2019–2024 Acura RDX
By Ray Delgado ✓ Certified Mechanic · Published Sep 21, 2026 · Updated Oct 22, 2026
Save $335 by doing it yourself! Shop cost: $450
Quick answer: Spark Plug Replacement on a 2019–2024 Acura RDX is rated Advanced and takes about 45 minutes–1 hour. You'll need 5 tools for this job, and parts cost about $115. This guide walks you through the full job step by step, including the mistakes to avoid.
| Part Name | Part Number | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|
| Correct spark plug set for 2019-2024 Acura RDX; verify engine, heat range, gap, and VIN fitment | — | $115.00 | |
| Coil-boot seals or ignition coils only if inspection finds damage Optional | — | $35.00 |
About prices: shown prices are typical retail averages and change frequently; cheaper alternatives may be available. Confirm the current price before buying.
💡 Pro tip: Order all parts at once to save on shipping
Follow these steps carefully
Every 2019–2024 RDX runs the same 2.0L turbo four (K20C4) — no engine split to worry about. Let the engine cool completely, pop the hood — one of the most straightforward plug jobs in the Acura lineup.
The plastic engine cover pulls straight up off its rubber grommets — grab it front and rear and lift evenly. Underneath are four ignition coils in a row, each held by a single 10mm bolt.
Loosen the negative battery cable clamp with a 10mm wrench, lift the cable off the post, and tuck it aside so it cannot spring back onto the terminal. You will lose radio presets and the clock, and the transmission may shift differently during a short relearn drive afterward.
I tuck the loose cable behind the battery hold-down — if it springs back onto the post while your hands are down in the plug wells, you'll know about it.
Press the release tab on each coil connector and slide it straight off — work the connector, not the wiring. Remove each 10mm coil bolt and set the bolts in a magnetic tray.
The magnetic tray for those 10mm bolts is not optional fussiness — drop one into the K20C4's channel and you'll spend twenty minutes with a magnet. I tray every bolt the second it comes off.
Feed a 5/8-inch spark plug socket on a 6-inch extension down the well, seat it, and turn counterclockwise. Pull each plug with the socket's rubber grip or a magnet. Read the old ones — even coloring across all four means the turbo is running healthy.
Never invent a gap number and never trust the box blindly. Check each new plug with a feeler gauge against the owner's manual or the under-hood emissions sticker.
The box gap is a starting rumor, not a number. I feeler-gauge every plug against the sticker under the hood — on a turbo running fine-wire iridiums, a thousandth off matters more than it does on a truck V8.
Drop each plug into its well and turn it in BY HAND until the washer seats — fingertip pressure on the extension, not the ratchet handle, so you feel resistance early. Once seated, give roughly a quarter to half turn more with the ratchet.
Push each coil firmly back onto its plug until it bottoms out, reinstall the 10mm bolts snugly (they're small — firm, not gorilla-tight), and reconnect every connector until it clicks. Take a 10-minute drive with moderate acceleration and confirm the check-engine light stays off.
Test your repair before closing everything up. If something doesn't work right, double-check your steps.
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
2019–2024
2019–2024
2019–2024
2019–2024
2019–2024
2019–2024
Acura CL · 2001–2003
Acura ILX · 2013–2022
Acura Integra · 2023–2026
Acura MDX · 2017–2021
Acura RL · 2005–2012
Acura TLX · 2015–2020
Acura TSX · 2004–2008
Acura ZDX · 2010–2013
