Spark plug replacement
When carrying out a service on this 2011 Skoda Yeti, we were reminded of a problem that occurred some years ago due to the closedup gap of a spark plug. On a lot of vehicles, the spark plugs sit in a deep recess, and the problem occurred because a trainee had been used to sliding the plugs into the recess, before slipping on the spark plug socket and starting the thread by hand. The little rubber retainer in the spark plug socket quickly wears out with regular use and, after a short while, fails to grip the plug. The danger of dropping the plug into the recess is that the end of the plug can strike the head and close the gap. In this case, although no permanent damage was done and the plug simply needed re-gapping, it was time-consuming and inconvenient.
Special tools are available to fit plugs, but like the insert in the spark plug socket, they do wear out. Our answer is cheap and simple: a short length of rubber hose will slip over the top of the spark plug and guide it into the recess. When it wears out, simply chop a short length off the end and it’s as good as new.