Every gasoline engine has spark plugs. Each cylinder has one, and individual high-speed gasoline engine has two spark plugs per cylinder. The spark plug is only a small part, but it is so important part in the ignition system. Spark plugs are consumables, yet most drivers pay little attention to such a common part. As the core of a car engine, the performance of spark plugs can almost directly determine the car’s performance, so we recommend you often check your car's spark plugs.

How to judge the spark plug service life

Spark plug is an essential part of the normal operation of the engine. After the mixture is sucked into the cylinder and compressed, it must be ignited by the spark plug to complete the work. Therefore, to a certain extent, the performance of the spark plug will directly affect the ignition explosion of the mixture. However, the spark plug electrode will also be consumed during the ignition process. Depending on the melting point, hardness and other factors of the electrode material, the electrode will be gradually consumed. When the electrode gap is too large, the vehicle will appear power decline, hard cold start, increase in fuel consumption and other problems, then it is best to consider the replacement of spark plug. Generally speaking, the normal service life of the spark plug of the family car is about 20,000 kilometers. In addition, to extend the durability of spark plugs, some manufacturers use precious metals such as platinum and iridium in the electrodes, as well as the strength of the ignition energy.

Whether to upgrade the spark plug

Generally speaking, the spark plugs of the original factory are strictly tested by the manufacturers, fully meeting the requirements of daily driving, and reaching the best balance between economy and power performance. However, taking cost control as consideration, the original spark plugs generally do not choose better performance spark plugs, for some drivers to pursuit of extreme performance can also consider appropriate upgrade the spark plugs. The following principles should be followed when upgrading.

1. The type of spark plugs should match the engine type.

2. Calorific value is an important reference index when selecting spark plugs. The calorific value of the original spark plug is generally taken into account for various road conditions, but some drivers prefer to upgrade to a high-calorific spark plug. It should be noted although the high calorific value spark plug is more suitable for the engine running at high speed, but if it is used in the long-term traffic conditions will produce too much carbon deposit, so select the right spark plugs according to appropriate calorific value of the spark plug. 

3. For new cars that have not been given the warranty period, some manufacturers will refuse to provide warranty service if the spark plugs are replaced without authorization.

How to replace the spark plug

Although the status of the spark plug is so important, but can be very simple to disassemble. Generally speaking, the spark plug of most cars is exposed to the outside of the engine (except for some high-end cars), as long as the engine guard is opened, and then the high-tension cable connected to it is pulled out after the spark plug is exposed in front of you. But want to remove the used spark plug or need some common sense, first is to remove the spark plug with a professional wrench, and the entire process of removal and installation must not let the outside oil into the cylinder, and then follow the principle of vertical removal and installation of the spark plug screw.

Another advantage of replacing spark plugs yourself is that you can find faults early. For example, after you take out the spark plug and replace a new one, you can also look at the color of the spark plug. If the electrode is covered with black carbon deposit, it means the combustion of your car is not good enough. too much mixture, oil burning during this period of time. However, when a reddish brown color is found near the electrode, it proves the gasoline used recently is not qualified. Therefore, attention should be paid to the fuel pumps condition to avoid greater loss. All in all, you can kill two birds with one stone by doing it yourself.

Spark plugs basically have two main functions: one is to generate sparks in the combustion chamber and ignite the mixture to generate power. The second is to seal cylinder to maintain the pressure. The high voltage that normally passes through the cable from the ignition coil to the spark plug is about 20, 000 to 30, 000 volts, and the electrodes of the spark plug must be constantly in a high temperature combustion chamber and about 45 times atmospheric pressure, remaining extremely air tightness. Therefore, in such a harsh environment, the quality and durability of spark plugs will directly affect the performance of the engine, so can not be ignored.