The operation of internal combustion engines is directly related to spark plugs. The durability of the engine, the quality of the spark supply, and traffic safety depend on their correct choice. Platinum and iridium igniters became one of the best sellers, despite their high cost. Let's see which ones are better right now.
Platinum and iridium SZ
How do platinum and iridium spark plugs differ from others?
Traditionally, a spark plug is designated based on the material of the central electrode. There are platinum, iridium, nickel, copper with a heat-resistant coating. Less commonly used are gold and palladium spark plugs - they are usually found in racing cars and motorcycles.
Along with the central electrode, side electrodes are also installed. The material may be less heat-resistant, which leads to gradual burnout of igniters under the influence of frequent spark discharges. And it all depends on the choice of the manufacturer.
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.
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
Platinum candles
The central electrode is made of noble material or alloys with its participation. Platinum is resistant to corrosion and carbon deposits. The minimum resource on the asphalt road network is 60 thousand kilometers; in off-road conditions it is 40 thousand km. The material demonstrates excellent heat resistance, which is extremely important for the operating conditions of an internal combustion engine. But the slow burnout of the electrodes is not the only advantage of these candles.
Here are just a few interesting facts:
- Compared to standard spark plugs, platinum plugs produce a powerful, stable spark, which is reflected in the quality of ignition of the mixture.
- Stable flammability of the fuel is achieved due to the low voltage of platinum central electrodes.
- The maximum mileage on the best spark plugs with a platinum electrode is 100 thousand kilometers. Over the entire period of operation, there are no cardinal jumps in significant indicators as such.
- The emergence of turbocharged and highly boosted internal combustion engines gave rise to the appearance of platinum U-shaped spark plugs. This form burns fuel assemblies more efficiently and makes it easier to start the engine.
Platinum consumable
Choice
The choice of candles today is quite extensive. But we’ll talk about which ones are used for the VAZ 2110 and what can currently be considered the best choice for your car.
Candles differ from each other mainly in the material from which the electrodes are made.
Candle type
Peculiarities
These are classic spark plugs for VAZ, installed by the factory. The operating life is up to 50 thousand kilometers. Some of them are coated with yttrium alloy to increase the reliability of the electrode.
They are characterized by increased resistance to temperature fluctuations and corrosion, which has a positive effect on the service life of the elements. Such elements are capable of operating up to 90 thousand kilometers
The characteristics are in many ways close to platinum candles; today they are considered the most durable and high-quality. Safety margin - about 90-100 thousand kilometers
The service life may increase or decrease depending on the care, conditions of use of the vehicle, and the quality of the fuel being poured.
Platinum candle
Iridium
They appeared later than platinum ones. They differ from the first ones in mileage. Here the lower limit is at 100 km, which is slightly higher than competitors. A couple more interesting information about iridium spark plugs.
- Iridium makes it possible to achieve an electrode thickness of 0.4 mm. – this is much thinner compared to 0.7 mm. at platinum ones. Thanks to the smaller gap and thickness of the electrodes, sparking is stable and reliable.
- Iridium is more refractory than platinum. Therefore, spark plugs made from this material are installed on any cars where thermal stress plays an important role or where high-heat spark plugs are required.
- Manufacturers of iridium igniters are striving to improve the formulation of electrodes made from this material. Due to additives, additional properties of the material such as oxidation resistance or thermal conductivity are increased.
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.
Myths and truth
You may get the impression that iridium spark plugs are better than platinum spark plugs. This is only partly true. It all depends on the specific engine, which may be compatible with a certain type of arsonist. And on some engines, efficiency may not be noticeable when changing the spark plug material.
The use of iridium on low-octane engines can lead to undesirable consequences. This is, at best, fuel detonation, and at worst, engine destruction. Operating efficiency also decreases due to excessive carbon deposits on the spark plugs.
As for the shared resource, there is not much difference. Although iridium ones have a higher mileage declared by the manufacturer, the actual mileage will be the same, especially in the territory of the former USSR. Everything is explained by the driver’s rule to make an allowance of 20-40 percent when calculating the total mileage of parts.
On this basis, we can give useful advice: immediately look at the type of candles installed and buy only them. And if you want to change to another type in order to improve driving characteristics, contact experienced car operators. They will definitely suggest the optimal solution. But no one forbids experimenting, the main thing is that the car is no longer under warranty.
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.
