On the second-gen Cruze with the 1.4L turbo LE2, spark plugs are one of the easiest jobs on the car. There are no plug wires and no four separate coils — one coil cassette bolts to the top of the cam cover with four 8 mm bolts, and lifting it off exposes all four plugs in a row. Pop the plastic engine cover off, unplug one connector, four bolts, and you're looking at them. Interval is generally around 60,000 miles, and direct-injected turbo engines get noticeably smoother when worn plugs come out.
The things people get wrong: doing it on a warm engine and pulling threads out of the aluminum head, skipping the compressed air so grit falls in a cylinder, and cranking the coil cassette bolts down like they're suspension hardware. Torque the plugs with an actual torque wrench, snug the coil bolts to a low in-lb spec, and put a little dielectric grease in the boots so they come off easily next time.
| Item | Type | |
|---|---|---|
| Socket wrench set 3/8 in drive ratchet Drives every fastener on this job. | Required | shop |
| 10 mm socket 10 mm, 3/8 in drive Loosens the battery negative terminal if you choose to disconnect it. | Recommended | shop |
| 8 mm socket 8 mm 6-point, 3/8 in drive Removes the four M6 ignition coil cassette bolts (and the coil ground/bracket nut if fitted). | Required | shop |
| Extension set 3 in and 6 in, 3/8 in drive Reaches the coil bolts and the deep spark plug wells. | Required | shop |
| Spark plug socket 5/8 in (16 mm) thin-wall, magnetic or rubber insert, 3/8 in drive Removes and installs the plugs without cracking the insulator. | Required | shop |
| Swivel/wobble adapter 3/8 in drive wobble extension Helps line up on the front plug wells with the cowl close by. | Recommended | shop |
| Torque wrench 3/8 in drive, 5-30 ft-lb range Plugs thread into an aluminum head — torque matters. | Required | shop |
| In-lb torque wrench or torque screwdriver 1/4 in drive, 20-200 in-lb Coil cassette bolts are a low in-lb spec and strip easily. | Recommended | shop |
| Compressed air or shop vacuum blow gun with extension nozzle Clears dirt from the plug wells so nothing falls into the cylinder. | Required | shop |
| Trim/panel pry tool plastic Pops the plastic engine cover and releases the coil connector lock without breaking tabs. | Recommended | shop |
| Spark plug gap gauge coin-style or wire feeler Verifies the pre-set gap (~0.028-0.031 in) on new plugs; do not bend iridium tips. | Recommended | shop |
| Spark plugs ACDelco iridium for 1.4L LE2 (e.g. 12683070 / 41-162 family) — confirm by VIN The replacement plugs; the LE2 is fussy about the correct part number and heat range. | Parts | shop |
| Dielectric grease silicone dielectric tune-up grease Thin film inside the coil boots so they don't stick or arc. | Consumables | shop |
| Anti-seize (optional, sparing) nickel anti-seize Only a trace on threads if you choose to use it — most iridium plugs are pre-coated and need none. | Consumables | shop |
| Brake cleaner and rags aerosol Cleans oil/dirt off the cam cover before opening the wells. | Consumables | shop |
| Mechanic's gloves and safety glasses Protects hands and eyes when blowing out plug wells. | Safety | shop |
Only the 1.4L turbo LE2 gasoline engine has spark plugs — all sizes here (8 mm coil bolts, 5/8 in plug socket) apply to it across 2016-2019, hatch and sedan, all trims. The 1.6L LH7 diesel (2017-2019) has no spark plugs; it uses glow plugs, typically a 10 mm deep socket on the glow plug body with intake and harness removal first, and they are commonly seized. The later 1.5L LFV in Cruze-related GM cars is not offered in the 2016-2019 US Cruze.
| Spark plugs (1.4L LE2, aluminum head) | approx. 15 ft-lb (20 Nm) — verify in the service manual |
| Ignition coil cassette bolts (M6) | approx. 89 in-lb (10 Nm) — verify in the service manual |
| Battery negative terminal clamp | verify in the service manual (roughly 10-13 ft-lb) |
The 8 mm coil bolts, the push-fit engine cover and the single coil cassette layout are correct for the 2016-2019 LE2; the 5/8 in (16 mm) plug hex and the ~15 ft-lb plug torque should be confirmed against your plug's packaging and a GM service manual, since some GM small-displacement turbo plugs use a 14 mm hex.
A 5/8 in (16 mm) thin-wall spark plug socket on a 3/8 in drive with a 6 in extension. Check the hex on your new plugs before you start, as some GM turbo plugs use a 14 mm hex.
No. On the LE2 you only pull the push-fit plastic engine cover, unplug the coil connector, and remove four 8 mm bolts to lift the coil cassette. Nothing else needs to come off.
Roughly every 60,000 miles for the 1.4T under normal use. If the car is tuned or you notice stumble, hesitation or misfire codes under boost, change them earlier — often around 30,000-40,000 miles.
No. The 1.6L LH7 diesel uses four glow plugs for cold starting. They are buried under intake plumbing, often seize in the head, and replacing them is a much more involved job than the gas engine's plugs.