How to Replace Spark Plug 2002-08 Nissan Maxima

Brought to you by 1AAuto.com, your source for quality replacement parts and the best service on the internet. Hi, I'm Mike from 1A Auto. I hope this helpful video helps you out. The next time you need parts for your vehicle, think of 1AAuto.com. Thanks. In this video, we're going to show you how to replace the spark plugs on this 2003 Nissan Maxima, pretty much the same as any Maxima that has this 3.5 liter motor in it. You'll need a T30 Torx driver, a 10mm socket as well as a 5/8 spark plug socket with an extension. You'll also need a 12mm socket and pliers and probably a flat blade screwdriver. In the first part of the video, we'll just show you actually how simple it is to replace the plugs, the front three plugs. The rear three plugs, you do have to take the upper intake plenum off. On the second part of the video, that's what we'll show you, is how to remove and reinstall that upper intake plenum.

Okay, start with a T30 Torx driver and remove the four bolts that hold the top engine cover. So the coils on this side of the engine really easier to see, 10mm socket, remove the bolt and there's a connector here. They have a tab on the top. Push the tab and push in the tab with that finger. Disconnect. Just take the bolt out. Okay, and then the coils come right out.

To remove the plugs, you'll need a 5/8 spark plug socket with extension. This socket is designed to kind of grab on to the plug. Put it down in. Okay. The plug comes up. You see I have some paper towel. My socket's kind of old so the extra pieces of paper towel just helps grab onto the plug. Okay, when you reinstall the plugs, either new ones or if your checking your old ones and reinstalling them, you want to make sure that they're gaped correctly. It should .044. Okay, the gap tool here, .044. Good check on the condition too. These things go in its nice and perfect with a little bit resistant when I put my gap tool in there.

That's good. Just make sure it's set right into the spark plug socket really well. Down in carefully, nice and centered. It goes right in. Okay, I'm just going to fast forward here as I put them in. When you tighten the spark plugs, you'll only want to have them between 20 and 25 foot pounds which is not overly tight. You want to be careful not to over tighten them 'cause they can cause problems coming up when they're done with their life. Okay, new coil from 1A Auto, just like the original. It should go right in there just the same. Down in. Just push it straight down to reconnect the lead. Put the bolt back in. Okay, and you can see the two in the front here. Just use that one and you may be saying, "Well how about the rear ones?"
The rear ones are pretty easy. You do have to take this intake plenum off and I'm going to show you that real quick. Okay, we're going to start up top here with a flat blade screwdriver. Loosen up the clamp that holds the intake hose on. That's nice and loose. Okay. Make sure you can pull this off the intake and then we're going to disconnect the green connector here. Okay, just push on the little tab just on the front here and take that off. Then we're going to disconnect this middle line here and then pull that clamp off and then use my pliers to grab onto the hose to make sure the hose twist a little bit and pull that off.

With a 10mm socket, we're going to take off this bolt here and put that bracket to the side and we're going to take off this bolt here. Okay, these up in here, it allows that to come off. Now, we're going to use a 12mm socket. Okay, I can't really show them to you because they're back in here but if you take your hand and reach back in here, you'll feel two bolts, okay. They're going in this way. Okay, you'll need to remove those two bolts at the bracket holding up the back of the plenum. As I'm looking back here, I can see that there's another vacuum line. I'm just going to use my pliers. There's a clamp. Squeeze the clamp then you need to grab off with the pliers to get the hose to twist. Pull it off.

Then I'll take my extension and there are two 12mm nuts on each end and then three 12mm bolts to remove. Disconnect this lead. I'll take my screwdriver and pry out the clip that holds the harness. Use the screwdriver and again pry the clip off that holds to the harness. Use a little push on the two teeth on each side. Okay. Out here on the back side, you see I disconnected this here. There's also two connectors, little tabs. Disconnect them then squeeze this clip as well and disconnect this line. Pull these two vacuum lines up on their clip and vice versa. Disconnect that connection and pull this up. Now, you can lift it up and push it out of the way enough. I'll show you here. We're going to lift it up out of the way that you can now get to the coils. You may want to just have somebody help you out lift it out of the way. It's the middle one that's probably the most difficult one. I'm just going to fast forward as I put the coil back on. It's just pretty much of a reversal procedure. Make sure that there's nothing, no wires or anything between the upper intake plenum and the lower intake before you put it down. Get it down into place and make sure that you get the intake hose over the opening of the plenum on the driver side and then put it down in place.

Just check underneath to make sure there's nothing between the plenum and the engine intake. I can see it go down on the stud here. It goes down. Lift it up on the back side here. Okay, down there. Pull the intake tube up. Once you get that intake tube on, it goes down nice and easy. Okay, once it's in place, take and put the two nuts and the three bolts that hold the upper intake to the lower intake. I'll put those in place. Then I actually put the two bolts that hold the rear of the intake to the bracket, put those in place and tighten them up and after I tighten those rear end up then I'll tighten the plenum down. You'll want to tighten it down to about 25 to 30 foot pounds.

I basically kind of try and go methodically from the passenger side rear, reconnect the two connections back there and those two vacuum lines then come around to the front and bolt on the two brackets and make sure that the connections are reconnected. Then around to the throttle body in air intake side. Bolt everything back together. Make sure all of the electrical connections are connected and all vacuum connections are connected. Basically what I do is after I'm done, I just look very carefully around. You basically look for any clean or shiny spot.

Basically when you take connectors apart, you'll notice they're dirty but when you take them apart, the part that had fit together nice and clean, it's a good idea just to look around and look for any clean spots or shiny spots that might indicate that there's something that hasn't been reconnected. Once you have it all reconnected then you can put your intake cover back on.

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