QuestionYou have any caveats, tips, etc on changing the plugs on a 2.7 Santa Fe? The wife's ride is due and I'd like to avoid any surprises. What's the general procedure? Along the repair subject in general, how complete is the factory manual? I've been looking for a Chilton's or Haynes, but to no avail.
AnswerYou'll need to remove the intake plenum to get to the rear spark plugs. Because of the difficulty in doing the job, I'd recommend replacing the plug wires with a factory set at the same time. Good quality name brand platinum plugs (such as Denso or NGK) should work well in this vehicle.
It'd be my recommendation when removing the plenum that you detach the wiring connectors, the pcv hose, and the fuel regulator hose, but leave the coolant hoses on the throttle body. There are three 12mm bolts holding the back of the plenum to braces. Once you've got them off and the main attaching bolts/nuts off, you can simply stand the plenum up rather than taking it entirely off the vehicle. This helps avoid mess and having to bleed the cooling system.
I'm not all that enthralled about the factory manual. It's light on disassembly and reassembly procedures, and the diagnostic information is poor. But the schematics are very good. The factory manuals are probably better than anything else you can find, however. You can view the factory manuals, as well as technical service bulletins and other information at www.hmaservice.com. You'll need to register for a free account, and the site requires Internet Explorer.
