Date:         Sat, 12 Jun 2004 19:58:03 +0100
Reply-To:     Anthony Polson <acpolson@HOTMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Anthony Polson <acpolson@HOTMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: vanagon single electrode plugs
Content-Type: text/plain; format=flowed

Sorry Bruce,

We will have to disagree.

The Bosch, Beru and NGK multi-electrode plugs have a service life of 20,000
miles.  I don't know where you get 100,000 miles from, but here in Europe,
no-one in their right mind would wait that long to replace their plugs.

I do high mileages in my vehicles and can assure you that the Bosch and NGK
multi-electrode plugs definitely need replacing by 20,000 miles.  By then,
the electrode gaps are begiining to get noticeably bigger, and poor
starting, misfiring and increased fuel consumptionare beginning to show .
There is no way those plugs would last 100,000 miles and still work.

Tony


----   Original Message   -----
>Date:    Sat, 12 Jun 2004 11:54:41 -0500
>From:    Bruce Nadig <motorbruce@HOTMAIL.COM>
>Subject: Re: vanagon single electrode plugs
>
>Poor logic. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, but this is driven by the
>vehicle
>manufacturers. I've been in the business, both inside and outside
>dealerships, for nearly ten years.
>
>In any dealership, you have 3 profit centers - vehicle sale, service, and
>parts. Most manufacturers (domestic and foreign) have a dedicated regional
>parts manager that will visit each dealership on, more or less, a monthly
>basis. They meet with dealership's parts manager to review sales totals and
>goals. They also review programs to promote additional sales. In some
>cases,
>parts managers are lavishly rewarded for producing high sales numbers.
>
>Manufacturers want to sell parts. That is how they make some of their
>money.
>Dealerships owners, likewise, want to sell parts. I have seen situations
>where dealership owners/GMs place tremendous pressure on the parts
>department to meet parts sales goals that may or may not (more often not)
>be
>realistic. Frequently, the pay of the parts department staff is based, in
>part, on the total sales volume.
>
>You are saying that consumers want less frequent maintenance. I suggest you
>read the archive and see some of the arguments about oil change intervals.
>There is no way around it, oil must be changed every so often. Whether dyno
>or synthetic, it has to be changed. There are people on this list
>(consumers) that rabidly change their oil more frequently than called for
>by
>the manufacturer. This isn't just list members either.
>
>Manufacturers don't care about how often the vehicles come in for service.
>In fact, each time a care comes in there is an opportunity for an upsell.
>The consumer demand you say is there for less maintenance is actually
>manifested elsewhere. People just don't want to have to pay for the
>service.
>What we are seeing many manufacturers doing now is paying for the required
>scheduled maintenance of the car for the first X number of miles and Y
>number of years. Service departments love this because they have a customer
>locked in for a given time period. In addition, if they do a good job in
>building a relationship, that customer will continue to come back after the
>free period is over.
>
>Consumers, or at least the ones that buy the new cars, just don't want the
>perceived cost of the service. Thus it is hidden in the selling price of
>the
>car.
>
>Go to any new car dealership. Check on the emissions warranty. What do you
>see? 100,000 miles. That is why manufacturers are making plugs that last
>that long. They have to. Is everything warranted to 100,000 miles? On the
>vast majority of cars, the answer is no. However, with emissions components
>it is mandated by the government. Manufacturers have strong incentive to
>sell parts at retail prices to the general public. This is how they make
>their money.
>
>By the way, it would be very interesting to hear how often Vanagon owners
>on
>this list change their spark plugs, regardless of what type is used. I'd be
>shocked if anyone is waiting to do it every 100,000 miles.
>
>Cheers,
>Bruce
>motorbruce