Classification
You need to approach your choice as responsibly as possible. It is worth deciding which type of spark plug is best suited for the car.
So, these elements have their own classification according to:
- Number of electrodes: two- and multi-electrode. The first type consists of several elements. These are the side and central electrodes. These are installed standard on Priora. As for the second type, they have one central and three side electrodes. As reviews note, these candles have a longer service life and are more reliable.
- Type of material. Often spark plugs are equipped with copper electrodes. What are the best spark plugs for Priora? Judging by the reviews, they have a short resource - up to 30 thousand kilometers. But recently more “tenacious” iridium analogues have appeared on the market. Their resource is about 60 thousand. By the way, such candles have a slightly smaller diameter of the central electrode. If on copper it is 2.5 millimeters, then on iridium it is 0.7 millimeters.
- Thread diameter. When purchasing, check with the seller for which engine you need spark plugs. Thus, 16-valve valves are equipped with elements with a smaller head size and thread diameter. Spark plugs from an 8-valve engine simply won’t work in a 16v Priora.
- Heat number. This parameter means the pressure at which it is easier to heat the candle. There is a cold and a hot type. The glow number of these candles is 20 and higher for the first and 11-14 for the second. Which spark plugs are better for Priora 16 cl.? There is no clear answer to this question. But there are also universal options. In this case, the glow number is from 11 to 20. These are the spark plugs that many motorists use. They behave well both in summer and in cold weather.
The best spark plugs for Priora
During surveys on website forums, it was revealed that most of all Prior owners trust domestic spark plugs AU17DVRM and spark plugs NGK N11. It is these products of domestic and Japanese production that are the most reliable spark plugs for AvtoVAZ engines.
NGK spark plugs for Lada Priora
The service life of these spark plugs can reach up to 30,000 km of vehicle mileage, which is quite good. But these figures can only be obtained with proper use of the car, because even new spark plugs can quickly fail. Quite often, spark plugs fail precisely because the internal combustion engine is started in cold weather. They are filled with gasoline and eventually pierce the insulator or electrode, after which the spark plug becomes inoperative.
What does the manufacturer recommend?
The Volzhsky Automobile Plant regularly uses spark plugs marked AU17DVRM.
. Judging by the reviews, the service life of these spark plugs is 25 thousand kilometers. This is quite good, considering the low cost - 400 rubles per set. But products with this marking perform poorly in cold weather. What spark plugs should I put on the Priora 16 valves for winter use? Here it is better to use “Priority A 15 DVRM”. These candles have a lower heat rating. They ignite more easily at subzero temperatures.
Description of types and markings
When the need for replacement arises, you should decide which candles are best to install. The most popular brands are Brisk, NGK and Bosh. However, they have different markings adopted in Europe, so you need to know which imported candles correspond to the domestic markings. The interpretation of this marking, according to OST 37.003 081 - 98, is as follows:
- The first letter A means the type, diameter and thread pitch - M 14 x 1.25.
- If the letter U follows, it indicates the size of the hexagon for tightening the spark plug, 16 mm. In the absence of the second letter, the product has a size of 20.8 mm.
- The number 17 shows the heat number. When the engine is running, the spark plug heats up to a certain optimal temperature, at which it self-cleanses. In the event of unfavorable operating conditions, overheating of the electrodes occurs, and the fuel in the cylinder can ignite spontaneously, without waiting for a spark to occur. This effect is called glow ignition, and the glow number of a candle is a parameter indicating the temperature regime of its proper operation. The higher this parameter, the less the product heats up (cold candle) and can work in much more difficult conditions than a candle with a low heat rating (hot). In engines with high power and high speeds, colder spark plugs are used, and for power units with lower loads, hot products are used.
Marking of imported spark plugs on Lada Priora
- The letter D indicates the length of the thread (skirt) - 19 mm.
- The letter B means that part of the insulator protrudes above the plane of the product body.
- The letter P indicates that a resistor is built into the spark plug body to suppress interference from sparking.
- The last letter M indicates that the central electrode is bimetallic with a copper core.
The question of how to choose imported spark plugs by size for a Priora is not difficult to solve. To do this, just unscrew the old spark plug and have it with you during purchase. How imported products are labeled is shown in Table 1.
As can be seen from the table, the markings of domestic and imported candles are different. In addition, there are other markings. To simplify the selection process, Table 2 shows the corresponding spark plugs from various manufacturers for installation on Priora.
table 2
Manufacturer, brand | "Gran-LTD", "Alice-EZ" | NGK | Bosch | Brisk | CHAMPION | Beru |
Marking | A17DVRM, AU17DVRM | BCPR6ES-9, BPR6ES-9 | FR7DCU, WR7DC | DR15YC, LR15YC | RC9YC, RN9YC | 14FR-7DU, 14R-7DU |
Note: in Table 2, the markings in the numerator are for the 16-valve Priora engine, and in the denominator for the 8-valve engine.
It is better to purchase spark plugs from official dealers, whose representatives will be able to explain all the nuances on the spot and advise on the appropriate option, since there are high-tech products at a higher price. For example, platinum or iridium spark plugs, the central electrode of which is made of these metals.
Its diameter is only 0.4-0.7 mm, despite the fact that a standard copper electrode has a size of 2.5 mm. Such products last twice as long as regular ones, so their high cost is fully justified. Spark plugs with two, three and four side electrodes are also suitable for installation on Priora. It is believed that they create better conditions for fuel combustion and extend the life of the vehicle's power plant.
Analogs
Which spark plugs are better for Priora 16 cl.? For those who do not want to buy factory spark plugs, there is a huge selection of analogues:
- Products from the British. Which spark plugs are better for Priora 16 cl.? For such an engine it is worth purchasing the “Champion” RC9YC.
- Candles from German. They are little popular, but have a high resource. The marking for Priora is 14FR7DU.
- Japanese candles NGK. Perhaps the most popular analogue of factory products. NGK marked BCPR6ES is ideal for the 16-valve Priora.
- "Denso". This is also a Japanese manufacturer. The cost is on par with NGK, and the quality is not inferior either. For Priora you should buy Denso Q20PR-U11.
- "Brisk" (Czech Republic). Another popular spark plug manufacturer. The manufacturer offers products with different heat ratings and number of electrodes. Spark plugs DR15YC-1 are suitable for Priora. The same ones are used on Kalina engines of the first and second generation, with a 16-valve timing mechanism. But judging by the reviews, the products are of low quality - the electrodes are greatly offset from the center, which is unacceptable for such products.
What spark plugs are currently best for VAZ 16 cl.? When choosing, you should give preference to the original - AU17DVRM. By the way, the packaging says “BOSH Group”, but the products were manufactured in Russia. For those who want to use an analogue, NGK candles are suitable. They are distinguished by a good resource and low cost.
Recommended spark plugs for Lada Priora 16 valves
The manufacturer recommends using domestically produced single-electrode spark plugs on the Priora, type: AU17DVRM. These spark plugs can be replaced with imported analogues of the following brands: Bosch, Denso and NGK.
It should be noted that it will be impossible to install spark plugs from 8-valve cars on a 16-valve engine, since the hex nut on the spark plug is larger and simply will not fit into the spark plug well of a 16-valve engine. Therefore, it is recommended to purchase spark plugs designed specifically for your engine.
Table of interchangeability of spark plugs for all Lada Priora engines (depending on the number of valves).
Let's get started
So, first, open the hood and remove the decorative engine cover.
It is installed on clips. Next, remove the terminals from the ignition coils. The latter also needs to be removed (using the key at “10”).
Note! When removing the high-voltage cord, do not hold the cord - it may be damaged. You only need to grab the rubber tip. If the element is damaged, misfire may occur. The engine will start to stall, and the car itself will begin to consume a lot of fuel (since it needs more energy to push the idle piston in the cylinder).
Now let's move on to the candles themselves. We lower a specialized key into the shaft and begin to unscrew the spark plug counterclockwise using the handle.
You need to remove it very carefully - you must not allow it to fall into the well. Otherwise, part of the insulator may break off and fragments will fall into the cylinder.
Helpful advice: if you don’t have a key with a magnet, you can use the ignition module itself - install it on the end of the spark plug and pull it back out. This way we can remove the old element carefully and without damage.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE IN CANDLES FOR 8 AND 16 VALVE PRIORS?
As mentioned above, Priors with 8 and 16 valve engines require different spark plugs. According to Auto-VAZ recommendations, spark plugs for 16 valve Priora must comply with the A17DVRM standard, and for 16v engines - AU17DVRM.
In fact, the differences between them lie solely in the design features - devices labeled A17 fit a standard hexagon, AU17 - a smaller one.
You can see the features of marking of domestically produced products in the image.
Features of marking spark plugs of domestic production
Installing new ones
How do you then replace the spark plugs? Before installing new ones, you should check the gap between the side and central electrodes. It should be about one millimeter. The parameter is checked using a round probe. It is shown in the photo below:
Please note: over time, the spark plug gap increases. Once every 15 thousand kilometers it is recommended to check this parameter and, if necessary, adjust it.
If the gap is OK, put the spark plug on the tip of the ignition module and lower it into the shaft. Next, use a wrench to tighten it until it stops. There is no need to pull hard. The recommended tightening torque is 25 to 30 Nm. At the next stage, screw the coils and insert the terminals.
Next, we put the decorative plastic cover on the engine and try to start the engine.
When do you need to change spark plugs?
The replacement interval of 30 thousand km is very arbitrary. The AvtoVAZ company equips Priora engines with domestically produced single-electrode spark plugs marked A17DVRM for a 16-valve unit and AU17DVRM for an 8-valve unit. Practice shows that even on a new car, these spark plugs often fail long before the end of the service interval, causing unstable engine operation and increased fuel consumption. For this reason, many car enthusiasts prefer imported products.
Fault diagnosis
The best way to determine performance is to test the spark plug under pressure. The essence of this diagnostic method is to check sparking on the electrodes under conditions close to operating conditions. To do this, a candle is screwed into a special chamber equipped with an inspection window, and a discharge is passed through it, while air is pumped into the chamber with a compressor or manually.
At a certain moment, the discharge on the electrodes will begin to fade, and then completely disappear. Record the pressure gauge readings at this moment and compare them with the pressure in the cylinder, which was previously measured with a compression gauge. Plus 2 atm should be added to the compression meter readings. since the starter speed is much less than the engine operating speed. If the pressure in the cylinder is higher than the spark attenuation pressure at the electrode, the spark plug should be changed, because in operating mode it does not ensure complete combustion of fuel, and its excess begins to enter the engine oil sump.
The consequences of driving a Lada Priora for a long time with faulty spark plugs can be disastrous, because, in addition to loss of power, some of the unburned fuel dilutes the engine oil, which harms engine parts. Then, in the form of vapors through the crankcase ventilation system, it again enters the cylinders, supersaturates the combustible mixture, which again does not completely burn on faulty spark plugs and ends up in the oil.
Therefore, if unstable operation, jerking, or failure occurs, you should immediately unscrew and inspect the spark plugs. Thick black deposits on the electrodes plus black exhaust from the pipe when the engine is running indicate an over-enrichment of the combustible mixture or an unsatisfactory condition of the spark plug itself.
If the coating on the electrodes is white and fluffy, and bluish smoke comes out of the exhaust pipe, then this is a problem with engine oil getting into the cylinders, so the oil caps or piston rings should be changed. All these additional loads on the spark plugs have a negative impact on them, and in any case they need to be checked for functionality and, if necessary, replaced ahead of schedule.
If carbon deposits appear
After 15 thousand kilometers, it is recommended to re-inspect the condition of the spark plugs. Sometimes brownish-yellow carbon deposits can be observed on the surface of the electrodes. This indicates the use of fuel with an octane rating that is not suitable for the vehicle. When the spark plug overheats, the carbon deposits will turn white. Erosion is also possible. The reason may be early ignition timing. Sometimes the candle is simply not screwed on tightly. Also, with early ignition, the electrode itself melts. This spark plug is for replacement only. Which spark plugs are better for Priora 16 cl., see above.
If the car is moving, you should check the part with a tester for functionality. Typically, a gun with a metal tip and cap is used for this. The tip is touched to the thread of the spark plug, and the cap is placed on the terminal for the armor wires. When you pull the trigger, a spark should occur between the electrodes. If it is not there, the element needs to be replaced.
What is a candle for?
A car's spark plug is one of the main elements of the internal combustion engine. It is this that forms a spark in the combustion chamber of the engine, thereby igniting the air-fuel mixture in the cylinder block, which sets the piston group in motion. For each car there are certain spark plugs that are recommended by the manufacturer. They differ in the long thread of the spark plug, the number of contacts, resistance and hex head.