Why is it recommended to burn candles before the onset of cold weather?

Glad to welcome you again, friends! In our country, everyone knows that if a man drives a domestic classic, then he knows the mechanics exactly, and no breakdowns matter! It doesn't matter if the car drives or won't start, we will find the reason and repair the car!

Let’s simulate a situation: on a frosty winter day it’s early morning, and the temperature outside is 20 degrees below zero or even higher. When you finally opened the frozen door and sat down in the cabin, you realized that the car would not start. While you are pondering the possible cause, an experienced person will remember how to light the spark plugs in your home since the cause is obvious. If you were a driver from the USSR, you would probably have time to work, but the chance not to be late is also yours! Don't miss out, read on!

BMW 5 series #Jet frog# › Logbook › Calcination of spark plugs!

Since I now have two sets of candles.
Some are standing in the car, while others are just lying around. I decided to bake them at home. I laid them out on the tile and left them to bake for about 40 minutes. Of course, the house smelled quite a bit of oil, periodically I twirled them like a kebab so that they would get burned on all sides, then once they were heated, we waited for them to cool down and wiped them off. I won’t install them yet, but let them be in stock. The result of calcination can be seen in the photo! And don’t forget about safety measures, the candles are hot!

Well, a little theory about how you can clean candles:

Physical cleaning of spark plugs

Manual cleaning of spark plugs

- one of the popular cleaning methods. In this case, remember that the insulator is very easy to damage or scratch. This should not be allowed, otherwise carbon formation on the scratched insulator cone will accelerate and intensify. Therefore, cleaning spark plugs with sandpaper and other hard materials is not allowed. A suitable tool for restoring spark plugs is a thin steel wire brush, a hard hair or nylon brush, or a toothbrush.

Cleaning spark plugs with a sandblasting machine/installation

- a method that is used at many service stations. Removal of spark plug deposits and other contaminants is carried out using different types of sand and blowing with compressed air. It is believed that this is one of the effective methods that allows you to return a second life to a spark plug. For a low price

Cleaning candles with sand at home.

With sufficient skill and the presence of a drill with reverse, this method is not much different from “sandblasting”.

Thermal effect on spark plugs

Another way is to burn candles. It is usually used if almost new spark plugs were filled during a cold start. It’s a shame to throw them away, so they resort to drying the candles. There are different ways to dry candles, and everyone shares their own methods:

Heat the candles with a torch or blowtorch (without fanaticism, they’re dry and that’s enough), and then lightly clean the electrodes and insulator with a copper brush.

Heat the candles on a gas stove.

This must be done until the threaded part and the side electrode turn red.

Chemical cleaning of spark plugs

This method allows you to remove carbon deposits on spark plugs using chemicals. Anything can be used as cleaning agents: fairy, carburetor cleaner, rust remover, acetone, vinegar, Sprite and Coca-Cola.

Cleaning spark plugs with rust remover

. Apply a layer of 2-3mm, after soaking for 30-60 minutes, clean the candles with a wooden stick and rinse in water. Acetone is used in the same way.

Cleaning candles with silit.

Fill the candles with silit and place the jar under pressure of hot water. We observe the chemical process for about an hour, and then clean the surface of the candle with a toothbrush.

Cleaning candles with Coca-Cola.

Phosphoric acid, which is found in some drinks (7up, Sprite and Coca-Cola), is said to be effective in removing carbon deposits from spark plugs.

Cleaning candles with vinegar.

This is the old “old-fashioned” method, when candles are soaked in acetic acid for an hour. Then add 5 drops of electrolyte and clean with a toothpick.

Cleaning spark plugs with ammonium acetate.

First, the spark plugs are degreased by washing them in gasoline. Then dry, and then immerse them in a hot 20% aqueous solution of ammonium acetate (ammonium acetate). Keep in it for 25–30 minutes. at a temperature not lower than 90C (possible with a low boiling solution). This cleaning should be done in a well-ventilated area; acetic acid fumes are poisonous. Then the spark plugs are cleaned with a nylon brush.

Cleaning candles with ultrasound combines both chemistry and sound.

This method is used to clean injectors, but some service stations also clean spark plugs in this way. They say there is an effect, but not as good as from “sandblasting”.

Cleaning spark plugs in phosphoric acid with heating.

The idea is to dip the candle in acid, then heat it with a lighter for about 50 seconds. The acid will boil and turn dark brown. Then place the candle in acid again and heat it again. And so five times with each candle.

And finally, bonus! How to properly ignite candles, this is the most effective option!

Re: Is it worth heating the spark plugs?

The color of the deposit on the insulator skirt near the discharge gap matters. Ideally he should be red. If it is white, it means a lean mixture or early ignition, or an extraneous air leak. If the carbon deposits are black, the mixture is overcharged or the ignition is late. On today's cars, the ignition timing rarely goes off; it's more likely due to extraneous leaks or over-enrichment of the mixture (say, when starting in cold weather).

You’d better post a photo of the spark plug from the discharge gap side.

Well, as for calcining it, it will never be superfluous. Dry, remove carbon deposits with a soft material (do not scratch the ceramics) and bake with an open flame.

Irobl1979

Short trips over short distances?

I would throw them away and not bother. At a ridiculous price for candles. And then drive along the highway in winter and think whether the car will stop because of the spark plugs or not. Buy new ones from Exist and replace them yourself. Although if there is a guarantee. have fun - go to the officials.

Have you owned the car for a long time? The secret is calcined spark plugs with normal insulators and a set gap no worse than new ones. Especially if you don’t know the storage conditions in the store. How many times has it happened - and new candles had to be calcined.

This advice is suitable for UAZ, etc.

It can be calcined (burned from the black deposit, followed by cleaning with a metal brush, but the main thing is not to burn it. With very strong heating, microcracks appear in the central insulator, with all the ensuing consequences). This process is presented as a half-measure before replacing the spark plugs with new ones. If carbon deposits form frequently, it is not the spark plugs' fault. We must eliminate the cause, not fight the effect. Once upon a time, a long time ago, tire shops had a service - sandblasting of spark plugs (from poverty and shortages)

Justify how the physics of the process for the UAZ differs from Zhopel’s.

In the lane l! It is strictly forbidden to use a metal brush to get into the candles. The ceramics of the middle insulator will immediately become metallized. It will be a cool candle.

So, is it possible that ceramics are metalized from a hard steel brush? insulator. Not brass. Moreover, if it does form, it will burn instantly. Although, since you’re writing, you probably know.

How to ignite a spark plug?

Once upon a time in the cold winter time. The car suddenly wouldn’t start happily. This is probably how we can start the story about how drivers often face the problem of starting the engine in cold weather, when the thermometer needle outside the window drops below -20 degrees. The reason for this may be ordinary spark plugs, which were filled with gasoline and automatically left without a spark. To solve this problem, you just need to learn how to calcinate spark plugs , doing it correctly and without much effort.

Actually, the reason for the lack of spark is quite banal. The candle is gradually filled with gasoline entering the combustion chamber, thereby making it so wet that there can be no talk of any sparking, since there is no discharge between the electrodes. And since there is no spark discharge, then there is no ignition, which is necessary to start (start) the engine. But first, it’s still worth understanding that this is precisely the problem.

What gap should I set on spark plugs for gas and gasoline?

Often, after installing gas equipment on a car, the internal combustion engine begins to throttle, failures appear and gas consumption is higher than expected. These phenomena can occur for various reasons, one of the options is misfires due to an increased gap in the standard spark plugs, due to burning of the electrodes when operating on gasoline. Moreover, when switching to gasoline, everything returns to normal. The problem is solved by reducing the distance between the electrodes or replacing the elements.

A correctly adjusted spark plug gap for gas combustion directly affects the completeness of combustion, the efficiency of ignition of the fuel mixture and the stable operation of the engine, so for gas the size is set in the range of 0.7-0.9 mm. But this parameter is very individual and is selected depending on a number of factors:

• type of ignition system used;
• engine model and characteristics;
• conditions and mode of operation of a car with gas equipment.

For more frequent driving on the gas mixture, gaps of 0.7 mm are suitable and vice versa.

Troubleshooting

To understand whether they are filled with gasoline or not, whether there is carbon deposits on them or not, you need to do a small and very simple procedure. To do this, prepare only two tools: a special spark plug wrench and pliers.

1. Turn on the ignition and unscrew the spark plugs. All modern cars typically come with one per cylinder, meaning there are exactly as many of them as there are cylinders in your car's engine.
2. Disconnect the unscrewed spark plug from the wires and unscrew one after the other.
3. Inspect them all for moisture, carbon deposits and a strong smell of gasoline. If everything listed is present on them, then they need to either be replaced with new ones or cleaned by calcination, which is what we are going to do.

Calcination on fire

Having removed the gasoline-filled candles, the simplest action would be to calcinate them on the open fire of any gas stove.
It’s really simple and convenient if you grab each one with pliers and hold it over the flame for a while until the smoke stops emanating from the burning of the gasoline that got there. Therefore, if the car is located near the house, and gas is used at home, then run home to heat the stove on the fire. If the car is parked far from the apartment (house), then you need to keep, for example, an ordinary alcohol burner in the garage, on the flame of which you can ignite candles in the same way. Of course, you can get an open fire, so necessary for calcination, in any other way, but you should be extremely careful with such things in garages or parking lots. There is no question of fires, but no one bothers you to soak some rags in gasoline and step aside to set them on fire.

After wetting, quickly leave the dangerous area and set fire to these rags, and then in the same way, holding one piece at a time with pliers, heat them over the flame. Under no circumstances should you artificially cool a candle. The fact is that its porcelain part, although made of durable and fire-resistant material (porcelain), may still not withstand sudden temperature changes and will easily crack, becoming unusable. This means that after calcination, you simply leave it alone for 10-15 minutes until it cools down naturally.

The final stage or return to its rightful place

After completing the calcination and allowing the candles to cool on their own, take an absolutely clean and dry rag (rags) and thoroughly wipe each one separately. Do this with effort, cleaning from the soot, which could quite possibly appear during ignition, until the porcelain is perfectly white. Return to your car and safely screw in each spark plug in order, not forgetting to put the wires on them. Remember that the further starting of the car depends on the accurate fastening of the spark plugs.

If the spark plugs are placed, secured and connected correctly, and there are absolutely no other engine problems, your car will start immediately and easily.

How to quickly clean spark plugs from carbon deposits: choosing the best method

Hello, dear friends! Today we’ll talk to you about how to clean spark plugs from carbon deposits directly at home, sometimes even using improvised means.

I would like to immediately note that it is unlikely that it will be possible to achieve effective cleaning without removing the candles. Here we will talk about various additives and chemicals in fuel, the effectiveness of which is the subject of constant debate and discussion.

Additionally, you can watch the video for clarity. Also, be sure to write in the comments what methods you used and what you managed to achieve using certain methods and means.

Clean, rub and sand

There is a fairly simple and most obvious way for many to clean car spark plugs from carbon deposits. But it is contraindicated to treat iridium candles in this way.

On iridium spark plugs, ordinary metal is most often used as the central electrode. It is only partially and thinly coated with expensive metals.

By sanding them, you will simply erase the additional layer of insulation. Such a candle may still work for some time, but then it will completely fail.

Under no circumstances should iridium products be processed by physical impact on them. In terms of removing carbon deposits, sandpaper acts very quickly, but just as quickly it renders the spark plug completely unusable. Why destroy with your own hands something that, in theory, can last for thousands of kilometers. But nickel candles can be processed with sandpaper or a needle file. But only with the utmost care and the finest-grained materials possible. Choose zero sandpaper and nothing else. Do not rub the central and side electrodes with excitement. Just swipe a few times.

I'll say this. Sharpening and processing any spark plugs using sandpaper and other abrasives is a dubious undertaking. Any inaccuracy leads to serious negative consequences. This option may be fast, but it is ineffective.

Review (rating) of recommended candles for HBO

Based on numerous reviews from drivers, we will consider some of the most popular models of spark plugs for working on a propane-butane mixture and methane with brief characteristics.

The most common (due to cheapness) Brisk Silver spark plugs for gas (Brisk Silver LPG/CNG - Czech Republic) have a silver central electrode of small diameter. Their price varies from 120-300 rubles per piece:

Household chemicals

If you want to clean your spark plugs yourself, but prefer safer methods that are just as effective, try simple household chemicals.

Regarding the question of whether VD40 can be used to clean spark plugs, I will say this. It will help as an aid for pre-soaking. But it doesn’t work well as a stand-alone carbon deposit cleaner. It is better to use other methods.

As for household chemicals, products designed to remove rust or limescale work well. In fact, this is any product aimed at cleaning and cleaning plumbing fixtures. You just need to soak the candles in this product for a while, and then carefully brush them with a toothbrush. The result depends on many components, including the components used in household chemicals. When finished, be sure to rinse the candles with clean water and dry completely.

It is difficult to say exactly what the result will be. Therefore, I suggest leaving reviews for those who have tried different household products and can speak from personal experience about their effectiveness.

Prevention recommendations

Preventative measures to slow down the formation of carbon deposits and increase service intervals are quite simple. You should use high-quality gasoline with an octane rating not lower than the recommended one. If this does happen, you should not burn the fuel line with a higher octane number; it is better to take out the spark plugs and do a light cleaning.

When selecting new ignition elements, you should focus on the models recommended by the engine manufacturer. If you select analogues or completely third-party types, this will lead to failures in the ignition settings and the appearance of carbon deposits.

If carbon deposits appear on the spark plugs or the car begins to work not as productively as before, you should start cleaning the spark sources. For this, chemical and mechanical methods are used, but in any case you need to follow the instructions, which will help you not to spoil the parts and achieve results.

Home chemistry laboratory

Separately, I would like to consider several products that have shown themselves to be good. They really make it possible to quickly and effectively rid spark plugs of accumulated carbon deposits.

You just need to work with them extremely carefully, observing safety precautions.

• dimexide;
• acetic acid with soda;
• hydroperit.

Now let's go through them separately.

In practice, chemical cleaning gives almost the best result possible for doing it at home. Yes, it is optimal to contact a specialized service, where they will clean the spark plugs on a special stand or even on an ultrasonic unit. The last option is the most effective, but also the most expensive. Therefore, only those who are willing to spend that kind of money on restoring several worn-out spark plugs of an automobile ignition system resort to it.

It is worth recalling that malfunctions and clogged spark plugs can lead to a number of consequences. These are situations when the car starts and immediately stalls, or so-called engine detonation occurs. Even if your car just simply won’t start, the spark plugs are one of the first to be checked.

Use of dimexide

Dimexide is able to cope with light and complex types of spark plug contamination. Even if the soot is serious, there is a high probability that the situation will be corrected with dimexide.

Dimexide is a pharmaceutical product intended primarily for treating the skin on the face. But in fact, the composition can corrode many components, including carbon deposits and scale. Using the product is extremely simple. You need to take a small plastic cup, pour 50 ml of the product into it, put it inside the candle and leave for several hours. After which the candles are taken out and cleaned with a simple toothbrush. All that remains is to rinse with clean water and dry.

Efficient, effective and quite simple. I recommend trying it.

Acetic acid and soda

Here you need to use acid (70%) and not table vinegar, since the effectiveness of the latter is extremely low.

The essence is approximately the same as in the previous version. You need to pour a small amount of acetic acid into the candles and leave for at least 30 minutes. But you shouldn’t keep it for more than 3 hours.

When the candles are infused in acid, gradually add literally 1 teaspoon of soda. A chemical reaction will begin. After this, take a toothbrush, treat the candles, rinse and dry.

Hydroperite

This product is sold in pharmacies, presented in tablet form.

Now take a glass. Better made of glass. Fill up to half of the water so that the candles are well immersed. Place 3-4 tablets of hydroperite into this water. Cleaning with hydroperite will occur gradually. Place the glass on a window or in a warm place. You can safely leave it for about a day. Only after a while will an active reaction begin in the form of seething and boiling.

Take out the spark plugs, go over them with a brush or blow with compressed air. Dry and return to place. Check the remanufactured spark plugs for functionality.

Always keep a set of spare spark plugs with you. It’s not for nothing that they are included in a motorist’s kit, even if it’s not mandatory.

What effective remedies do you know? What did you have to deal with personally and what was the result?

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Do-it-yourself spark plug cleaning

Many owners of vehicles, especially those belonging to the domestic automobile industry, often experience in winter that the spark plugs turn black or acquire a dark tint. In this case, a logical question arises: what needs to be done to solve the problem? The answer in this case is simple - clean the components. It is worth noting that cleaning can be done on your own. Let's try to figure out how to clean spark plugs from carbon deposits. In addition, this material will discuss the reasons for this situation.

Features of cleaning spark plugs at home

Cleaning spark plugs at home is a fairly common cleaning method. In this situation, it is necessary to remember that the insulator included in the structure can simply be damaged or scratched by careless movement . Of course, allowing such a situation to arise is highly discouraged. Otherwise, problems with the formation of carbon deposits on the surface will worsen. That is why the cleaning process using sandpaper or any other devices is unacceptable. The ideal option as a tool for restoring the structure of candles is to use a brush. However, it must be made of steel wire. A regular toothbrush may also work.

Speaking about how to clean spark plugs from carbon deposits, we cannot help but talk about the use of sandblasting equipment. It should be noted that this method of cleaning is widely used at many vehicle service stations. The process of removing carbon deposits from the surface is carried out through the use of various types of sand, as well as the use of blowing through compressed air. It is generally accepted that this method is one of the most effective and allows you to return the component to normal, working condition. At a very reasonable price, this method allows you to restore the part as quickly as possible.

When talking about how to clean spark plugs, we cannot fail to mention sand. Thus, a separate category of “craftsmen” inserted the part into the chuck of an electric drill and turned it on, having previously placed it in a container with sand. Of course, the method may seem very strange. Moreover, this method of cleaning spark plugs from carbon deposits is effective. Having certain qualifications and experience in this matter, the method will not differ from where sandblasting equipment is used.

Conclusion

No matter how effective your method of burning plugs is, it is important to understand that this is an extreme measure; it is better not to get into such a situation. I advise you to purchase spare ones in advance! Marking the plugs is what will help you buy a truly suitable model, knowing the code of the standard plugs for your car, an analogue can be picked up without any problems in any automobile store. I am very glad that you finally know how to light spark plugs correctly and efficiently! I am sure that such knowledge will be useful to you, then you will remember me). See you in the next publications .

How to clean spark plugs at home using heat

If you are thinking about how to clean spark plugs from carbon deposits, then you can use a fairly common method that involves thermal exposure. This option involves burning the component. As a rule, this method is used if new spark plugs were filled during a “cold” start. It’s a pity to throw away such components and, as a result, people decide to carry out the drying process. It should be noted that in this case there are several main methods. Among them are:

1. Calcination using a soldering iron.
2. Calcination using a gas-type stove.

The method is not particularly complicated. At the same time, car owners who have used it recommend not calcining the spark plugs too much.

Re: Is it worth heating the spark plugs?

The simplest option is to put these spark plugs in a warm, dry place, when they are dry, wipe them with a rag, check the gaps and put them in reserve, you can safely ride on these spark plugs, unless of course they are broken and do not lose a spark under pressure, this can be checked using a special device. If the car is operated in city mode. Once every 30,000 spark plugs just need to be replaced, regardless of their condition, this will protect you by 80% from troubles on the road associated with this gadget.

Chemical cleaning method

It is also possible to revive spark plugs using chemical-based products. This method allows you to remove carbon deposits from these components as quickly and without problems as possible. In order to perform this procedure, you should buy a simple detergent or liquid that is designed to clean carburetors. You can also clean spark plugs with vinegar.

A cleaning procedure using a rust remover is also permitted. To use this method, you need to unscrew the part and apply a layer of several millimeters to their surface. Next, you need to wait half an hour and clean the surface by rinsing with water. It may seem very funny, but the cleaning process is also carried out with the help of Coca-Cola. There are rumors that orthophosphoric acid, which is included in many drinks, can most effectively cope with the carbon deposits that have appeared on these components.

Speaking about cleaning with vinegar, first of all it should be said that this method is quite old. In this case, it is necessary to place the candles in a container where vinegar has previously been poured. The components must be kept in this container for one hour.

You can also clean spark plugs at home using ammonium acetate . Initially, candles must be subjected to a degreasing procedure. Next, they need to be washed using gasoline fuel. At the final stage of this type of procedure, the drying process is carried out. It is necessary to immerse the candles in a 20% acetate solution. They should stay in it for about thirty minutes. In this case, the temperature should be at least 90 degrees. When carrying out the cleaning process, you must make sure that the room is well ventilated. The fact is that the fumes emitted by acetic acid negatively affect the human body due to the fact that they are poisonous.

It should be noted that spark plug restoration can be carried out in other ways. At the same time, a fairly large number of them are difficult to implement. That is why their use is recommended for those people who have work experience.

Chemical cleaning of spark plugs from carbon deposits

How to Restore Spark Plugs Reliably

Situations when a person does not have the opportunity to independently perform work of this type are not so rare. That is why if you are not sure of the correctness of performing the procedure yourself, it is recommended to contact specialists who are competent in this matter. It is worth saying that they will not only be able to tell you how to perform the procedure for cleaning spark plugs, but will also help you complete this work. Note that this approach provides an additional guarantee that after cleaning from carbon deposits, the parts will remain operational.

If, after performing the cleaning procedure, the problem has not been solved, then the only way out of this situation is to purchase new parts that need to be installed. You can do this yourself. Also, the procedure will take no more than a few minutes in a specialized service center. In general, you need to understand that if the spark plugs have been subjected to a restoration procedure, sooner or later they will need to be replaced.