How to remove stuck spark plug connector boots on a BMW or MINI

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BMW DIY Video - How to Remove stuck spark plug ignition coil connector boots on BMW or MINI

PARTS:

New spark plug connector boots:
http://www.bavauto.com/fland.asp?part=12 13 9 067831A

TOOLS:

Pick Tool Set:
http://www.bavauto.com/fland.asp?part...

CRC Silicone Spray:
http://www.bavauto.com/fland.asp?part...

BMW’s and MINI’s use of “coil-on-plug” ignition coils has been great for improved engine management and efficiency, allowing longer “saturation” times for higher energy sparks and more precise spark timing control for increased engine efficiency and improved fuel economy. All this while also reducing the servicing requirements of the ignition system by eliminating the ignition wires (spark plug wires), distributor cap and rotor (heck, the whole distributor, for that matter!) and associated hardware. However, the newer 4 valves per cylinder, hemispherical cylinder head designs with the spark plugs centrally located in the top of the combustion chamber have created a new maintenance problem with the coil-on-plug ignition coils.

Due to the higher heat and longer service intervals, the spark plug connector boots that connect the ignition coils to the spark plugs (replacing the connector boots on the old-style spark plug wires) can tend to glue themselves to the spark plug insulators (the ends of the spark plugs). This is especially troublesome since the spark plugs are buried deep in the recessed tubes in the cylinder head, below the coils. If you work with these later engines long enough, you will experience spark plug connector boots that will not pull off of the spark plugs. In these cases, you cannot remove the spark plug until the boot is removed, as the spark plug socket will not fit down over the stuck boot ..... or even the remains of a ripped boot.

At BavAuto, we get calls from our customers (it seems like every day) who have at least one boot that will not pull off the spark plug. In many cases, they have been fighting with the offending boot for some time before calling us for that, hoped for, magic formula to get the boot (or what’s left of it) off so they can finish the spark plug or coil replacement job. Well, as it turns out, we do indeed have a magic formula and we want to share it with all of our fellow BMW and MINI owners. Check out the steps we have developed to remove stuck coil/spark-plug boots.

PROCEDURE:

1) If you have the earlier style bolt-on coils that utilize a separate spark plug connector boot and the boot has stayed behind when the coil was removed, first try to pull the boot off with needle-nose pliers. If you have the later style coils (we call them “pencil” coils) that have integral connectors with just a short boot/sleeve at the bottom, and the boot/sleeve has pulled off the coil end or ripped and left a partial section on the spark plug, go to step 3.

2) If the pliers just rip the boot, grasp the center electrical connector portion of the connector boot and pull outward. If the complete boot comes out, great!. If the electrical connector pulls out, go to step 3.

3) Now that we have a hollow boot, we can apply a shot of spray silicone into the boot. After spraying the silicone insert a long pick tool or small flat-blade screwdriver down through the boot. We want to gently force the tool between the inside wall of the boot and the spark plug insulator. This will break the seal and allow the silicone to seep between the plug and the boot.

4) Use the needle-nose pliers or long pick tool to pull the boot off the spark plug.

5) When installing the new parts, apply a small dab of silicone grease to the inside of the connector boot or sleeve before assembling on to the spark plug. This will prevent future boot removal problems.

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All products noted in this video can be purchased in our online store, http://www.bavauto.com/, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You are also welcome to e-mail us at [email protected] or call into our headquarters and speak to our knowledgeable advisors at (800) 535-2002 (Mon.-Thurs. 8AM to 9PM EST, Fri. 8AM to 7PM EST, and Sat. 9AM to 4PM EST
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