Iridium is a rare earth metal of the platinum group, one of the rarest metals on earth. In the periodic table of Mendeleev, it has number 77 with an atomic mass of 192.2 , which makes it, according to some scientists, also the heaviest and densest metal. Iridium is extremely refractory (melting point 2466 °C ) and resistant to corrosion - it is thanks to these properties that iridium has found application in high-tech industries. In the automotive industry, where technology also does not stand still, iridium has been used for quite a long time to produce spark plugs with increased performance characteristics.
What is the difference between iridium spark plugs and regular spark plugs?
Conventional spark plugs consist of a metal terminal, a ceramic insulator, a body (called a “skirt”), an O-ring, a center electrode and a ground electrode. The central electrode is made of an alloy of nickel and iron with the addition of chromium and copper. The side electrode is made of steel alloyed with nickel and manganese. The working gap between the central and side electrodes is normally 0.8 mm .
Iridium spark plugs consist of the same parts as regular ones, but the design and material of the electrodes have significant differences. So the central electrode of an iridium spark plug has the shape of a needle 0.4-0.6 mm , at the end of which there is an iridium solder. The side electrode, as a rule, has a wedge shape, with a platinum solder and a groove on the inside. The gap between the electrodes is slightly larger, which is due to technology that is not available for conventional spark plugs.
Undoubtedly, iridium spark plugs are a high-tech product that has many advantages over classic nickel spark plugs.
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What advantages are we talking about?
Manufacturers claim, and their words are confirmed by the results of bench tests conducted by practitioners, the following advantages of iridium spark plugs:
- Improved cold start. Thanks to the central electrode being almost twice as thin, the sparking voltage required is much lower. This ensures the formation of a high-quality, powerful spark, which is especially important under operating conditions in the northern regions of the country, where morning temperatures drop to -40°C and below. When starting under such conditions, it is important to ignite the air-fuel mixture in the first seconds, before the spark plugs are filled - iridium spark plugs do an excellent job of this task.
- Stable engine operation at idle speed. When the engine is running at idle speed, better ignition of the lean air-fuel mixture is ensured, which solves the problem of “floating” speed, which often occurs when using conventional spark plugs.
- Increased engine efficiency. According to some experimental data, the use of iridium spark plugs can increase engine performance by 5-10%.
- Reduced fuel consumption. An increase in engine efficiency in approximately the same proportion leads to a decrease in fuel consumption, which is natural.
- Reducing exhaust toxicity. As mentioned above, iridium spark plugs allow you to get a more powerful and high-quality ignition spark in all engine operating modes. In this case, more efficient ignition and combustion of the air-fuel mixture occurs. As a result, the content of toxic substances and CO2 in vehicle exhaust gases is reduced.
- Increased resource. Since the central electrode of the spark plug is made of iridium, the rate of burnout of the electrode during operation is extremely slow. With proper operation, absence of mechanical damage and using high-quality fuel, the service life of an iridium spark plug can be 100-120 thousand kilometers . Manufacturers, as a rule, claim an even longer service life, but Russian practitioners recommend replacing them no later than 100-120 thousand kilometers. This is undoubtedly an excellent indicator, since the resource of ordinary spark plugs, for example, is only 20 thousand kilometers.
- Economic feasibility in some cases. On some V-engine models, access to the spark plugs can be extremely difficult. In fact, carrying out such a simple procedure as replacing spark plugs is impossible without visiting a service station, and this is an additional expense, often quite high. Installing candles with an increased resource is an excellent solution to this problem.
Along with the obvious advantages of iridium spark plugs in a number of performance characteristics, they also have disadvantages, the list of which, however, is significantly smaller.
MY REVIEW
Well, and finally, I would like to talk about my experience of using it (leave a review, so to speak). I bought iridium from FORD FUSION, because it seemed to me that my original spark plugs had already died and required replacement (and it was fashionable to try it then). I paid about 2,000 rubles for the set back then, when my original spark plugs (bought from a dealer) cost about 700 rubles, that is, almost three times more expensive. I took DENSO brands, selected them according to the catalog as usual.
I didn’t feel any global changes, the car became a little more cheerful, but only because the standard spark plugs already had burnt electrodes and their gap increased. Consumption did not drop, super power of 10% did not appear either. Winter starts were excellent for me and with the original FORD spark plugs.
I drove about 60,000 km on them, then I sold the car with them. They did not cause any trouble, the gap remained as it was, there was not even a hint of the electrodes burning. I usually changed the standard spark plugs at 50,000 km, they also did not cause problems, but with such mileage the central part began to wear out a little.
WHAT IS MY PERSONAL CONCLUSION. If you have the money, you can overpay for the iridium options, they really work well and for a long time, and it seemed to me that winter starts are, if only a little, better. HOWEVER - THEY ARE EXPENSIVE. With this money (for me personally) it was possible to buy almost three sets of ordinary spark plugs, and actually drive even more on them (together). I DIDN’T FEEL ANY increase in power or reduction in fuel consumption, BY 10% AT ALL!
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So, what are the disadvantages of iridium spark plugs?
- High price. The first and main disadvantage of iridium spark plugs is their high price. If the price of a regular spark plug in the middle price category ranges from 150-250 rubles, then the price of an iridium spark plug starts from 700 rubles. Thus, the cost of a set of 4 iridium spark plugs will cost 4-5 times more than regular spark plugs.
- Susceptibility to mechanical breakdowns. In terms of wear resistance and working life, there are no questions about iridium spark plugs. However, just like regular ones, they have a ceramic insulator and an o-ring in their design - mechanical damage to these elements requires replacement of the spark plug, and this, as already mentioned here, is not a cheap pleasure.
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES
I made a small sign and wrote down all the positive and negative points on it.
| PROS | MINUSES |
| Strong spark, stable start (even in winter) | High price, 3-4 times more expensive than conventional analogues |
| Long service life (more than 100,000 km) | No promised power increase |
| Smooth and soft engine operation | There is no great fuel economy (and within an error of about 2-3% you will not feel it) |
I would like to say a few words about cleaning such elements, there is a huge amount of information on the Internet that says you can’t clean them AT ALL! And even if you put in bad gasoline and the spark plug becomes covered with a coating (say, red from additives) or carbon deposits, then you need to install new ones. But friends, this is essentially nonsense. They are easy to clean, but you don’t need to do it with sandpaper (this will remove the working layer), just soak them in cleaning liquids (ordinary kitchen detergents will do) and then clean everything with a soft brush (an old toothbrush is ideal). And they are working again.
Positive traits
Testing shows that iridium spark plugs have many advantages over analogues. They were originally created to achieve greater productivity, fully meeting expectations. It is important to note that they show maximum returns over time.
Improving fuse performance
Achieved due to the ability to produce candles with a smaller contact area. Thin alloy wire (about 0.4 mm) has a 2.5 times higher flammability limit compared to classic copper sets. Some alloy at the tip allows spark expansion, improving starting performance and reducing voltage costs.
Smooth idle
It is known that at idle the engine ignition is very weak. Testing shows that iridium spark plugs require less voltage, which, coupled with excellent ignitability, gives the engine the ability to operate with good performance even at idle. Conventional plugs do not allow maintaining a stable number of revolutions per minute, unlike iridium ones. The energy of the igniter also increases the speed due to excellent combustion.
Improved engine performance
Unlike others, iridium ignition devices tend to increase engine efficiency by up to 8%.
Less fuel consumption
Alloy tips reduce fuel requirements by 5-7%.
Replacing platinum
In 1994, NGK introduced iridium spark plug sets to the world, positioning them as a replacement for platinum spark plugs. They managed to achieve success, but why? Because this metal is more resistant to temperature, has higher strength, long service life and protection against corrosion. NGK created a thin wire, the tip of which consisted of iridium, which made it possible to fully use all the advantages of this metal in candles. In 1997, Denso launched mass production of improved models and now occupy the first position in the ranking.
Advantages
Recently, due to its properties, iridium has become a relevant material in the technology of creating spark plugs. Being a rather rare metal, it competes with platinum.
Replacing old, classic spark plugs with iridium spark plugs is done to improve machine performance. Car owners value them for their service life and high efficiency.
How the ignition system works
Before comparing regular and iridium spark plugs, you need to understand how the ignition system of a gasoline engine works.
Regardless of the type of power system (carburetor, multi-injection, distributed injection), all processes in the combustion chamber are the same. When the piston compresses the air-fuel mixture and almost reaches top dead center (TDC), the ignition system produces a spark. The power of a normal spark with a fully charged battery is enough to ignite a thoroughly mixed air-fuel mixture with a ratio of 14.7:1. When the engine is fully warmed up, the temperature of the mixture also increases, so the ratio at which the spark plug effectively ignites it can be increased to 15-16:1. When the battery produces less voltage (at negative temperatures), the ratio must be changed to 12-13:1. Otherwise, an ordinary candle will not be able to properly ignite the mixture. This explains the numerous problems of motorists who have difficulty starting their cars in the cold.
An increase in CH toxicity indicates disturbances in the combustion process.
An increase in CH toxicity indicates disturbances in the combustion process.
An increase in CH toxicity indicates disturbances in the combustion process.
According to the resource, the count in engine hours is 360:240. In all operational parameters - from consumption to toxicity levels - iridium is also confidently ahead.
Hence the conclusion: if you have an expensive modern car and you put a lot of miles on it, it makes sense to spend money on iridium. But if the car is so-so, and only travels no more than 5 thousand a year, you are unlikely to recoup the investment. Such is the deceit of expensive things...
Mikhail Kolodochkin, and associate professor of the department of internal combustion engines of the St. Petersburg Polytechnic University, Ph.D. Alexander Shabanov
Choosing spark plugs: iridium or regular?
Spark plug gap - does it need to be adjusted?
For some drivers, the issue of setting the gap is questionable. They can be understood, because the kits are produced with the gap set at the factory, and the engines of the cars are different. Still, there is no need to worry, because when we buy a kit for our model, we receive ready-made samples that only need to be re-adjusted when repairing the engine or cleaning the spark plugs themselves. For example, Denso products have a factory-set gap. Before installing new ones, it is recommended to check the spark plug visually for bent electrodes.
