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| 1. |
General Unawareness of the Spark Plugs Function.
For most people and even for many professional mechanics, it is unknown that the ignition of the spark plugs, apart from taking the spark into the inside part of the Combustion Chamber, also has a very important function: To Regulate the temperature of the Combustion chamber between 400º C to 850º C.
SOURCE: Chilton Book Company / Repair and Tune-up Guide / Manual Part N" 6980, page 26. / USA. |
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| 2. |
The Procedure for the Selling of Spark Plugs.
Automotive and Spark Plug manufacturers sell the "After Sales" spark plugs through a Spark Plug Condition Chart, printed on CD's or on-line catalogs via the Internet. In these catalogs they recommend (in the "application tables" section) only one type of spark plug according to the vehicle brand, model, year and engine. (The spark plug may be a Standard, Platinum or the Multiple Electrode model, but in all cases, only one Thermal Range). Thus with this one spark plug type, they believe that the matter is solved.
Nevertheless, there are some internal and external conditions that vary the temperature inside the combustion chamber.
Some of these are:
- Different driving conditions
- Different levels of engine wear
- Different climates
- Different gasoline quality
- Sport modifications
These conditions are more frequent than anyone could think of. In fact, they are the rule, not the exception.
The Transport Department of the United States (US Department of Transportation, DOT) reports that 70% of the cars checked in the USA, had spark plugs in bad conditions causing one or more problems to the engine. (*) This error has a permanent tendency for at least the last 14 years; in 1985 this was published in POPULAR Mechanic ** and the Master Catalog of NGK Spark Plugs, reconfirms it in 1999, 14 years later).
When these conditions exist, spark plugs hotter or colder should be chosen to be installed in the engine, different from the ones suggested in the application table, to accommodate these conditions and maintain again the perfect temperature (400º C- 850ºC) inside the combustion chamber.
But spark plug catalogs do not indicate according to the vehicle brand, model, year and engine, the alternative spark plugs for each of these conditions and its variables, as they are unable to do so. Therefore the person who installs the spark plugs is not even aware that the problem exists because of the lack of any guide, for the catalogs do not suggest the right spark plugs for each of the conditions. |
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| 3. |
The Lack of Standardization of the Codes that Identify the Spark Plugs
Another situation that guarantees that the error continues, is that the Thermal Range of Spark plugs is not visible and is only shown in codes printed on the spark plugs which also indicate other characteristics of the spark plugs.
These codes are confusing and not understandable, even for professional mechanics and much less for the general public.
Furthermore each manufacturer of spark plugs has created their own codes, which are not standardized.
The indication of the thermal range varies as follows, according to the different brands of spark plugs:
- Letters for some and numbers for others.
- 1, 2 or 3 digits, according to the different brands.
- For some the scale is ascending, where the higher numbers identify the hottest spark plugs. For others, the scale is descending, and the higher numbers identify the coldest spark plugs.
- According to the different brands, the same number, for example the number 10, could identify for some a cold spark plug, for others a warm, and for others a hot spark plug.
- The order of the characters that identify the thermal range and its position within the code, vary from brand to brand.
- In addition, some spark plug brands only use the number of the logistic part.
With this situation it is difficult and confusing for people who have to decide which spark plug to use, and to understand the codes on the spark plugs, for the great majority does not know how to decode them.
With certainty, as in the Babel tower, it is more frequent to make an error than to be correct. With this maze of codes it is hard to discover the correct spark plugs each car needs in all of the different conditions. |
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| 4. |
The Current Non-existence of a Universal Method which can enable one to determine the Thermal Range of Spark Plugs.
Currently, there is no instrument, method, system or mechanism which can enable to:
- Determine with precision, the Thermal Range of the spark plugs of any brand, in any vehicle and under any conditions.
- Determine with precision, the alternative Thermal Range needed by the vehicle that is being tuned up, according to the variables of the external and internal conditions that are influencing it.
The lack of this instrument, method, system or mechanism, guarantees the high error rate, not only of amateur mechanics, but also the professional ones, that until now had to deal with the problem of determining the Thermal Range of Spark Plugs, with the only option of the boring and inefficient method of "trial and error", trying different spark plugs in the car, until obtaining the closest to the appropriate one.
This method, which is very inefficient, can take up to 10 hours of tedious work, for which the price for Determining the Thermal Range of Spark Plugs is around US $300.00, according to the report of the National Automotive Parts Association- NAPA of the United States of America.
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| 5. |
The Sophisticated Electronics of Vehicles Nowadays
During the diagnosis of damages / breakdowns, now that cars have a great deal of electronics, is easy place the blame on the "Complicated Electronics", forgetting the basic functions for the well operation of the engine. Modern computers of the Injection and Ignition Systems, do not know and therefore assume that the type and condition of the spark plugs of the engine are correct; because they have no sensors to analyze the good or bad conditions of the spark plugs (*) much less to Determine their Thermal Range. Even the most modern electronic systems of automobiles, are unable to assure the perfect operation of the engines, when the spark plugs are worn out or incorrect.
SOURCE: (*) Volvo Car Corporation. Manual de Construcción y Función - Secc. 2 (23,28)
Engine Managements Systems; Fuel and Ignition, Gasoline Engines, TP 2324061, PAGE 16 - 18
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| 6. |
The Few Accessible Solutions Recommended By Experts
When "experts" have been asked about a better way to overcome the problem of processing the Thermal Range of Spark Plugs, the best suggestion they can make to the user is to test the Dino Chassis (*), which is a sophisticated diagnosis system, expensive, done by experts, and not very accessible to the great majority, which can not be found in any auto shop. Therefore it is not a very accurate and practical advice and too expensive for most of the users. The proof to this is that 70% of the vehicle owners in the USA do not use it.
SOURCE: (*) Hot Rod Magazine, USA, Julio de 1980 - C. J. Talkstech by C. J. Baker - Plug Puzzle.
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