May be a dumb question, but are there any drawbacks or should I be concerned with buying a CTS-V with a build date back from 12/08????

Just change the plugs when you get it, That is the only issue i have had with any of them from that build date.

Just curious, what was the issue with plugs - fouling?

Ceramic loose on the plugs electrodes. The cars where bone stock. One had a bad cat from them.

Mine was built 12/08, but runs great! Should I be concerned about the plugs and my cats?

SG

any other symptoms of bad plugs Jesse ? rich/lean behavior, idling issues, etc

Have we done a build date check on the V's with wheel clicking?

I have not had any problems with the ones I sold..

If you buy one built then you saved money since they had a price increase.

I got my 12-08 build car in January 09.

I have had no issues with clicking wheels, ultraview noises, or much of anything else folks here have mentioned. Mine has been a really good car and it runs great. Being pre-price increase and saving a few hundred bucks didn't hurt either.

Out of curiosity, Jesse what brand/spec of plugs do you use as replacements for stock cars?

Cars built in Dec. of '08 might not have the new software that allows the radio to stay off when it is turned off before shutdown.

Where's the build / manf'r date located on the car please?

Where's the build / manf'r date located on the car please?

Its on the inside of the door pillar on the drivers side. You'll see build date in month/year on the pillar.

Thanks, nynd.

Which plugs should we get.....?

The car I test drove had a CEL, when I bought it the Salesman said it was a bad spark plug.... did the leads break off into the cylinder? or was the plugs just burned out? Jesse what was the nature of the issue that precipitated a change of plugs?

NGK TR6 plugs.

My car was built 12/08. The car runs perfect. Should I still replace the plugs?

My car was built 12/08. The car runs perfect. Should I still replace the plugs?

Same built as mine. I changed them (jess told me to). Now i have even better throttle response, better fuel eco... the car feels healthier now.. He recommended me NGK TR6 copper ones.

NGK TR6: What is the recommended gap please?

NGK TR6: What is the recommended gap please?

TR6's only come in one gap and I believe I heard it was fine for the supercharged application. It comes .035.

It seams real tight to get to the plugs. Any suggestions?

^^^^ Wondering this also.

NGK TR6: What is the recommended gap please?

The factory service manual says .040 for the stock ones.

I usually put them at .44. That is where it seemed to be the happiest with the stock coil dwell times.

I have not seen anything on the build dates.

no need to change the gap on tr6 ngk. i put them as it is. so far so good. ngk are 0.44 as jess mentioned above. our stock ac delco are 0.40

Good info, and I really appreciate it, but just to set the record straight and not cause any confusion, that should be .044, not .44, and .040, not .40. And FWIW, & IMHO, tracking cars of a particular make, model, & / or platform is always a good idea as you can approximate the odds of certain issues / problems that are other than isolated incidents, such as what Jesse has discovered here, that CTS-V's with a build date of 12 / 08 generally have plug issues. If it weren't for tracking cars by build date, the vette people would not be able to determine the possibility of whether a particular year of C6ZO6 has needle bearing issues, which one year did or do, and what timeframe has issues with the flying roof syndrome, which is true also. I believe that GM cross referenced the TSB for the flying roof syndrome with a range of VIN #,s and cars within that range of VIN's had recalls. Never underestimate the bean counters, or statistics. Unfortunately, our cars do not have enough #'s to produce a "probable curve" with which to work with. Sorry for the hi-jack.

no need to change the gap on tr6 ngk. i put them as it is. so far so good. ngk are 0.44 as jess mentioned above. our stock ac delco are 0.40


I thought the stock TR6s are gapped at .035, that's what I am reading on a few websites. I'll let everyone know once I get them, I'll check the gap before I install them.

they are .044 for sure. Do let us know anyways.

they are .044 for sure. Do let us know anyways.
I know that you guys know, but it is possible, even though doubtful, that a newbie may not know the difference.

I know that you guys know, but it is possible, even though doubtful, that a newbie may not know the difference.

Gary, what are you asking? Not sure I follow.

For everyone's information, the TR6 plugs are gapped .035 stock. Just measured them.

Gary, what are you asking? Not sure I follow.
Sorry for the confusion. I know that the gap is .035 or .040, and you know that the gap is .035 or .040, but a newbie might get confused with the gap being represented as .35 or .40.

Ahhh, ok. I get it. Still, if you look at a gap guage or any gap chart, you will know 100% that .35 is not the real gap, but rather .035 is the right number. Still, I get what you saying.

I guess that I am a number nazi rather than spelling nazi. No racial slur intended, BTW.

I live in dubai, and here i bought the tr6 which mentions 0.44 on the box of the ngk tr6 spark plugs. Anyways u have to gap it to 0.44 then, because jess said so.. lol

Yup, I already gapped them to .044.

What's .035 & .040 in metric?

What's .035 & .040 in metric?

.035 is .889mm
.040 is 1.02mm