Buying the right spark plugs

The content of the article:

• How to choose the right one
• Which products are better
• About manufacturers
• TOP of the best brands
• If the car runs on gas

Spark plugs are very important for any car, because without them no car will move. In addition, driving will be a real torment if the candles are faulty. In the old days, when choosing SZ, motorists were guided by the advice of their friends and relied on their own intuition, but in our information age there is a lot of useful information on candles.

It would seem that now everyone understands which candles are the best and the question of their choice is closed, but this is not entirely the case. There is a very fierce competition between the firms involved in the manufacture of spark plugs, which prompts them to introduce more and more new technologies, and their products are becoming more practical.

How to choose the right one

You cannot underestimate the ignition system of a car - it processes the current coming from the generator. Overvoltage that can cause serious damage to the system is reduced. When using low-quality candles, there is a risk that the car will stall and will no longer be able to start, so it is very important to choose the right candles that will not fail on the way.

We can talk about the choice of candles for a very long time, because the needs of the motor system are constantly increasing. If high-quality candles are installed, they will take into account all the characteristics of the motor and significantly increase its productivity.

The classic design of a candle includes 2 electrodes, but in modern versions, up to four electrodes are already used. It cannot be said unequivocally that the more candles, the better. There are additional factors to look out for.

The ceramic plug bushing is highly resistant to high temperatures. The ideal spark plug minimizes fuel consumption and gives the engine power. But in practice, it is often necessary to make a choice between these two norms.

Attention! A high-quality spark plug reduces the emission of harmful substances, therefore, when choosing a spark plug, an environmental factor should also be taken into account.

Today, precious metals are used in the manufacture of some types of candles, and this is completely justified, since they significantly increase the efficiency of the engine. But such products also have their drawback - a rather big price. Therefore, such parts are used somewhat less often than standard ones, although they have a longer service life.

And here are some other parameters to consider when choosing a SZ:

• The size. The choice of candles should be carried out in accordance with the dimensions of the installation socket. The small spark plug electrodes will be located away from the combustion chamber. In the overall SZ, the electrodes will knock on the pistons, which is also not good.
• Heat number. This is a temperature regime in which the fuel ignites not from a spark, but from the electrode itself. The higher this indicator, the colder the candlestick. This means that it will show itself on the positive side when used in aggressive conditions. A device with a low number overheats, which affects its useful life.

Which products are better

These are the types of automotive spark plugs sold in specialty stores today:

• having significant strength;
• standard;
• made using yttrium;
• tipped with platinum;
• having an iridium tip.

Standard candles are used everywhere. Some car enthusiasts consider them to be the best products. And, I must say, this makes a certain sense, since they are inexpensive and reliable. But they also have a minus - a short service life. It is more advisable to use products with platinum tips in machines that experience increased loads. Ignition stability is ensured in them due to thin electrodes.

And here are some other advantages of "platinum" candles:

• resistance to high temperatures;
• long service life;
• obstacle to erosive destruction.

Such products last longer than usual. Accordingly, they are not cheap, but worth it.

Iridium spark plugs increase engine power. The small diameter of the electrode allows for fast ignition. The consumption of the fuel mixture is reduced due to the conical shape. These products have a significant degree of resistance to high temperatures. Their service life has also been doubled.

About manufacturers

Let's dive deeper into the spark plug manufacturing process. In the world market, the following manufacturers have the greatest authority:

• Bosch;
• NGK:
• Champion;
• Denso;
• Beru Ultra-X Platin.

These are proven brands involved in the production of SZ. All of them are quite reliable, and it is not easy to determine which one is the best. Competition is constantly going on between the aforementioned companies, which, of course, plays into the hands of drivers, since the result is more and more perfect products.

In the seventies, virtually all plugs used a bimetallic center electrode, but the market balance was upset when Champion began producing bimetallic plugs that used a side electrode. The technical performance of these products was significantly better, which was achieved by higher thermoelasticity.

After some time, candles with an electrode made of platinum began to be produced. Their technical characteristics were much more indicative of all the aforementioned products. Then they began to introduce silver electrodes into production, which significantly increased the power of the engine.

The candles continued to get better, and today, according to many experts, the most perfect option is a candle made by NGK. Nothing better has been invented yet. Iridium is used here for the production of electrodes. It is this circumstance that allows us to consider the candles of this company the highest quality in the world.

Of course, the list of requirements for candles can be very long, but here we will try to highlight the main ones.

Firstly, the candle must keep a high temperature, because driving at high revs, the candles sometimes work at 900 degrees, as well as at increased voltage and pressure. In addition, the spark plug must be able to handle the use of low quality fuel. And one more thing - a good candle should be enough for at least 30,000 km.

TOP of the best brands

Today, many firms are engaged in the manufacture of spark plugs. You can get lost in this variety, and sometimes it is not easy to make the right choice.
Below are the TOP manufacturers whose products have rightfully earned the trust of drivers all over the world.

1. This list is rightfully opened by the company NGK ... Their SZ have a thin (0.4 mm) iridium electrode. Their products are not cheap, but the price is determined by a very high quality. The first place in this TOP was determined by the absence of negative reviews on the network regarding the quality of products released under this brand.
2. The second place of honor is taken by the company's products BOSCH... Candles from this company are popular among domestic motorists. BOSCH manufactures SZ of the most different designs, included in various price categories. And yet from all the products, perhaps, it is necessary to highlight the candles with a platinum rod, which minimizes the heat attack on the device. Thanks to this, the wear resistance of the product is increased and, accordingly, its service life is increased.
3. Beru Ultra-X Platin... The company manufactures SZ with four electrodes. The quality is always on top.The service life of the products is quite high, which is achieved by the constant introduction of innovative technologies.
4. DENSO Iridium Power... This is a company specializing in the production of components for cars. One of the products in their line is spark plugs for cars. The quality of the products is confirmed by all the necessary certificates. Several types of lubricants are produced here, of which candles with an iridium electrode should be distinguished, due to which excellent flammability and a high degree of resistance to critical loads were achieved. We can also note SZ with a platinum electrode, the working resource of which is significantly extended.
5. Champion... This is an American company, besides other automotive products, it also produces spark plugs. The products of this company are actively used in professional sports cars, which in itself speaks of its quality. Several types of candles are produced here, of which devices with platinum surfacing on the central electrode should be distinguished. The service life is maximum, the price is appropriate.

If the car runs on gas

Gas cylinders are now used by many drivers. Gas is used for reasons of economy, but what kind of candles should be used if the car runs on gas?

The use of gas contributes to the formation of very high temperatures. This results in carbon deposits and oxidation. Therefore, for "gas" cars it is better to buy expensive candles, and special attention should be paid to the heating number when buying - it should be high.

Unlike other fuel mixtures, gas ignites a little differently, it burns more slowly. To ignite gas, a higher voltage is required than for gasoline or diesel fuel. Since it gets very hot in the combustion chamber, SZs wear out much faster. In cars that run on gas, only "cold" plugs should be used, as they are more resistant to high temperatures.

Many experts recommend using iridium spark plugs on gas vehicles. This is due to the fact that the electrode thickness in them is much thinner, which leads to the stabilization of the charge and an increase in energy. The rate of gas ignition in this case also increases, and this is of great importance for vehicles with LPG. The ignition speed provides a more complete combustion of the gas, which leads to an increase in the power of the propulsion system.

An ordinary candle ignites unstably, and the color of its spark can be different, while the color range can be quite wide. Iridium candles produce only a white spark. And the color of the spark is very important. For example, a pink spark is considered the most substandard, since when it occurs, gaps in the ignition cannot be avoided.

Ignition becomes more reliable when a blue spark is generated. And, of course, the ideal spark is a white spark that only iridium candles can produce.

During operation on gas, the car loses somewhat in power, but this loss will be compensated by stable ignition. Also, this factor depletes the fuel mixture, which contributes to fuel economy. This is especially true for injection engines - here the savings reach 8%.

For LPG a great option - SZ DENSO Iridium IW20... A stable discharge in them is provided by a small electrode thickness. These candles are expensive, but you should definitely buy them, since, according to some experts, their service life may exceed the service life of the engine itself. This can be explained by the fact that this product is made of refractory materials.

Outcome

The choice of spark plugs must be approached responsibly. When choosing, it is worth paying attention to the type of fuel used and the service life of the vehicle. If you use HBO, then you only need high-quality candles with high technical characteristics. This is due to the fact that a higher temperature is formed during the combustion of the gas. All spark plugs may be suitable for gasoline engines. You just need to pay attention to the period during which they can be exploited.