender of a 1974 chev 1/2 ton

 

Well the spark plugs do have a cost, and quite often other things are done while changing spark plugs to be proactive. But with that said it really shouldn't be more than $400.

Get a detailed quote so if you do decide to do it your self you know everything they do. Though if you don't have a rachet set, extensions and other items needed already from working on other things maybe just find a cheaper place to do it?

 

All good advice. I have been messing with cars a long time so I have some basics down like careful plug installation. When I mentioned the electric ratchet and the ratchet type hand wrenches my main thought was now I have a good excuse to get some tools I wouldn't normally buy. And pay for them with money saved. And save some time on the project.
The "loan a tool" thing is new to me.. I will look into that. I am surrounded by every major auto parts store chain you can name - all with a mile or two. One last thing, I will be taking the 4runner camping in a couple weeks and likely post the trip on my trout fishing blog: fichigan.com (spelled like Michigan). I bought a used Scamp 16 trailer last year and will be hauling that to a remote spot. And camping with 3 or 4 buddies that are serious fishermen and beer drinkers. (Note: we all have alias's on the blog). Take care and thank you all for your solid advice.

 

Changed the plugs today.. not a bad job after watching youtube videos. Worst part was electrical - figuring out how to undo the coils and other harnesses without messing them up. I picked up Denso 3421 plugs at Advance Auto for about $70. Saved about $600 vs dealer quote. I also checked with a small but reputable shop and they said $600, so I shouldn't diss the dealer too bad. There were 3 videos on youtube about 5th gen spark plug change and two in particular went into more detail. I learned from both but there were differences in the approach - one removed less hardware to get to the plugs and I followed that video. Anyway, watch the videos if you decide to try it yourself. Helps to have various size socket extensions, and a 10mm box wrench. Now I'm ready for my beer drinking trout fishing buddies and five days of camping.

 

Wow, I wouldn't have believed an independent shop would quote that much for spark plugs. Congrats on doing it yourself.

 

$500-$600 per car per day is about right price to keep auto shop business running todays on north american continent

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcsPyhn162E
Thanks for reminding to change plugs not sure of miles on this set but likely original to truck, dealership price for 6 x Denso part # 9091901196 Iridium plugs good for 120K miles is $70 and another $10 for a plug socket, should have them swapped out before lunch.