That's why I didn't take off the plenum. I didn't want to drop something down into engine and then have to pay a mobile mechanic an arm and a leg to fish it out.

Nope. Just a smart DIYer. I was surprised no youtube videos used a mirror. There were several videos about not taking off the plenum but none used a mirror to see what was going on.

I swear on my 2007 there is less slack in the wiring harnesses than on later years. There was no wiggle room even with the wiring harnesses disconnected.

 

[QUOTE=overclock;11906478]That's why I didn't take off the plenum. I didn't want to drop something down into engine and then have to pay a mobile mechanic an arm and a leg to fish it out.

Are you a dentist? 😉

Nope. Just a smart DIYer. I was surprised no youtube videos used a mirror. There were several videos about not taking off the plenum but none used a mirror to see what was going on.

I was joking since the teeth guys use a mirror and all is horizontally flipped. Agreed on the smart DIYer, I have also used a mirror at times on car work.

 

Those iridium plugs are good for at least 100K miles. I changed the original plugs on my Solara at 110K miles. I looked at it and still looked great. I put the new ones and I didn't notice a change in the way the engine runs.
All that crap that needs to be removed. UGH. Why I love 4 cylinders.

 

I had a Solara V6. The rear bank is not fun.

I had a Subaru 4 Cylinder. Spark plugs are not fun in that car.

Best car for plug changes is BMW straight six. straightforward.

 

My present 1998 Infiniti I30 V6 is real easy on rear plugs R&R , no intake manifold pull just on bolt the coils and the plugs are right there, the front bank is super easy. But to replace the rear valve cover gasket is a PITA. The easiest car i have had for plugs and other mechanicals was the 1985 Ford T-bird V8.

 

It's scary to work on cars made the past 20 something years.
I'm especially scared to work on my ES 350 in the future.
What scares me?
Turning bolts and nuts or pushing clips on plastic parts. When you hear that dreaded crunch... ugh.

 

Threading plugs into an aluminum head should scare you. My friend's IS350 head spit a plug out because the prior owner, likely misthreaded a plug. that's the theory anyway. he can't get the plug to seat and the car has been sitting a few years now. he took it to a mechanic and he said the aluminum gets soft over time

 

If he can't heli coil that then he better pray he has a low deductible and that someone steals his car. lol

 

I used the CCN video and replaced the plugs on our 2019 ES 350 FSport yesterday. It took me less than two hours and was fairly straight forward. The two biggest challenges that I had were removing the connectors from the coils and just getting to everything on the back side as it is hard to see and obstructed. It is tight back there and you have to be a little bit of a contortionist to do it. I replaced the spark plugs and replaced the gaskets on the intake plenum and on the Mass Airflow sensor. Lexus parts cost me about $130. The torque specifications are very low on everything (5 ft lbs, 7 ft lbs, 13 ft lbs and 15 ft lbs) that I highly recommend a good digital 3/8" torque wrench. None of my other click type torque wrenches go that low. After completion, I took it out and drove it hard for about 30 minutes. Engine was very smooth and responsive, and felt a little better than it did before.

 

Just going to throw this out there…the Gen 7 ES 350 maintenance schedule is to change the plugs at 60,000 miles / 6 years, right? Well…maybe. The Lexus Canada schedule is to change the plugs at 192,000 km (120,000 miles) / 12 years. So, why the difference? Can’t be the machinery, same car, same engine, from the same factory. Some kind of weird, government mandate? The only explanation I can think of. Sceptical? Here are the maintenance checklists from the Lexus.ca website.

96,000 km/6 years:

And…the “Service 3” details



See? No spark plugs there. Now the 192,000 km schedule:


There they are! Documented.

 

I believe the reason for the 60K mile change interval is that direct injection is harder on spark plugs than port-only. The current 3.5L uses both port and direct, but the interval is listed as 60K at least in the US.

Regardless of what the website says, I would be looking at 60K miles (or the km equivalent) interval for the 7th gen ES350.

 

Uh…there is no difference…all Gen 7 are combined injection, 2GR-FKS engines.

 

I know...but previously, they weren't. Im not sure why CA is different than US, but Im pretty sure its not a CAFE or emissions rule or such.

Mechanically, DI is harder on spark plugs, so an earlier interval (like 60K miles) makes more sense.

Feel free to wait longer, but I wouldn't.

I have a pre-DI ES as well, and will be changing the spark plugs this spring at 100K miles. Our 7th gen ES will get new plugs at 60K, whenever it gets that far.

 

There's no need to speculate on the reason for the US ES 350 "6 Years or 60,000 Miles" and "12 Years or 120,000 Miles" spark plug maintenance schedule. As I detailed in the Time to change spark plugs post #5, the requirement is stated in the 202x LEXUS ES250, ES350 WARRANTY AND SERVICES GUIDE:
and
As to exactly what specific requirement or requirements in the applicable regulations in the mountain of (US) Federal Emission Control regulations are dictating that spark plug change interval, most likely only the Toyota/Lexus engineering department knows the specific US requirements language dictating the change interval.

 

I guess the difference must be the difference in mileage for the warantee; This is what is in my manual:


Roughly translates to 50,000 miles and 80,000. I’ve never once heard of a problem with this system, neither here or in any other forum. Sounds to me like gambling..,pay $X hundred now to avoid the slim (negligeable) chance you may have to pay $Y hundred later. It used to be that only BC and Ontario mandated regular testing but BC dropped that mandate. Alberta and Quebec proposed legislation for testing but it failed to pass. So, if no testing required then “who is to know”?

I guess that answers the question on the difference in the recommendation.