Owners of other General Motors vehicles with the Ecotec 2.4 liter inline four cylinder motor such as the Cobalt SS, Cobalt Sport, HHR, Pontiac G5, G6, Solstice, Saturn Sky, Ion, Aura, Vue, Buick GL8 and LaCrosse may also find these DIY "tune-up" instructions to be helpful.

The tools required to complete this procedure include a flathead screwdriver, a pair of needle nose pliers, a 10mm socket with a 1/4" drive ratcheting wrench, a 6" extension bar, a 3/8" drive ratcheting wrench and a 5/8" spark plug socket.

A few compatible replacement aftermarket spark plugs with their part numbers include the NGK (5019) LTR5GP, Denso 5338 (also # 5349 or 5068), ACDelco 41-103, Bosch 4514 (6716 or 9611), E3 # E3.66, and Autolite XP5263.

First twist off the oil filler cap by rotating it counter clockwise.

Then loosen the metal hose clamp that attaches the air box to the air intake on the engine cover by turning the flathead screw counter clockwise a few turns.

There is a second hose clamp underneath the engine cover that needs to be loosened a few turns before the cover can be lifted off. Look below the engine cover with a flashlight to help locate the flathead screw.

Once the oil filler cap has been removed and the two hose clamps have been loosened, you can lift off the engine cover. If you'd like to completely detach the engine cover, disconnect the PCV hose using a pair of needle nose piers.

If you have access to an air compressor or a can of compressed air, blow away any debris from the ignition coils.

Use the 10mm socket with an extension and ratcheting wrench to remove the bolt by turning it counter clockwise.

Gently rotate the spark plug counter clockwise to loosen it and then lift it straight out of the cylinder head.

If the old spark plugs are black, the engine may be burning oil and should be thoroughly checked out by a professional.

I'd recommend buying the ACDelco 41-103 professional iridium spark plugs since they have the best reviews on Amazon and they should last you up to 100,000 miles.

Insert the new spark plug into the spark plug socket attached to just the extension bar and carefully lower it down into the cylinder head. Turn it a few times by hand to prevent it from becoming cross threaded.

Tighten the spark plug until you feel the crush washer make contact with the cylinder head and then slowly continue tightening it 1/16 to 1/8 of a turn to fully seat the spark plug. Try to avoid over tightening the plugs.

If you have a torque wrench, the spark plugs should be tightened to about 11 ft lbs if you applied anti-seize to the threads or approximately 18 ft lbs if you did not apply anti-seize.

Be careful to not over tighten the spark plugs, especially if you have applied anti-seize lubricant to the threads.

This will help seal out moisture and prevent the boots from sticking to the top of the spark plugs.

Lower the ignition coil straight down over the spark plug and line up the bolt hole on the coil with the bolt hole in the engine block.

Insert the 10mm ignition coil bolt and tighten it a few turns by hand to prevent it from becoming cross threaded.

Tighten the bolt to just past hand tight with the 10mm socket and ratcheting wrench.

Repeat the steps above to replace the other three spark plugs.

Lower the engine cover back over the top of the motor and line up the oil filler hole and air intake.

Use a flathead screwdriver to tighten the air intake hose clamp below the engine cover.

Be sure to record the spark plug change in your vehicle's service records.

Please check out my other 2008-2012 Chevy Malibu Repair & Maintenance Guides.