Which spark plugs are better
Many drivers are interested in the question of which spark plugs are better. There is no unambiguous answer. It all depends on the type of vehicle and its operating conditions. However, this article will help you understand what kind of spark plugs are better for your car.
First of all, it should be noted that you can pick up spark plugs only for the car on the gasoline engine. In diesel engines, the fuel is fed under high pressure with a special pump, from which it ignites itself. Although the design of the diesel engine provides for a glow plug, which dries the combustion chamber and makes it easier to start the engine.
How to choose spark plugs: peculiarities of the work of the parts
Before knowing how to choose a spark plug, it is necessary to understand how this part of the car functions.
The spark plug is used to ignite the fuel mixture in the engine when starting the car. Today there is a huge range of this part on the market, so the question of how to choose a spark plug sounds very often.
The construction of the spark plug provides for the presence of such basic elements:
electrodes;
ceramic insulator;
body;
insulator ribs;
contact pin;
O-ring.
Ceramic may seem like an odd choice of material for an insulator, but it heats up less. But the body and electrodes are made of high quality steel, which has increased resistance to corrosion.
The principle of operation of the part is simple: when the driver starts the engine, a spark appears on the electrodes, which ignites the fuel. It is very important to know how to pick up spark plugs, because the wrong selection of the part to the ICE can lead to an uncontrolled increase in the speed of the work of the latter, which will lead to serious engine failure.
Choosing spark plugs depending on the caliber number
Classification of spark plugs according to the glow number allows you to determine the operating temperatures of these parts. Conventionally, they are divided into:
cold plugs;
hot plugs;
Medium spark plugs.
Selecting spark plugs by caloric number allows you to choose a part with different temperature characteristics. However, first you should know the essence of the glow number.
This indicator demonstrates the degree of pressure at which the spark plug will ignite uncontrollably. Choosing spark plugs is complicated by the fact that manufacturers use their own ways of measuring the number, which can confuse the novice.
How do you choose the right spark plugs based on gauge number? The following list will help:
hot – from 11 to 14;
Medium – 17 to 19;
Cold – over 20.
Medium spark plugs are the most popular for everyday use. This is a universal option for a large number of internal combustion engines. Such a part can work both at high temperatures and with low-octane fuel.
If you are interested in what kind of spark plugs to choose for a truck, hot spark plugs are the ideal option here. They work with internal combustion engines, which are characterized by low operating temperatures. Such models have a higher resistance to deposits and corrosion.
Cold models are relevant for high-pressure engines that use high-octane fuel. If you are interested in how to choose the right spark plugs for a sports car, this is the perfect choice.
Selecting spark plugs: fouling tint and engine problems
The characteristic of the resistance to deposits on the spark plugs demonstrates the ability of the part to clean itself after the soot and carbon deposits appeared on it. If the car’s internal combustion engine is working properly, the color of the candles is a light brown shade.
But as for the other shades, not everything is so rosy:
Black – can also be distinguished by some presence of blue, demonstrates that the ICE works on too enriched mixture of fuel, perhaps it is necessary to diagnose the fuel system.
Dull white – if the original candle color has changed little, then the fuel mixture is too “lean”, also the fuel system needs attention.
Black fouling with oil residue – oil is entering the cylinders, which is very bad, you need to do a complete diagnosis of the engine.
If you are interested in how to choose spark plugs, pay attention to such parameters:
type of thread;
thread length;
head size;
sealing method;
the number of electrodes.
If you are wondering what kind of spark plug is better, there are options with special palladium, yttrium, etc. sputtering. Special platinum tips can also be used. Such plugs are much more expensive, but their service life is several times higher. Some manufacturers guarantee 50,000 kilometers.
The question of what plugs to put, is relevant for all motorists. The best thing in the process of selection is to find out the necessary marking and buy a candle in a reliable store. You can install it yourself, but for greater reliability it is better to go to a service station.