Now let's see ... How does all this stuff go back on the car...

 

 

Eek.
I dont have the documents saved on the phone, so heres a quick run through..

• Plugs: 20 ft.lbs.
• Coils/wires back on the plugs: 66-72in.lbs. should do the trick (5.5 - 6 ft.lbs.)
• Metal cowl: up to you if you want to torque it, I think anywhere between 8 and 12 ft.lbs. (96 - 144in.lbs.) is fine since its got tons of fasteners and the only thing it really holds is the wiper motor.
• Wiper motor: Think spec for these was 12 ft.lbs., but I found that compressed it's rubber bushings too much.. think I went with 10.
• Plug in the wiper motor
• Plastic cowl: those blue clippies that run along the base of the windshield love to break. They're shaped like little arrow heads, make sure they're all propperly seated and try to straighten them out. Place the cowl on, getting its side flaps in around the hood hinges and work on the hard plastic clips that go over the front edge of the metal cowl. Once those are all good, move onto the blue clippies. After the blue ones you have two tiny gray clippies that go in the lower front right and front left of the plastic cowl mounting it to the body of the car.
• Hook up the fluid line for the windshield wiper washer chingas. Its on the passenger side, connects by the fluid reservoir for said system, has a yellow mark on the associated hose to indicate how far it should stick out from the plastic cowl. Make that yellow mark just barely visible
• Close the hood
• Wipers: again, torque is somewhat subjective in my opinion. 10-12ft.lbs.
• Hood hinge covers (plastic chingases)

 

Four plugs in order .. Notice anything??

Thank you for the specs. The direction on the box was for finger tight plus 1/4-1/2 turn (and I did some pre reading on this being right too). But. Maybe my fingers are not that strong or what, I felt that was not at all tight enough, that would be less tight than factory! So I did push them down until in my judgement it felt right - I don't feel excessively tight but I guess we'll see in another forty thousand!

 

Given the criticality of proper spark plug torque on our Fits and the expensive result of a miscalculation, tightening them by judgement until they feel right may not be a good choice.

 

Are you sure this is spelled correctly?

 

^ This. Definitely use a proper calibrated torque wrench and torque them to 20 lb-ft, or at least 16 lb-ft (there have been some reports of dealers using this spec). Torque spec is "wet" as well, using a small dab of anti-seize paste. If you're torqueing dry without anti-seize, definitely use the 20 lb-ft spec.

 

I agree and I appreciate the concern, but I am pretty confident that the "finger tight plus half" gets you to that 16 at least and I am at or beyond that. I don't think these little dudes will unscrew themselves: if anything I worry about the opposite.

I did not use the anti seize i bought because I noted the concern about over torquing if there is lubricant.. Plug manufacturers say not to use it too. And this engine at 40k miles does not read like a likely case of seized plugs just yet.

 

I wonder if you'll soon be experiencing the loosening plug/failed threading issue that I ended up getting after my first spark plug change.

 

I'll have you know I'm 40% spanish, Mr.Fiting.

The copper spray-a-gasket head gasket sealant I used on the threads of my spark plugs is holding wonderfully.

The overwhelming concern/nagging about torquin' that junk is actually very kind of your peers. A strong indication of how good this community is