The spark plug is a small, but very important part of any car, because thanks to it, ultimately, an electrical discharge is created, which guarantees a confident start of a cold engine, good throttle response, stable idling, no misfiring of the cylinders, etc. This is why it is so important to regularly (at every oil change) monitor the condition of the spark plugs and replace them on time. Moreover, it is better to do this replacement according to the manufacturer’s recommendations - with an original part, but, unfortunately, this is not always possible, fortunately there is such a thing as the interchangeability of spark plugs. The serviceability of spark plugs determines the efficiency of any internal combustion engine. This part may fail, requiring immediate replacement.
What can you change for what?! Let's look at the most common types of spark plugs in our country and their analogues.
Domestic or foreign, how to choose?
Different types of protective equipment from one manufacturer
Candles from foreign manufacturers do not have specific labeling requirements. Russian products must contain symbols indicating the following information:
- name of the manufacturer or company logo;
- date of manufacture;
- designation “made in Russia” or RUS;
- markings that comply with state standards.
Foreign candles are marked according to a similar principle to domestic devices. However, their designation is deciphered differently. Products of different brands, for example “BRISK” and “NGK” with the same parameters have different designations. The lack of generally accepted labeling standards greatly complicates the selection of an analogue. To choose the right SZ, you should use the spark plug interchangeability table or pay attention to the spark plug packaging, it contains information indicating which types of engines the SZ is suitable for.
Table. Selection of the main types of protective equipment from different brands based on compatibility.
If it is impossible to find an analogue for candles, then a dash is placed in the table.
How does a spark plug work?
Consists of the following elements:
- tip (contact pin);
- insulator ribs;
- insulator;
- base;
- seals;
- side electrode;
- central electrode;
- metal body;
- ring sealing.
Tip. Its task is to transmit voltage to the central electrode through a special conductive rod. On a high-quality candle, the tip should not unscrew. If it is removed, this indicates a low-quality product.
The insulator is made from a special ceramic material. The insulator has a wavy appearance; due to the parameters and number of waves, the voltage path can be lengthened.
Metal body. Looking at the body of the spark plug you can tell a lot. For example, whether it is of high quality or not, find out the manufacturer. If you can see rainbow tints on the case, then we can safely say that it is a fake, because the tints mean that the product has not completely undergone heat treatment.
Metal ring. The ring serves to create a tight connection between the spark plug and the cylinder block.
The internal seal is designed to fix the ceramic insulator and improve thermal conductivity.
The insulator cone (the base of the wavy insulator) can be in the shape of a barrel or a cone, it all depends on the purpose of the candle. Inside it there is a central electrode, based on the appearance of which, the operation of a particular cylinder can be characterized.
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The technological chamfer makes it easier to fit the spark plug into the cylinder head.
Side electrode. It has a curved shape at 90º C, and contains platinum plating, which improves its properties and long service life. There may be several side electrodes in the package.
Air gap. The space between the ceramic insulator and the metal body is designed to reduce and self-clean carbon deposits. The gap size is indicated by the last digits in the model name.
Central electrode. It is made of special alloys that are resistant to high temperatures and can have different heights and diameters.
Ceramic body. Its presence allows you to isolate the central electrode from the ground and can withstand a voltage of 50 kV.
There is a thread on the body with which the spark plug is attached to the cylinder head. The body has a turnkey hexagon shape and is coated with a special anti-corrosion substance. The supporting surface can be either conical or flat. The spark plug ring serves as a sealing element for the spark plug hole. High quality ceramics are used for insulation. To avoid loss of electricity, special grooves are provided on its surface, onto which glaze is applied, and the insulator area on the side of the combustion chamber is made in the form of a cone. In the middle of the ceramic part there is a central electrode and a contact rod, and perhaps a resistor is located between them. It is designed to suppress possible radio interference. The side electrode is welded to the metal body. Alloys for electrodes have high heat resistance. In order to maximize service life, spark plugs are introduced that have several side electrodes, which are coated with a ball of platinum or iridium. Their service life is up to 100,000 km.
IRIDIUM CANDLE – IS IT WORTH OVERPAYING FOR “PRECIOUS METAL”
Despite the fact that the question of which spark plugs are better: platinum or iridium, everyone decides for himself, there are still no special differences between them.
In addition, many manufacturers combine the beneficial properties of these metals in their products. For example, spark plugs are produced that have a central electrode made of iridium, and a platinum solder on the side electrode. In practice, this allows you to maximize the resource and get a more stable spark.
This is especially important if the car is switched to gas. It is known that the gas-air mixture ignites much worse than gasoline, and it also requires a higher temperature
In such engines, the gap on iridium spark plugs, which is carefully calibrated at the factory, is especially important to keep intact.
Owners of powerful or sports cars also often wonder which spark plugs are better - iridium or platinum. There can be no clear answer here. For such cars, the best option would be a sample whose side electrode is made in the form of a cone, often with an additional notch inside. This increases spark stability to a certain extent and increases its temperature, which has a beneficial effect on engine performance. The video below clearly shows how iridium samples improved the performance of the simplest engine in a domestic car:
Another question that worries motorists quite a lot is the question of how to clean iridium spark plugs. In general, with a normally running engine, they clean themselves, and heavy carbon deposits do not accumulate on them. If such a problem does exist, you should look for the cause in the car itself, and not clean the spark plugs, especially modern ones - there is a high probability of ruining them. By and large, if there is one thing that distinguishes iridium spark plugs from conventional ones, it is their completely “problem-free” operation, and for the entire mileage allowed for their lifetime, they do not require any maintenance.
IS IT WORTH INSTALLING IRIDIUM PLUGS ON OLD CARS?
Is it worth installing iridium samples on old cars that have driven hundreds of thousands, or is it better to get by with a more budget option? This is a difficult question that cannot be answered unequivocally. The question here is, first of all, economic feasibility. On new injection models, expensive iridium options pay for themselves quite quickly. This happens not only due to improved technical characteristics of the engine, but also due to reduced maintenance costs, as well as a significant reduction in fuel consumption - and such spark plugs pay for themselves quite quickly.
An old carburetor car, regardless of whether it has iridium or regular spark plugs, will not “drive better”, and there will be no significant savings on gasoline. However, the operation of the ignition system will undoubtedly improve and become more stable, starting the engine in cold weather will be easier, and the engine will stop reacting violently to low-quality gasoline. Car maintenance is also important, especially one that runs on liquefied gas. Thus, installing modern spark plugs can significantly increase the comfort when operating a car, but it is unlikely that you will be able to save on the rest.
Which brand of spark plug should I choose?
There are several types of candles. Two or more electrodes, torch design, plasma torch ignition. All manufacturers have in their assortment spark plugs with different types of electrodes.
Here are the best of them:
1. BOSCH
2.NGK
3. CHAMPION
4. BRISK
5. DENSO
The choice of manufacturer is not as important as the choice of model and manufacturing technology.
Nevertheless, some features of the brands can be highlighted:
- Bosch has an agreement for OEM supplies for Mitsubishi, Fiat, Audi, Peugeot, Toyota.
- NGK cooperates with such automakers as Ferrari, Ford, Volkswagen, Volvo, BMW.
- Champion works for Suzuki, GM, Jaguar, Volvo, Alfa Romeo.
- Brisk produces spark plugs with the logo of Audi, Opel, Skoda and BMW.
Accordingly, by purchasing a spark plug with the logo of the manufacturer that produces products for your car brand, you will simply save money without losing quality. Often the part number of the product matches the car make and the original name of the manufacturer on consumables.
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Applicability of spark plug NGK BPR6ES-11
Suitable for cars and engines
NGK BPR6ES-11 on Mitsubishi
Installed on Mitsubishi cars
Colt CJ1A 1.3i 4G13 after 6.2000 Colt C12A 1.5 G15B with catalyst 8.1984- C52A 1.5i 4G15 83 hp Lancer C61A) 1.3 12V (4G13) to 4.1991 (C12A) 1.5 (G15B) with catalyst 8.1984- Lancer 4WD C77A 1.8i 4G37 Sigma (F16A) Sigma Wagon (F07W) 3.0i SOHC 12V (6G72) Galant E15A 2.0 4G6 3) with catalyst E33A Eclipse D21A 1.8i 4G37 (D32A) 2.0i Turbo 4G63T L200 4WD K33T 2.6 G54B L300 (P04V/W, P14V, P24V/W) 2.4i 4G64 Pajero (L042G) 2.6 +kat (L047G) 2.6 4G 54 with Space Wagon N34W catalyst 2.4i 4G64 produced before May 1992 right-hand drive Mitsubishi Eterna Sava (E32A) 1.8 4G37 Lancer Mirage Wagon 4WD C37W 1.8i 4G37
Spark plug interchangeability table.
Note. * non-standard designation of a spark plug with two “ground” electrodes. n.d. - no data. The completeness and spark gaps of analogue spark plugs may differ.
Now let's look at the table in more detail.
A17DV.
Country of origin: Russia.
On which cars it is used: VAZ 2101-2107 and their modifications until 1988.
Analogues:
- BOSCH (Germany) – W7D;
- NIPPON (Japan) – DENCO W20EP-U;
- NGK (Japan) – BP6ES;
- AC DELCO (USA) – 42XLS;
- BRISK (Czech Republic) – L15YC;
- BERU (Germany) – 14-7DU;
- CHAMPION (USA) – N9Y;
- EYQUEN (France, Italy) – 750LS.
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A17DVM.
Country of origin: Russia.
On which cars it is used: VAZ 2101-2107 and their modifications until 1988.
Analogues:
- BOSCH (Germany) – W7DC;
- NIPPON (Japan) – W20EP-U;
- AC DELCO (USA) - C42XLC;
- BRISK (Czech Republic) – L15YC;
- CHAMPION (USA) – N9YC;
- NGK (Japan) – BP6ES;
- BERU (Germany) – 14-7DU;
- EYQUEM (France, Italy) – C62LS.
A17DVRM.
Country of origin: Russia.
On which cars it is used: VAZ 2104-2111 and all their modifications.
Analogues:
- BERU (Germany) – 14R-7DU;
- BOSCH (Germany) – WR7DC;
- NIPPON (Japan) – W20EPR;
- AC DELCO (USA) – CR42XLC;
- BRISK (Czech Republic) – LR15YC;
- NGK (Japan) – BPR6ES;
- CHAMPION (USA) – RN9YC.
A10.
Country of origin: Russia.
On what vehicles is it used: ZIL-157KD and its modifications.
Analogues:
- BOSCH (Germany) – W9AC;
- AC DELCO (USA) – 46F;
- BRISK (Czech Republic) – N19;
- NGK (Japan) – B4H;
- BERU (Germany) – 14-10A;
- AUTO LITE (USA) – 416;
- CHAMPION (USA) – L90.
A20D.
Country of origin: Russia.
On what vehicles is it used: AZLK, IZH.
Analogues:
- BOSCH (Germany) – W6CC;
- MARELLI (Italy) – 7LPR;
- BRISK (Czech Republic) – L14;
- NGK (Japan) – B7ES;
- BERU (Germany) – 14-6CU;
- AUTO LITE (USA) – 4054;
- CHAMPION (USA) – N3C.
A14B and A14B-2.
Country of origin: Russia.
On which vehicles is it used:
- GAZ-24;
- buses: RAF, ErAZ;
- motorcycles: “Dnepr” and “Ural”.
Analogues:
- BOSCH (Germany) – W8BC;
- AC DELCO (USA) – 43FS;
- BRISK (Czech Republic) – N17YC;
- NGK (Japan) – BP5HS;
- BERU (Germany) – 14-8B;
- CHAMPION (USA) – L92YC;
- AUTO LITE (USA) – 275;
- MARELLI (Italy) – F7NC;
- NIPPON (Japan) – W14FP;
- EYQUEN (France, Italy) – 550S.
A14D.
Country of origin: Russia.
On what cars is it used: GAZ-3102.
Analogues:
- BOSCH (Germany) - W8CC;
- BRISK (Czech Republic) – L17C;
- NGK (Japan) – B5ES;
- BERU (Germany) – 14-8C;
- CHAMPION (USA) – N5C;
- AC DELCO (USA) – 43XL;
- MARELLI (Italy) – CW6L;
- NIPPON (Japan) – W17ES;
- AUTO LITE (USA) – 394;
- EYQUEN (France, Italy) – 600L.
A11 and A11-3.
Country of origin: Russia.
On which cars it is used: GAZ, ZIL, UAZ.
Analogues:
- BOSCH (Germany) – W9AC;
- BRISK (Czech Republic) – N19;
- NGK (Japan) – B4H;
- BERU (Germany) – 14-10A;
- CHAMPION (USA) – L86C;
- AUTO LITE (USA) – 416;
- MARELLI (Italy) – CW4N;
- AC DELCO (USA) – 45F, 420Z;
- EYQUEN (France, Italy) – 406.
A14DV.
Country of origin: Russia.
On what cars is it used: GAZ-14, GAZ-3102 and its modifications.
Analogues:
- BOSCH (Germany) – W8DC;
- AC DELCO (USA) – 43XLS;
- BRISK (Czech Republic) – L17C;
- NGK (Japan) – BP5ES;
- BERU (Germany) – 14-8DU;
- CHAMPION (USA) – N11YC;
- MARELLI (Italy) – CW6LP;
- AUTO LITE (USA) – 55;
- EYQUEN (France, Italy) – 600LS.
The main criteria by which selection is carried out
Products from various brands
Modern motors are manufactured with certain design features that provide them with certain technical characteristics. For normal operation of the power unit, it is necessary to install the SZ, with certain parameters corresponding to the type of car engine. When choosing an analogue of SZ, you should pay attention to their main parameters:
- Screw-in dimensions:
- length of the threaded part;
- thread pitch;
- thread diameter;
- turnkey hexagon dimensions.
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Products with overall and connecting dimensions that do not correspond to the engine type cannot be mounted on the power unit. The use of devices with a threaded part that is too long or short, in most cases ends in a major overhaul of the car engine.
- The thermal part of the analogue should be as close as possible to the characteristics of the original. We are talking about the heat number, which reflects the ability of candle products to heat up at different thermal loads of the engine. Please note, when selecting SZ for compatibility, that domestic products are marked indicating the heat number, while foreign ones are divided into cold (having a large heat number) and hot (having a small heat number).
- The distance between the spark plug contacts must correspond to the size specified in the machine manual. An increased spark plug gap will lead to a decrease in spark power, and a reduced gap will lead to breakdowns in the ignition system.
- Number of spark plug electrodes. Many motorists are of the opinion: the more spark plug contacts, the stronger the sparking. This is an erroneous statement; the spark occurs between two contacts. In multi-contact devices, the operating principle is as follows: if one electrode burns, sparking will occur on the second. Such modernization of the SZ design makes it possible to increase their operational period, but does not affect the spark power.
- The material from which the spark plug contacts are made. It is possible to buy iridium, platinum or classic candles. The operational period of the product, the rate of formation and the power of the spark depend on the material of their contacts.
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Candle parameters
Overall and connecting dimensions are the pitch and diameter of the thread on the contact part, which is screwed into the cylinder, the size of the hexagon and the length of the threaded part. These dimensions correspond to each individual type of engine, since the seat on the cylinders has its own design size.
The drip number is an indicator of the level of thermal property that shows how the plug heats up depending on the various thermal loads of the engine. If it has a small drop number, then it is called hot. Its thermal cone heats up to 900º C. They are used on low-power engines with a low compression ratio. Cold spark plugs are those in which ignition occurs under high thermal loads; accordingly, they are used for highly accelerated engines.
The size of the spark gap. This value is usually indicated in the vehicle operating rules and has limits from 0.5 to 2 mm. The gap can be structurally adjustable.
Types of candles, their structure
Not enough horsepower during acceleration, slow start, fuel consumption is growing at a gigantic rate, is the car shaking? You need to take a closer look at the heating system. These failures can occur for other reasons, but they are the clearest sign that the ignition is not working properly. Depending on the number of cylinders of the car, the number of spark plugs changes. Let's consider the components of the system design and their functionality:
- top terminal: ignition coil connection point;
- main body: high voltage generation and heat insulator;
- thread: screwing a product into the cylinder head;
- electrode: spark source, the most important element, the quality of the system depends on its reliability.
- center contact material;
- spark gap size;
- heat number (the higher it is, the less the product heats up);
- overall and connecting dimensions (length and thread pitch);
- number of side electrodes;
- resource of use;
- self-cleaning ability.
There is a variety that has become very popular - iridium spark plugs. Theoretically, their design has a thinner central wire diameter than others, it conducts current better and generates a more powerful spark, which greatly simplifies engine operation. There are many myths that iridium products significantly increase the performance and power of car engines; in practice, the increase in efficiency is not large. Let's look at the best types of glow systems in a little more detail:
Heaters perform the same function in diesel engines as the ignition system in gasoline engines. They are called "preheat plugs"
They are responsible for facilitating cold starts, which is especially important for diesel engines, which are increasingly found on our roads. The heater is a resistor designed to increase the temperature inside the combustion chamber
Its shape resembles a ballpoint pen, one end of which is heated before starting. It is important to remember that it is advisable to replace all elements at the same time so that the work is rhythmic. Plugs are elements that ignite a mixture of gasoline and air inside the combustion chamber. A spark is generated due to a difference in electrical potential. If the motor is operating normally, this process is repeated an average of 2000 times per minute.
If you replace the ignition system in time, you can avoid premature wear of other parts of the vehicle. If you notice any of the following signs, it's time to consider purchasing new devices:
- loss of power while driving;
- increased fuel consumption, because gasoline combustion occurs incorrectly due to a spark generated at the wrong time;
- difficulty starting, especially in cold weather, knocking when the engine is running;
- dark smoke on the exhaust.
Let's look at the process of attaching a new heating system, provide step-by-step instructions and tips for installing the product yourself at home.
