Not many people will be able to distinguish iridium spark plugs from platinum spark plugs at first glance. You will find out what is their difference and service life.
The electrodes on these spark plugs do not burn out during their entire service life.
That is, the gap between the electrodes does not change.
This is considered a very great merit. This is due to the fact that rare earth metals are used in manufacturing. Platinum spark plugs have platinum soldering on the side and central electrodes.
And on an iridium spark plug there is a thin layer of iridium.
If we look at a standard spark plug that has already been pretty used up. We will see that over time, both the central electrode and the side electrode burn out.
The gap changes, and the engine operation changes accordingly. Hence breakdowns, etc., which is not acceptable for modern engines.
So where should you use ordinary, classic candles? Where is it better to put iridium or platinum ones?
For classic - standard, already with good mileage engines (such as those produced by VAZ or something similar). You can use ordinary candles. There is no need to install platinum or iridium spark plugs.
- The first reason is that they are quite easy to change.
- And secondly, often such engines already “eat up” oil.
Conclusion: There is no point in installing good spark plugs on an engine that “eats” oil.
But this is not prohibited. You have the right to do whatever you want. Just if there is no difference, why overpay!
But there are other engine models (especially foreign cars) where replacing spark plugs is difficult. Injection, high-power, turbocharged engines. It was for them that iridium and platinum spark plugs were invented.
Iridium and platinum spark plugs.
The service life of platinum candles is significantly higher than that of conventional ones. But it lags a little behind iridium ones. The service life of iridium spark plugs is considered maximum.
That is, the most reliable and durable are iridium spark plugs.
Difference between iridium and platinum spark plugs: The platinum spark plug has a slightly narrower center electrode. And on the side there is a platinum soldering.
But it is not as thin as an iridium spark plug.
If you want to buy yourself platinum spark plugs, then the declared resource will be about 80,000 km. When purchasing a spark plug, be sure to pay attention to the side electrode. No one will ever put this small, barely noticeable solder on a fake. As for iridium spark plugs, counterfeiting them is much more difficult. The reason is the thin central electrode. If it is made of another metal and is not coated with iridium, then there is a risk of it quickly burning out. And for every purchase, as you know, you are required to provide a guarantee. It is for this reason that they are rarely counterfeited. But in the Celestial Empire they can fake anything. So, be careful when choosing a candle!
Pay attention to the side electrode. It should be made in a U-shape.
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Owners of modern cars prefer to install platinum or iridium spark plugs in the ignition system. Drivers claim that, despite the higher price than conventional ones, it is more profitable to use such products.
Factors determining replacement
The frequency of replacing platinum spark plugs depends on certain nuances.
How many kilometers did the car “run”? With daily use of transport, early wear is inevitable. Replacement is sometimes needed after 50 thousand km. Driving style determines the frequency of visits to service centers. Frequent temperatures with a “+” sign, aggressive behavior on the road – and “welcome” to the workshop. Vulnerability is felt in relation to the quality of purchased fuel and lubricants. Bad gasoline will add carbon deposits to engine spark plug parts, worsening dynamic performance. There is a dependence of the change of these spare parts on the serviceability of the engine and its design
Close attention to it ensures the longevity of the candles. The make and age of the car are not in last place
Old domestic products require frequent replacements from the owner.
Characteristics of platinum spark plugs
They are divided into several varieties depending on the material of manufacture. The classification on this basis is as follows:
- Nickel, the simplest and cheapest. Their resource is 15-50 thousand km. However, due to the low quality of Russian fuel, no more than half of this mileage can be used reliably.
- With platinum soldering on both electrodes. Resistant to corrosion, they operate up to 50-60 thousand kilometers.
- Iridium, traveling up to 100 thousand km.
The main characteristics of spark plugs with a platinum steel component:
- diameter and number of electrodes;
- life time;
- spark gap;
- body design;
- operating temperature.
Difference from usual
In addition to the fact that platinum elements use a more expensive metal and a higher resource, they differ from ordinary ones in the following properties:
- thinner electrodes;
- lower rate of their burnout;
- high power;
- spark discharge stability;
- better flammability of the mixture and, as a result, reduced fuel consumption;
- reduced spark formation temperature, leading to easy starting in the cold season.
Visually distinguishing between types of candles is difficult. Manufacturers put the Platinum marking on the packaging and body of platinum candles.
The difference between copper and platinum
The only advantage of copper is its cheapness
Advantages of platinum: 1. less voltage is required for normal sparking (stability of operation at low voltage, critical conditions); 2. there is no depletion of electrodes and, as a result, deterioration in spark formation; 3. reduced central electrode - reduces the likelihood of spark “slipping”; 4. high chemical and temperature resistance; 5. long life and performance.
There are also spark plugs with self-cleaning technologies - Laser platinum (advanced technology for applying platinum), iridium spark plugs (an even more resistant material than platinum, which allows you to make the electrode even thinner), spark plugs with safety side electrodes (reduce the likelihood of breakdown on the insulator). Such candles can be distinguished visually; the internal electrode of such candles is thin and conical.
Differences between platinum and iridium spark plugs - which one to choose?
They differ from each other in the material used to make the electrodes. In addition, there are other differences:
- the diameter of the iridium electrode is 0.4 mm versus 0.7 for platinum;
- the melting point of iridium is higher than that of platinum;
- the mechanical strength of platinum is lower;
- the mileage of a car with an iridium spark plug is 1.5-2 times longer;
- the cost of a platinum product is 30-40% less.
Each car enthusiast chooses for himself which elements to use in the car’s ignition system. It is impossible to clearly identify a leader.
For cars with a turbo engine, purchasing iridium components is an excellent option.
However, it makes no sense to install spark plugs made of platinum or iridium on old domestic cars - their outdated design will destroy all the advantages of modern products.
Platinum or iridium – which is better?
When choosing spark plugs, you should focus on the performance indicators of the parts - heat rating, physical characteristics, etc. Particular attention should be paid to selection based on the heat rating. An insufficient value will deteriorate the quality of the supplied air-fuel mixture, and overheating will lead to detonation and complete destruction of the engine.
Iridium consumables
In second place in importance are physical dimensions. The spark plugs must fit organically into the space allocated for them, otherwise the chain will be broken and the car will either not start, or another problem will occur.
Engine manufacturers rarely recommend using standard copper or nichrome spark plugs due to their short service life and rapid carbon deposits. And the main candle makers rely on the more expensive but reliable platinum and iridium.
If you, dear readers, are not convinced by the editors’ arguments, we will confirm it with official statistics. The service life of one nickel spark plug does not exceed 40 thousand kilometers on roads of normal quality. But in the CIS, this figure must be divided by at least two due to the almost complete absence of asphalt on the road network. Temperature changes also contribute. Platinum with iridium has a 2-fold increase in service life, and they are also more protected from the influence of weather and mechanical factors.
Iridium SZ from NGK
Pros and cons of platinum spark plugs
Good performance characteristics ensured the popularity of platinum products among car enthusiasts. This became possible thanks to the following advantages:
- increasing car engine power;
- reduction in gasoline consumption;
- improving engine response;
- possibility of cold start;
- protection of the catalyst from burnout;
- long service life.
The only drawback was the high price, but thanks to all the advantages, such an acquisition will quickly pay for itself.
Fakes
How to determine which spark plugs are platinum and which are fake? Manufacturing design features distinguish parts from counterfeit ones.
NGK models are characterized by a perpendicular arrangement of the electrode with respect to the contact. Counterfeits have an uneven shaft. Low cost is a reason to be wary. The quality of the printing is different: the original drawings are clear and bright; for fake ones, the contours of the images are shifted downward. The batch code is indicated on one of the faces of this part. The carving is made perfectly, and the insulator resembles glaze; the fakes also have a rough coating.
Bosch products have a stamp on the belt, parts are sold with a warranty card, in high-quality packaging. Counterfeits are most often supplied from Turkey, entering the market in the form of W7DC, W7 DTC. They can be identified by deformation or detachment of the side electrode part. Remaining in the cylinder, they cause irreparable damage to the engine, which entails considerable expense. The underground came up with their own marking W8 ATC. Products from the dishonest master are coated with chrome, which sticks tightly to the head. Soon after purchase, they become loose, compression begins to disappear, and the car inexorably loses its dynamics. The original is characterized by clear, deep markings and a skillfully executed logo.
The Denso fakes have a blurred inscription on the body, a shiny contact pin, and poorly aligned electrodes. The markings are easy to scrape off.
Avoiding counterfeit products is extremely important for vehicle owners. You should only contact professional companies specializing in the sale of branded parts. Safety on the road and financial costs depend on this. To avoid embarrassment, it is better to listen to the advice of experts, study reviews of experienced car owners and remember that timely diagnostic measures, maintenance, careful attitude to the vehicle, and purchasing spare parts from a reliable manufacturer are the main canons of proper use of a car.
Criterias of choice
Before purchasing the main component of a car's ignition system, attention is paid to factors that allow you to make the right decision. First of all, it is worth identifying the circle of manufacturers offering reliable and modern products. It is preferable to buy candles from such companies:
- NGK;
- Denso;
- Bosh;
- Brisk.
The number of electrodes becomes an important factor. The products of market leading companies exist not only with 2 rods.
They offer 3 or 4 pin models, making it easier to start the engine in extreme conditions and at low speeds.
It is also worth paying attention to the diameter and length of the thread. These parameters are checked against the characteristics of the seat on the engine block of the machine.
We must not forget about fakes, of which there are many on the market. More often they try to reproduce products from popular brands. In order to recognize a replica, the characteristic features of the original are studied. For example, the central electrode on NGK models is smooth and located perpendicular to the contact. For Bosh products, the company name is located just above the thread and there is no name W8 ATS, which is used to mark counterfeit products.
Is it time to change? How to understand this?
Looking under the hood and unscrewing the parts, it is recommended to pay attention to such points. There are no deposits in the working system: the color of the device is gray
Presence of slight carbon deposits: can be replaced with similar models with thermal characteristics. Charred electrode devices are not subject to further use.
The part “screams” about the need to purchase a new one in the presence of a contaminated working space, dark brown deposits, interruptions in the system, or throttle contamination. This is fraught with serious consequences. It is necessary to carry out diagnostics, clean the spark plug in gasoline, but the problem should be looked deeper - simply replacing them is not enough.
An incorrectly adjusted clearance of the device leads to its destruction, to the fact that the seals cease to perform their functions, and to the appearance of dark deposits on the surface of the cylinder. When buying spark plugs, you need to know how to distinguish the original from the fake.
Frequency of spark plug replacement
The interval between the installation of new platinum elements of the ignition system is 60 thousand km. However, this mileage is adjusted depending on several factors:
- Style and driving style. With intensive use and aggressive driving, the temperature increases and the service life of the spark plug decreases.
- When refueling with low-quality fuel, carbon deposits on the electrodes increase. The performance of the product decreases and amounts to 20 thousand km.
- On a serviceable engine, the service life corresponds to that declared by the manufacturer.
- The age of the car and its make. Typically, the service life of spark plugs running on foreign cars is higher than on domestic cars. The older the car, the more often consumables need to be replaced.
- Environmental conditions. With temperature changes and sudden changes in air humidity, the shelf life and performance of components decreases.
Among the spark plugs on the market, owners of modern cars should choose platinum spark plugs. In terms of performance and technical characteristics, they are ahead of simple nickel ones, and in price - iridium ones.
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Spare parts and consumables
Iridium spark plugs are a serious competitor to platinum devices. The technical characteristics of a car can be significantly improved if a set of conventional elements is replaced with a set of iridium. These candles are stronger and therefore last longer than ordinary ones.
The concept of electrode gap and its purpose
The spark plug has a pair of contacts. The first is the positive central electrode, and the second is the negative side electrode. The central contact is a link in the chain of supplying current from the ignition coil. The side element is shorted to ground. A spark appears between these elements during the movement of the pulse. Thus, its characteristics are directly dependent on the distance between these two electrodes.
Depending on the type of engine, fuel quality, and power, certain spark plugs should be selected. These spark plugs are recommended by car manufacturers. If you want to use such elements intended for one car on a vehicle of another brand, then this will not work. Since the gap between the contacts is an important quality of spark plugs.
The distance between the electrodes affects the following properties of the motor:
- Stability of operation;
- Developed power;
- Number of maximum revolutions;
- Fuel consumption;
- Duration of operation of many parts.
Therefore, it is worth periodically assessing the interelectrode distance. As a result, based on the mileage on the spark plugs used, judge whether to replace parts or the possibility of increasing (decreasing) the gap.
Properties of iridium as a material
Innovative air-fuel mixture igniters are manufactured by laser welding of iridium electrodes. Melting point is about 2,500 degrees. Since the beginning of the 21st century, iridium has been used in industry for the production of igniters.
In the industrial industry, not pure iridium is used, but alloys. It is impossible to work with the material in its pure form - it is too fragile, its electrical conductivity is low. But alloys improve the quality of the final product many times over. Alloys are used to make electrodes with much thinner tips. With such components, the engine runs smoother and the car accelerates faster.
Electrode material
In how to choose spark plugs, it is very important to understand that the main materials that are used in the manufacture of the central electrode are nickel, iridium and platinum.
To differentiate between the three different types of spark plugs, note that the nickel electrode will be the thickest, while the platinum and iridium electrodes will be the thinnest.
By installing spark plugs with such an electrode, you are likely to have problems starting the engine in winter.
The fact is that such candles are very easy to fill. A drop of fuel easily lingers on a thick electrode and there can be no talk of any sparking.
The electrode is thin, which means it’s difficult to fill it in; there’s simply no place for the droplet to stay. A very good option for winter.
The most expensive candles, but also the most reliable. The electrode is thin. Suitable for complex engines, expensive foreign cars, where each replacement of spark plugs is very expensive.
The long period of their work smooths out this high cost.
Candles for contactless ignition.
For contactless ignition on domestic cars, A17DVR spark plugs are used, the operating principle of which is based on creating a spark discharge between the electrodes.
The standard gap between the electrodes in such spark plugs should vary within 0.7 - 0.8 mm.
You can get more detailed information here -.
How do iridium spark plugs differ from regular spark plugs?
The main difference between iridium spark plugs and conventional spark plugs is the material. It is iridium that spark plug electrodes owe to their unique properties that distinguish them from classical devices.
Since the melting point of iridium is high, the electrodes on which the material is applied do not fail for a long time. An iridium spark plug differs in appearance from a classic spark plug - the central electrode is slightly smaller in diameter, and the side electrode is wedge-shaped. This results in stronger sparking. The use of rare earth material improves the performance of the engine system - in cold weather the engine starts faster.
Iridium igniters contribute to economical fuel consumption and increase the power of the power unit. But while simple spark plugs can be used with fuel of any quality, only a mixture with premium characteristics is suitable for iridium spark plugs. More fuel is consumed during ignition. In a conventional spark generator, the fuel is located in a small gap between the electrodes, and the spark formation occurs at the edge of the central one. In the iridium version, the spark creates a funnel that expands from one electrode to the other.
The difference is also in price. Iridium spark plugs are much more expensive.
Interelectrode gap for different spark plugs
Cars that use gas as fuel involve a different method of fuel combustion. Thus, propane has a high octane number and high combustion temperatures. As a result, the use of spark plugs with the lowest heat value is required when refueling with 92-grade gasoline.
In a situation where the car is designed for 95 gasoline, then when installing gas equipment, you can use spark plugs with the recommended gap. Thus, it will not be possible to simply bend the side contact onto the spark plugs for a gas-powered unit.
Owners of foreign cars are often interested in the question: what gap between the spark plug and the “precious” electrode is considered normal? Spark plugs with a central contact made using iridium, platinum or silver are considered to be of higher quality. The contact gap in these parts is large. And the use of such “precious” metals affects the resistance of the material to high temperatures. This is based on the fact that the resulting spark charge is more stable and does not depend on the gap between the electrodes.
The reluctance to measure the spark plug gap is due to the slowdown in replacing old elements. But if you carry out this procedure in a store or directly at the car, you can avoid many problems during engine operation. After all, contacts can be damaged during transportation and loading, which in the future will affect the appearance of defects in the operation of the car.
What kind of gap are we talking about? Of course, about the gap between the spark plug electrodes. The spark plug is the “weak link” of a gasoline engine. Is the engine difficult to start? Does it work intermittently? First of all, check the spark plugs. Carelessness can be costly!
Which spark plugs are better: iridium or platinum?
There are 3 types of spark-producing elements:
- copper (variations - chrome, nickel);
- platinum (PS);
- Iridium (IS).
The last 2 options have better characteristics. The fact that platinum elements are inferior to iridium elements is true, but only partly. It is necessary to take into account the manufacturability of the power unit. If the best iridium spark plugs are installed on an old-style engine with a slight compression ratio, this will not greatly affect the engine power, as well as fuel consumption. Therefore, it is not worth installing iridium devices on old engines.
There is a myth among drivers that elements with iridium coating on the electrodes do not flood. This is not true, because if fuel or other working fluid gets into the combustion chamber, this will not save them from flooding. Devices coated with rare materials must not be cleaned using conventional mechanical methods.
Using low-grade fuel and driving on bad roads does not allow spark generators of any type to work out the entire period declared by the manufacturer - even on a working engine. Modern devices must travel 100,000 km - in practice, this turns out to be no more than 70-80 thousand km. This applies to both platinum and iridium elements.
Platinum and iridium-coated spark plugs have almost the same technical characteristics, but there are still differences. The diameter of the electrode on the PS is 0.7 mm, on the IS – 0.4 mm. This indicates greater efficiency and functionality of the latter.
The thinner the electrode, the more stable the spark formation even under low voltage conditions. And since iridium is much more refractory than platinum, ICs can withstand much greater stress. Their technical characteristics are also improved by using not a pure rare earth element, but its alloys - rhodium is usually used as an additive that prevents oxidation.
Conclusion: ICs are of slightly higher quality than platinum elements, but these advantages can be negated by Russian realities. ICs are somewhat more expensive.
Gap
A test was carried out to determine the standard spark gap in carburetor and injection engines, which differ only in the voltage in the secondary circuit of the ignition system: the carburetor engine is within 18 kV, the injection engine is about 25 kV.
The spark gap was taken as a basis - from 0.5 mm to 1.5 mm for a carburetor engine and 0.7 - 1.5 mm for an injection engine. Tests were carried out, on the basis of which the impact of the size of the spark gap on the car’s power and fuel consumption was revealed. In this case, spark plugs can make a difference in the behavior of engines.
As a result of the tests, the dimensions of the spark gaps were identified, changes in which significantly worsened the operation of the motor. Unlike classic ones, the gap on iridium spark plugs has increased by 0.8 mm for a carburetor engine and 1 mm for an injection engine. And all because an electrode with a small diameter increases the strength of the electric charge in the spark gap, and therefore an increase in the breakdown voltage is permissible.
Iridium spark plugs with a small electrode are much more sensitive to changes in the spark gap than classic ones. This is one of the most important advantages of these devices. And all because when electrodes of any type wear out, the gap increases and, as a result, the properties of the engine deteriorate. But in the case of iridium devices, everything is different: the rate of thermal destruction of the electrodes is minimal and the engine characteristics do not depend on the size of the gap.
