How to remove 1992 Toyota Paseo spark plug?

Answer 1

The process is simple so I will assume you know nothing about what you are attempting to do. I am describing the process for a 4 cylinder engine with a 5 speed manual stick shift. Check your airfilter before you change plugs. A clogged air filter will cause your Paseo to run badly, very much like the plugs are bad. The air filter in the 92 Paseo is upside down from other filters. When you take off the cover, you are looking at the clean side of the filter. You must remove the filter to check the dirty side. If it is REALLY dirty, replace it and see how your Paseo runs. If that doesn't improve anything, then check to see if each of the spark plug wires is fastened snugly to the distributor cap (round plastic thing on right side of engine with wires coming out of it). If that doesn't work, then you need to check to see if each of the wires is connected to its spark plug. You will see a group of wires on the top of the engine. In my case, there are 4 wires because there are 4 cylinders. Each wire buries itself into a square rubber plug. When you manage to pull up one of the rubber plugs, you will find a well that is about 4 inches deep. Inside the well you will find a thick rubber sleeve around the wire. The spark plug is at the bottom of that sleeve, screwed into the engine. You are going to pull the rubber sleeve off of the spark plug, but be very careful to pull on the sleeve and not the wire or you may damage the wire, which is quite expensive to replace. DO ONE PLUG AT A TIME OR YOU MAY NOT REMEMBER WHICH WIRE GOES TO WHICH PLUG . THE POSITION OF THE WIRES IS VERY IMPORTANT. If the rubber sleeve pulls off the plug with little effort, then the connection was bad and you may not need a new plug. Force the sleeve back down onto the sparkplug and see if the engine runs any better. If that solved your problem, then make sure the rubber plug is snug in its seat so that road water doesn't splash into the well and corrode the connection at the spark plug. Assuming you werent' that lucky, and you had to use some force to remove the rubber sleeve from the spark plug, inspect the metal connector inside the end of the rubber sleeve. If it is corroded or very dirty, try to remove the corrosion with a piece of emery cloth wrapped around a stick (tool, pen, pencil, etc) or a piece of dry scouring pad or a pen knife, then push the connection back onto the spark plug and see if the engine runs better. If that did not do anything, then it's plug replacement time. Assuming you are a real rookie, drive the Paseo to a parts store so the parts person can see what kind of Paseo you have. Ask the parts person for spark plugs for the type of Paseo you have. When you can't answer the questions, tell them the Paseo is parked outside and to please look. Ask the parts person what the spark plug gap is supposed to be. Ask what the spark plug gap is on the ones you are buying. If the gap is not the same, then ask the parts guy very nicely to "set the spark plug gaps" for you (admit you are a rookie). If they won't do it, then you'll have to buy a tool to set the gap. Buy the cheapest tool they have for this and ask them to show you how to use it. Set the gap right there. If you are doing it wrong, human nature will cause them to help you, provided you have been appropriately humble about being such a dufus. After the gap has been set, be very careful not to do anything to the plug to alter the gap--DON'T DROP IT. If you don't have the right tools, then tell the parts person that you need a "spark plug socket" (these are not commonly in a tool set). If you do not have any tools, then you will also need a socket wrench and an extension long enough to reach the spark plug , about 6" ought to do. Ask the parts person to show you how the ratchet on the socket wrench works. Plugs and tools are going to cost quite a bit, around $40. Sockets and socket wrenches come in varying quality and therefore, varying prices. If all you are going to do with your socket wrench is pull the plugs, you wont need one of high quality, BUT YOU MUST HAVE A SNAP FIT BETWEEN THE SOCKET AND THE EXTENSION. You now have everything you need to remove and replace the spark plugs. Snap the extension into the plug and the wrench into the extension. Set the ratchet so the force will be applied counterclockwise, lower the socket into the well, snap the socket over the plug. If there is no resistance, the ratchet is set incorrectly. Hold the ratchet part of the wrench in one hand to keep it aligned and use the other hand to push the wrench handle. If there is no resistance, the ratchet is set incorrectly. If your engine is hot, the plugs take more force to remove than when the engine is cold. Apply force steadily. Expect this part to require quite a bit of force. If that plug refuses to come out of its seat, then spray a LITLE BIT of WD40 into the well and wait a few minutes before you try to unscrew the spark plug. Once that plug is out, you can look at the spark plug tip and tell quite a bit about how your engine is running, but you, as a rookie, will need to have some pictures with you that show what plugs look like when the engine is firing correctly, burning oil, or not getting enough air. But that is a perk, not a necessity. Save the spark plug. Pull the extension off the wrench, insert a new spark plug into the socket and gently guide the plug into its seat, and, using your fingers to guide the extension, thread the plug into its seat until your fingers aren't strong enough to do it. That should be several turns. If it it hard to turn right away, then you may have it cross-threaded and you are on your way to a disaster if you force it. Back it off and try again. When you are confident it is seated properly, reset the ratchet on the wrench to go the other direction, and secure it to the extension. Hold the ratchet part of the wrench to keep it aligned and pull the wrench handle until the spark plug feels snug. Now, tighten it down a LITTLE BIT more. Pull the extension up gently; hopefully the socket came up with it. If not, then you are going fishing. Once the socket is removed, push the rubber sleeve down onto the spark plug firmly; hopefully you will feel it "snap" down onto the spark plug. Do each plug the same way. If your Paseo still runs badly, then you should replace either 1. the distributor cap AND ROTOR or 2. The plug wires (or maybe both) whichever is the least expensive first. But that is all the instruction I have time for today. Good luck.