On the 4th-gen CR-V this is one of the easiest maintenance jobs on the car. All four coil-on-plug units sit right on top of the valve cover with nothing over them but an optional plastic cover, so you need a 5/8 in plug socket, a 6 in extension, an 8 mm socket for the coil bolts, and a torque wrench. Budget under an hour even if you go slow.
The one thing that varies is the plug itself. 2012-2014 cars use the port-injected K24Z6 and take an NGK ILZKR7B11 style iridium plug gapped at 1.1 mm; 2015-2016 cars use the direct-injected K24W9 and take a different, shorter-reach iridium plug. The mistake people make most is either buying by model year without checking the VIN, or cranking the plugs down with a breaker bar - 13 ft-lb into an aluminum head is all you get.
| Item | Type | |
|---|---|---|
| Socket set, 3/8 in drive 8 mm and 10 mm 6-point sockets Removes ignition coil bolts (8 mm head) and any engine/intake cover bolts (10 mm). | Required | shop |
| Ratchet 3/8 in drive Drives the coil bolts and plug socket. | Required | shop |
| Extension 3/8 in drive, 6 in (plus a 3 in) Reaches the plugs down in the valve cover wells. | Required | shop |
| Spark plug socket 5/8 in (16 mm) thin-wall, magnetic or rubber insert, 3/8 in drive Grips and holds the plug without cracking the insulator. | Required | shop |
| Torque wrench 3/8 in drive, 5-50 ft-lb range Sets plug torque in the aluminum head and the low-torque coil bolts. | Required | shop |
| Small flat screwdriver or trim pick Releases the coil electrical connector locking tabs. | Required | shop |
| Compressed air or vacuum Air blow gun or shop vac with hose Clears dirt from the plug wells so nothing falls into the cylinder. | Recommended | shop |
| Swivel/wobble adapter 3/8 in drive Helps with the plug nearest the firewall-side accessory bracket on tight builds. | Recommended | shop |
| Spark plug gap gauge Coin or wire type Only to verify the factory gap; never re-gap an iridium plug by bending. | Recommended | shop |
| Spark plugs 2012-2014 K24Z6: NGK ILZKR7B11 (Honda 12290-R48-H51), gap 1.1 mm. 2015-2016 K24W9 direct injection: Honda/NGK DILZKAR7A11GS type - confirm by VIN The replacement plugs; four required. | Parts | shop |
| Dielectric grease Silicone dielectric compound A thin film inside each coil boot prevents sticking and moisture tracking. | Consumables | shop |
| Shop towels / brake cleaner Wipe oil and grit off the valve cover before pulling coils. | Consumables | shop |
| Safety glasses Protects eyes when blowing debris out of the plug wells. | Safety | shop |
| Nitrile gloves Keeps oil and grime off hands and off the new plug insulators. | Safety | shop |
Socket and bolt sizes are identical across the generation: 5/8 in plug socket, 8 mm coil bolts, 10 mm cover bolts. Only the plug part number changes - 2012-2014 K24Z6 uses NGK ILZKR7B11 (Honda 12290-R48-H51) at 1.1 mm gap, while 2015-2016 K24W9 direct-injection engines use a different iridium plug that must be confirmed by VIN.
| Spark plug in aluminum head | 13 ft-lb (18 Nm) |
| Ignition coil mounting bolt | 7 ft-lb (9.8 Nm) |
| Engine/intake cover bolts (10 mm) | 7 ft-lb (9.5 Nm) - snug only, verify in the service manual |
The 5/8 in plug socket, 8 mm coil bolt, 13 ft-lb plug torque and 1.1 mm gap for the 2012-2014 K24Z6 are solid; double-check the exact plug part number for 2015-2016 direct-injection engines against your VIN at the parts counter.
A 5/8 in (16 mm) thin-wall spark plug socket on a 3/8 in drive with a 6 in extension. The ignition coils are held by one 8 mm bolt each.
Honda calls for the iridium plugs at roughly 100,000 miles (some owner's manuals list 105,000). Many owners change them around 90k-100k, especially if they see rough cold idle or slightly worse mileage.
No. Factory-spec iridium plugs come pre-gapped (1.1 mm on 2012-2014). Check the gap visually with a coin gauge but never bend the ground strap on an iridium plug.
No. Honda does not specify anti-seize, and these plugs have a plated thread. Anti-seize changes the friction and makes it easy to overtorque an aluminum head - install dry at 13 ft-lb.