Case in point, I ordered some new OE (AC Delco) spark plugs for a 2006 Chevy Cobalt 2.2. If I had not taken the time to pay attention to the little things, in this case checking the gap on each plug, I would have had a problem as soon as I started up the vehicle.
I would encourage you to always, always check the gap on any new plug you get. I know the argument about them being pre-gapped and all that, but humans are involved, which means errors can creep into the equation.
It doesn't take but a couple of seconds to give each plug a visual inspection. Simply put, use the diagnostic equipment God gave you, your eyes, and look over each plug.
Here is what I found on the plugs for the Cobalt. This first picture is the proper gap:
No problems with that plug. In fact, three out of the four looked like the above plug. Good and ready to go.
However, one of the plugs looked like this:
As you can see from the above picture, this gap is far too low.
Again, this is just a quick and simple reminder. Be sure to do the little things, it can save you a lot of time and hassle down the road.
Just because something is new or right out of the box, doesn't mean it is good. Always check it.
