Just how much production does Bosch do in China now?

[glutamodo]

I picked up a new set of my favorite Bosch plugs for my Golf yesterday - W7DTCs. I'd noticed that on the Bosch E-catalog which I have on my computer, that those plugs have a note saying "When stock depleted, please order the recommended Super Spark Plug" So it was with mixed feelings that I noticed it said Made In China on the box. Maybe this way they'll keep this part going instead of closing it out - but are they any good?? (I'll just have to see I guess) I'll have to check where the plugs that I have in there currently came from when I change them out, probably Brazil or Germany.

Oh yeah, on the new Chinese Plugs, I also noticed they didn't even bother to stamp a country of origin on the plugs themselves - it's like they are ashamed or something. I'll still try them, and hopefully they are still OK, but I'm not exactly happy.

But anyway, the question is - how much production is Bosch moving over to China now? Just the Super plugs? I did a search and found one or two references to Super plugs being produced there, but that was it. Heck, I can -barely- remember buying Bosch W8AC Supers for 49cents each from JC Whitney, when they were still made in Germany. *sigh* I know the new Copper/Yttrium core Super Plus plugs I've seen were Brazillian.

-Andy

[vwracerdave]

Robert Bosch is a global company and has plants all over the world.
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[oibovveroi]

the set of bosch sparkplugs i have are long reach made in germany.
i checked around local flaps and they all have bosch made in india.
i ordered a set from cip1 and they were made in india.
i just bought a set of plugs by NGK.
i also have a metal fuel filter,the brand is luber finer.
part number was ff3403 and it was made in china.
i found another filter but a different brand at another parts place that was made in the u.s.

maybe germany outlawed making auto parts.

[nextgen]

A good company checks to see if the product they have made in China is up to their standards. The problem is counterfit parts!!! You guys know how expensive some plug can be. My wifes car has $18 plugs, a nice target for a counterfiter.
My company buys parts from China, and it takes a while for them to get it right, but they do.

What sucks is the reason we are there -- cheap parts -- it is our own fault, if we want cheap, you have to go to China to get it. You can't compete!

BTY how the hell did China get 48% of our Treasury Bonds?

They will own us soon.
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[glutamodo]

[lostinbaja]

You can be sure the quality isn't as good as they would have been if they were made in Germany, even if Bosch stays on top of the quality checks.
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[glutamodo]

I put the aformentioned plugs in my Golf today, took some pics of the plugs to compare them. The old ones were in fact, German:

[glutamodo]

Okay, time to follow up on this, if anyone is ever interested.

Here it is, over 5 years later. Still driving that Golf. Didn't drive it a whole lot until a year ago when I got my current job that is 83 miles each way. I put about 34K on it in the last year.

With the one year of driving up, I thought I'd figure my average gas milage (34.66MPG - excluding when I lost 5th gear, and had to drive in 4th until I got a replacement tranny, even counting that it was 34.48MPG)

Recently in a bad snowstorm, the engine started missing - it cleared itself up with no explanation, but I thought I'd have a look-see at my ignition. Looking at my notes, I've not changed the plugs since the previous post in Jan 2008 - that is about 52K. And that mileage is OK for me - I mean, as far as I'm concerned, that's why I use triple terminal plugs - longevity.

Sometime in the last few years, I had bought a box of old-stock German W7DTCs off of eBay.

I guess my trepidation about those China Bosch plugs was misplaced - except for during that snowstorm I've had no running problems at all. This engine now has over 100K on it since I re-ringed and put a reman head on it, and new fuel injectors (basic CIS-E for 1985)

Here's a closeup photo of #3 spark plug:

(edit - after I put this photo in here, I checked my plug wires, they were all OK except for #3 - it was still passing spark, obviously, but the resistance was a lot higher than it should have been)

and a wider shot of all 4:

[pupjoint]

i just use japanese made NGK plugs and never looked back.

havent touched a Bosch for years.

[glutamodo]

That's kind of beside the point. I never meant this thread to be about NGK. I brought it back up to say that I was Quite Satisifed by the long term performance of those Chinese BOSCH W7DTC plugs. Yeah, I know that NGK makes a BP6ET which is supposed to be similar - but that's not what this topic is about.

[slalombuggy]

The poor running in a snow storm sounds like a leaky plug wire. Spray them with a slat water mixture while the car is running and see if it misfires.

brad

[louis-123]

Thats really nice of you to post a follow up after all these years.
Most of the time we hear people complaning about something, but the good stories are not that often posted!