Tyres & plugs
I have a 2002 Toyota Corolla Verso 1.8 T Spirit auto with 124,000 miles. The last MOT was a pass with no work required. I am using Pirelli P1 tyres, all purchased and fitted at the same time. I have covered 14,000 miles since fitting them and tyre wear is down to 4mm. My previous tyres were Pirelli P6s and I covered 20,000 miles before needing to replace them. Would you expect there to be any difference in wear from two similar tyres and what alternative brand would you suggest? My annual mileage has dropped from 10,000-12,000 miles per year to approximately 6000 miles; the reduction is mainly on motorway miles.
Also, my maintenance schedule shows that spark plugs should be inspected at every full service and replaced every four years/40,000 miles for the normal type or every 60,000 miles for platinum or iridium plugs. To date, my plugs have only been replaced once in my ownership. As the vehicle is running well and with good economy, is it worth having the ECU checked and would that test show up any fault in the plug performance?
Geoff Allen
The Pirelli P1 tyre actually gets a better rating for wear than the P6, so I would expect there to be little difference between them. The fact that you are doing less motorway miles is probably relevant. I always run Michelin Pilot Sport 3s on my Toyota and found them to be a very good and long-lasting tyre.
Even though your engine is running smoothly and appears to give no indication of a potential problem, I would replace the spark plugs if the four years/40,000 miles has been covered since the last change. If one of the spark plugs should begin to fail, it could also damage the ignition coil pack. Live data may show up the resistance levels of the spark plugs, but if they are due it would be best to renew them as a preventive measure.