Just picked up an '03 Outback Sport with 130K miles and went through it over the weekend to replace timing belt, plugs, wires, brakes, etc. and this is what the plugs looked like when they came out (electrode was worn down to almost nothing -- I think these are the original plugs):
On the up-side, they were very clean, so I know the engine is running well. Now it's getting better MPG too...
Does the P on the plug # mean they are platinums? If so they come like that. I just put a set of those in a few weeks ago.
130k on a set of platinum's? What's the problem with that?
Yeah, those look fine to me. Platinums are like that.
(Who gets the FACEPALM now?)
NGK G power plugs have very thin electrodes. Those look normal for a G power.
Well, I guess I do deserve the face palm. I guess I shouldn't be so cheap as to not buy platinum plugs anymore, then I would have more experience with them.
Picture from NGK's website of the very plugs I pulled out and threw away:
It doesn't seem like they're platinum (G Power series) Linkster
Or the link doesn't mention platinum. Can't tell about wear from a simple picture.
Zomby woof wrote: 130k on a set of platinum's? What's the problem with that?
Funny thing. Usually when I pull plugs out that are that old, it's because the vehicle owner didn't worry about them until the worn plugs caused coil failure.
Just because they say they're good for 100k doesn't mean they are.
Could be the Iridiums. They are like that more so than the platinums.
BKR 5 EGP is a platinum plug.
I bought a '94 F150 300 six, 5-speed a few ( 2 or 3 ) years back that had the original plug in the rear most hole.
Either the previous owner thought they had stumbled onto the world's first five cylinder 300 or they just said, "berkeley it, there's five good ones in there!".
Could be worse...could have been my truck with it's random usage of platinums and Splitfires (and I mean random, like a couple of each in each head).
I had a guy bring in a 4 cylinder Wrangler that was running like ass. The tech brought me the plugs, they were the olde skool standard types and the center electrode was worn even with the insulator. The ground electrode was worn to a point, so obviously we needed to start there. It had 151K on it, I called the owner and told him what was up and asked him what who had replaced the plugs last, he said 'The guy who built it'. 
If you have to pull them out to check them, why not go ahead and replace them?
In my job, you have to tell the customer how many monies up front or they stamp their feet and hold their breath till they turn blue. 
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