You can remove the spark plugs on your 2000 Ford Explorer right from your home garage, saving yourself time and money. You should replace the spark plugs every 100,000 miles. The Ford Explorer gives you easy access to the spark plug wires, making the spark plug change quick. It will take you about a half hour to an hour to finish the job.
Start with a cooled engine. Pop the hood and find the spark plug wires on either side of the engine.
Pull the wires off and turn one of the spark plug wires by the large piece on the end of it. This is called the boot.
Put a socket into the socket wrench with an extension and put it over the spark plug and turn it counterclockwise until the plug is free. Brush the debris out of the boot and cylinder well with a wire brush. Spray anti-seize compound inside the boot and on the new spark plug thread.
Screw the new plug into the well by hand. Test the spark plug tension with a tension tester tool and make any adjustments necessary with the socket wrench until it meets the requirements delineated in the vehicle's owner's manual.
Put the wire back in place and turn it a half turn to the left. Next, turn it to the right until the wire locks on the spark plug.
Repeat steps 2 through 5 for the remainder of the spark plugs.
