This is a general guide to changing spark plugs. Each engine may have differences that need to be acknowledged. Please consult your owners manual or repair manual before doing any unfamiliar work on your Volkswagen.

If your engine has any cosmetic engine covers that block access to the spark plugs, remove them first. They are usually clipped on or screwed on.

In most cases, if you are not exactly sure of firing orders of the ignition and cylinders, only remove and replace ONE spark plug and wire at a time to avoid crossing them.

While spark plug changes are essentially a simple remove and replace job, there are a few things to watch out for that are easy to forget.

1. After you remove the spark plug end from the spark plug and before you remove the spark plug from the head, use a can of compressed air or an air blower from a compressor to blow out any debris in the spark plug area that might fall into the cylinder on removal. Sand, dirt and other debris can easily make it's way into the cylinder from here and cause premature wear on the engine. Many VW's have their spark plugs recessed where dirst can build up.

2. Don't over tighten your spark plugs! Especially on aluminum heads, over tightening the spark plugs on your VW will cause the threads to fail and over time, the spark plugs will not fit correct. This can be an expensive repair later, so take care now.

3. A little dielectric silicone grease on the connection end of the spark plug will help the spark plug wire keep a good electrical connection and prevent corrosion.

4. To change out a spark plug, follow the tips above and simple remove and replace the spark plug. It's up to you to make sure that you have the proper spark plug in your VW. The wrong gap measurement or heat rating can cause a poor running VW!

VR6 OWNERS! DO NOT USE +4 or similar multi-spark spark plugs! For stock applications, the best plugs to use are NGK. This has been proven over and over again and again. There have been MANY reports of +4 plugs breaking, cracking and causing the VR6 to run to hot. They are NOT the proper spark plug to run in your VR6!

I and many many others wil ONLY run NGK BKR-5-EKU plugs in our VR6s.