My 01 Santa Fe 2.7 L is due for a set of new plugs. Is there any benefit of changing the wires and the pcv valve at the same time?

 

I'd have the wires replaced for two reasons. 1) Over time they do wear out and changing them with the plugs is a conveinent time to do so. 2) The back three cylinders on the V6 engine are tough to get at. The intake manifold on top of the engine will need to be unbolted and swung out of the way to get at the back three. I'd swap the wire now while it is relatively easy to get at the plug terminals.

PVC valve? Maybe, but not needed if it's working properly. Remove the PCV valve from the valve cover, but leave it plugged into the PCV tube. Start the engine and let it idle. You should feel a vacuum when you cap the exposed end of the valve with your thumb. If no vacuum is felt, the valve can be cleaned (I simple soak them in a jar of cleaning solvent and then blow them out with an air hose) or replaced at your descretion. Since they are not expensive or difficult to replace, you can decide when the valve needs replacing.

 

Thanks much for the thoughtful response. I really appreciate it. I'm planning on doing the plug change myself- found the detailed instructions online. Is there any harm in using Iridium vs. the recommended platinum plugs?

 

As far as I know, only to your pocket book. Experience has taught me that OEM specified replacements usually work as well as anything.

 

Did the job over the weekend. The rear plugs were a real bear to get at, but not impossible. I used anti sieze for most of the bolts when putting it all back together, and a new crush gasket. Can't say I'm 100% confident on the tigheting torque when putting it back together on the intake manifold. I hand tightened everything and then went an additional 2/3 turn or so. Does that sound about right? Also, two of the bolts that attach the engine cover simply sheared and broke. I managed to get them out and then replaced them with two steel ones I had lying around. Does standard steel react poorly to heat and should I replace them with black bolts from the dealership?

Thanks for answering my very basic questions.

 

No, it's best to torque them in place properly. Torque settings are listed in the attached graphic as the second set of numbers in the parentheses in units of foot pounds. Looks like 11 to 14 ft lb for the manifold bolts, 3-4.5 ft lbs for the cover bolts which may explain why you were twisting them off. The schematic is from http://www.hmaservice.com/.



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The "black bolts" are likely made of some fairly soft material so that they will twist off (as you found out) before they would strip out the threads in the aluminum manifold. This would be consistent with the low torque values for those bolts. The steel bolts you used to replace the broken ones will hold the cover on just fine, but you need to be cautious unbolting and bolting the cover during future maintenence. Stripping out the threads in the manifold is repairable, but a pain to have to deal with.