hi, i have a '96 Lxi with 326k km(202k miles) still on origional plugs so i figured its time for change. tho iv read that on these older cars the vac lines can be problematic when removing the plenum... ne tips for making this process as easy as possible.aslo in the past couple weeks my fuel economy has droped from 30mpg to about 20...the cel has been on ever since i bought the car a couple years ago tho the local deal says its the egr and nothing to worry bout...ne ideas or input wud be greatly appreciated.

 

HOLY CRAP, that is a lot of miles on a set of spark plugs. I don't know about the vacuum lines but you might get a Haynes or Chilton manual. They are pretty good about that stuff. If you don't want to buy one your local library might have one you can check out. That is what I did when I did the cam swap on my LT1 Camaro. They didn't even say anything about the greasy fingerprints

 

If you have the 2.5L 6cyl, the vacuum lines weren't too bad. Only getting them to break loose was a problem. (Nothing a pair of pliers used gently didn't fix.) And while it's inconvenient to have to remove the plenum, it isn't too bad. The EGR tube (not the valve) is a bit awkward, requiring a certain amount of manual dexterity to get it bolted back up. Try not to move it around while you are working. Also, be sure that when you reset the plenum that you use a new gasket, and a rotational bolt tightening sequence (similar tocylinder heads)to ensure no leaks.

As far as your EGR goes, fine, the light is on (Code 31 from MIL). But experience tells me that you should replace it. The EGR is designed to bleed inert (no oxygen) air into the plenum at specific speeds and tempuratures. If it bleeds at idle, your idle suffers. If it doesn't bleed at cruising speed, your mileage suffers. Sounds to me like it's time. Good mechanics recommend that you buy a dealer EGR. I bought an after-market one and it worked perfectly. I don't know the durability of the after-market one though. It's only been in a couple of weeks.

 

thanx for the advice i just hope it goes smooth...lol n ya its a lot of miles for a set of plugs but everything on the car was factory when i bought it... though in the the two years iv had it iv had the tranny rebuilt...replaced the control arms and numerus smaller cosmetic things ...but the engine still seems strong so im hoping for a few more miles yet