Ignition: on a cool or hot engine

Every car requires replacement of spark plugs from time to time. There is nothing complicated in this procedure, but it has its own subtleties and rules. Before changing spark plugs, you need to know how and when to do it, as well as with what tools.

This information will be useful not only for novice car owners, but also for more experienced drivers. After all, even professionals don’t have a specific answer about the service life of candles; there are still ambiguous points and questions regarding the features of their replacement.

Read in this article

A little materiel

The spark plug is placed (screwed in) in candle well, which is located (made) in the cylinder block. With one end (contact terminal), which, depending on the car model, can protrude above the block or remain inside the well, the spark plug is connected to high voltage wires ignition The other end of the spark plug (electrodes) is located in the combustion chamber itself. A spark appears on the electrodes during engine operation, which ignites fuel mixture in a cylinder.

By the way, less carbon deposits appear on platinum or iridium contacts. They are usually coated with a thin layer of these generous metals, but from time to time the central electrode is made of one hundred percent platinum or iridium. On ordinary candles, carbon deposits can and should be cleaned off from time to time with a steel brush or sandpaper, but cleaning iridium and platinum candles is not recommended.

Tuning and upgrading spark plugs with your own hands to improve fuel efficiency and other features of internal combustion engines. How to modify the candles yourself.

When to change spark plugs: main signs

The car itself indicates that the spark plugs need to be replaced or at least need to be checked. The symptoms are:

• Engine When working, it starts to “trouble.” Especially on idle speed. In addition, a drop in traction and power may be observed;
• Fuel consumption is increasing;
• Increases the amount of carbon monoxide (CO) in the exhaust. The ejection itself turns black;
• Detonation occurs;
• Starting the engine is difficult. The starter can turn, but the engine does not start.

For this reason, if the mileage of the spark plug is less than 10-15 thousand km, then, most likely, it is possible to get by only by cleaning and adjusting the gap. For preventive purposes, these procedures are recommended to be carried out twice a year: before summer and before winter. Obviously, if the annual mileage does not exceed 10-15 thousand km. It is also important to realize that the life of the spark plugs is greatly influenced by the quality of the fuel and driving style.

How to replace or check spark plugs yourself

Read

The procedure for unscrewing and installing spark plugs will be similar both during replacement and during inspection or prevention. To perform this operation you will need spark plug wrench. From time to time, socket wrenches with a special spark plug head are also used.

Naturally, new drivers are immediately interested in whether it is possible to change spark plugs on a hot engine. It is important to do this with the engine cool. You can still turn the spark plug out while it's hot, but when tightening it, you can destroy the thread, which will not only lead to engine malfunctions due to incorrect or leaky spark plug installation, but also to repairing the spark plug well.

How to choose and change correctly candles, our correspondents found out. GuberniaTV is a YouTube channel of a media holding.

Replacement candles. Right!

Twist candle ignition is correct. Powerful tightening will lead to damage; a clay insulator is sufficient.

So, the procedure is:

1. Turn off the engine and let it cool.
2. Clean the surface of the block from dust and other debris so that it does not fall into the spark plug wells.
3. Disconnect high voltage wires from candles. To do this, simply pull the cap. This must be done carefully, swaying a little from side to side.
4. Turn out the spark plugs with a key. With all this, it is best to understand where each of them was located, so as not to get confused if the set was not replaced.
5. Inspect the candles, clean them if preventive maintenance is carried out.
6. Screw the cleaned or new (if completely replaced) spark plugs into the spark plug wells.

If candle it goes “tight”, then skew is likely when screwing in. It is necessary to carefully unscrew the candle, align the element evenly and try again, doing this by hand. When the spark plug is screwed in by hand, continue tightening it with the wrench with the required torque, but carefully, without difficulty.

Selection of spark plugs for replacement

Before as change spark plugs ignition, it is worth finding out which ones are specifically suitable for the vehicle being serviced. This may be indicated in the manual. In addition, you can simply take an unscrewed old candle and show it to the dealer in order to purchase exactly the same one, selecting it from the catalogue.

It is also useful to know that candles come in several types and also have different physical sizes. Highlight:

• ordinary candles;
• platinum (iridium) spark plugs;

They also differ in the number of electrodes:

• two-electrode;
• multi-electrode (three or four electrodes);

This moment destabilizes the operation of the motor. The higher the heat number, the less the candle will heat up. Based on their size, candles are divided into “cold” and “hot”; they are used depending on ICE type, operating features, etc.

What happens if you don’t change or clean the spark plugs?

In addition to glow ignition with faulty spark plugs, as mentioned above, engine tripping may occur and detonation occurs in the combustion chambers.

When detonation occurs, a shock wave appears. Its strength depends on how much of the specific fuel-air mixture has detonated. The engine power also drops significantly and excessive fuel consumption occurs.

But the most basic problem is that the motor parts experience additional thermal and mechanical loads. All this reduces the service life of not only the spark plugs, but also the unit. In addition, it may burn out cylinder head gasket, the edges of the pistons, valves, etc. burn.

Conclusion

Read

As you can see, in addition to the fact that you need to know how to change spark plugs on a cool or hot engine, you also need to be able to correctly select the indicated elements and replace them in a timely manner, taking into account the limited resource.

In other words, in order to increase the life of the engine before overhaul, the driver must take into account and understand what signs indicate the need to check the spark plugs, how to choose the right spark plugs according to the make and model of the car, how to check the spark plugs for a spark and change these elements if necessary.

Tuning and modernization spark plugs with your own hands to improve fuel efficiency and other features of the internal combustion engine. How to modify the candles yourself.

There is nothing complicated in this procedure, however, there are some subtleties and rules. Before changing spark plugs, you need to know how and when to do it, as well as with what tools.

This information will be useful not only for novice car enthusiasts, but also for more experienced drivers. After all, even specialists do not have a clear answer about the service life of candles; there are still controversial issues and questions regarding the features of their replacement.

Read in this article

A little materiel

The spark plug is located (screwed in) into the spark plug well, which is located (made) in. With one end (contact terminal), which, depending on the car model, can protrude above the block or remain inside the well, the spark plug is connected to. The other end of the spark plug (electrodes) is located in the combustion chamber itself. During engine operation, a spark appears on the electrodes, which ignites the fuel mixture in the cylinder.

The spark plug has one central electrode and one or more side electrodes. There must be a gap of a certain size between the central and side electrodes so that the spark is constant and has sufficient power. During operation, it forms on the electrodes (but not on all spark plugs), which interferes with the passage of the discharge. In addition, the electrodes themselves also have their own resource.

By the way, less carbon deposits form on the contacts. They are usually coated with a thin layer of these noble metals, but sometimes the central electrode is made entirely of platinum or iridium. On regular spark plugs, carbon deposits can and should be cleaned off from time to time with a metal brush or sandpaper, but cleaning iridium and platinum spark plugs is not recommended.

When to change spark plugs: main signs

The car itself signals that the spark plugs need to be replaced or at least need to be checked. The symptoms are:

• The engine starts when running. Especially at idle. In addition, it may be observed;
• Fuel consumption increases;
• Increases the amount of carbon monoxide (CO) in the exhaust. The exhaust itself turns black;
• Appears ;
• Starting the engine is difficult. .

These symptoms can appear individually or in combination. However, they do not always indicate that new candles need to be installed. The service life of these parts ranges from 15 to 30 and even 50 thousand kilometers (depending on the manufacturer and type of spark plug).

For this reason, if the spark plug mileage is less than 10-15 thousand kilometers, then, most likely, you can only get by with cleaning and adjusting the gap. For preventive purposes, these procedures are recommended to be carried out twice a year: before summer and before winter. Of course, if the annual mileage does not exceed 10-15 thousand kilometers. It is also important to understand that big influence depends on fuel quality and driving style.

How to replace or check spark plugs yourself

The procedure for unscrewing and installing spark plugs will be the same both during replacement and during inspection or maintenance. To perform this operation you will need a spark plug wrench. Sometimes socket wrenches with a special spark plug head are also used.

Of course, beginners are immediately interested in whether it is possible to change spark plugs on a hot engine. It is important to do this with a cool engine. It is still possible to unscrew the spark plug “hot”, but when tightening it, you can damage the thread, which will not only lead to engine malfunctions due to incorrect or leaky installation of the spark plug, but also to repairing the spark plug well.

So, the procedure is:

1. Stop the engine and let it cool.
2. Clean the surface of the block from dust and other debris so that it does not fall into the spark plug wells.
3. Disconnect the high-voltage wires from the spark plugs. To do this, just pull the cap. This must be done carefully, slightly swaying from side to side.
4. Unscrew the spark plugs with a wrench. In this case, it is best to remember where which one was located, so as not to get confused if the set was not replaced.
5. Inspect the spark plugs, clean them if preventive maintenance is carried out.
6. Screw cleaned or new (if completely replaced) spark plugs into the spark plug wells.

Before screwing in, it is also worth wiping the threads of the spark plugs with a dry, clean cloth. There is no need to lubricate with oil, otherwise the threads will stick while the engine is running. It is highly recommended not to use excessive force to avoid damaging the threads in the wells. That's the whole procedure.

If the spark plug goes “tight”, then skew is possible when screwing in. You need to carefully unscrew the spark plug, set the element level and try again, by hand. When the spark plug is screwed in by hand, then tighten it with a wrench at the right moment, but carefully, without effort.

Selection of spark plugs for replacement

Before changing spark plugs, it is worth finding out. This may be indicated in the manual. In addition, you can simply take an unscrewed old candle and show it to the seller to buy exactly the same one from the catalogue.

It is also useful to know that candles come in several types and also have different physical sizes. Highlight:

• ordinary candles;
• platinum (iridium) spark plugs;

They also differ in the number of electrodes:

• two-electrode;
• multi-electrode (three or four electrodes);

In addition, each candle is marked with a heat number. This characteristic corresponds to the time during which it is reached when the fuel-air mixture will ignite not from a spark, but from the temperature of the spark plug itself or fallen soot particles.

This moment destabilizes the engine. The higher the heat number, the less the spark plug will heat up. Based on their size, spark plugs are divided into “cold” and “hot”; they are used depending on the type of internal combustion engine, operating characteristics, etc.

What happens if you don’t change or clean the spark plugs?

In addition to glow ignition faulty spark plugs, as mentioned above, engine tripping may occur and detonation occurs in the combustion chambers.

When detonation occurs, a shock wave occurs. Its strength depends on how much fuel-air mixture detonated. Engine power also drops significantly and excessive fuel consumption occurs.

But the most the main problem is that engine parts experience additional thermal and mechanical loads. All this reduces the service life of not only spark plugs, but also power unit. In addition, the edges of the pistons may be burnt, etc.

Conclusion

As you can see, in addition to the fact that you need to know whether to change spark plugs on a cold or hot engine, you also need to be able to correctly select the indicated elements and replace them in a timely manner, taking into account the limited resource.

Do-it-yourself tuning and upgrading of spark plugs to improve fuel efficiency and others ICE characteristics. How to modify the candles yourself.

Signs of faulty spark plugs. Assessing the condition of the spark plug visual inspection, ways to check spark plugs. Plaque on the spark plug electrodes.

How to do it right change spark plug: on a cold or hot engine

Every car requires replacing spark plugs from time to time. There is nothing complicated in this procedure, however, there are some subtleties and rules. Before change spark plugs, you need to know how and when to do it, as well as with what tools.

This information will be useful not only for novice car enthusiasts, but also for more experienced drivers. After all, even specialists do not have a clear answer about the service life of candles; there are still controversial issues and questions regarding the features of their replacement.

Read in this article

A little materiel

Candle The ignition valve is located (screwed in) into the spark plug well, which is located (made) in the cylinder block. With one end (contact terminal), which, depending on the car model, can protrude above the block or remain inside the well, the spark plug is connected to the high-voltage ignition wires. The other end of the spark plug (electrodes) is located in the combustion chamber itself. During engine operation, a spark appears at the electrodes, which ignites the fuel mixture in the cylinder.

By the way, less carbon deposits form on platinum or iridium contacts. They are usually coated with a thin layer of these noble metals, but sometimes the central electrode is made entirely of platinum or iridium. On regular spark plugs, carbon deposits can and should be cleaned off from time to time with a metal brush or sandpaper, but cleaning iridium and platinum spark plugs is not recommended.

When change spark plugs: main features

Read:

The car itself signals that the spark plugs need to be replaced or at least need to be checked. The symptoms are:

• Engine When working, it starts to “trouble.” Especially at idle. In addition, a drop in traction and power may be observed;
• Fuel consumption increases;
• Increases the amount of carbon monoxide (CO) in the exhaust. The exhaust itself turns black;
• Detonation appears;
• Starting the engine is difficult. The starter can turn, but the engine does not start.

For this reason, if the spark plug mileage is less than 10-15 thousand kilometers, then, most likely, you can only get by with cleaning and adjusting the gap. For preventive purposes, these procedures are recommended to be carried out twice a year: before summer and before winter. Of course, if the annual mileage does not exceed 10-15 thousand kilometers. It is also important to understand that the life of spark plugs is greatly influenced by the quality of fuel and driving style.

How to replace or check spark plugs yourself

How to choose and change spark plugs, our correspondents found out. GuberniaTV. YouTube channel of the media holding.

The procedure for unscrewing and installing spark plugs will be the same both during replacement and during inspection or maintenance. To perform this operation you will need a spark plug wrench. Sometimes socket wrenches with a special spark plug head are also used.

Of course, beginners are immediately interested in whether it is possible to change spark plugs on a hot engine. It is important to do this with a cool engine. It is still possible to unscrew the spark plug “hot”, but when tightening it, you can damage the thread, which will not only lead to engine malfunctions due to incorrect or leaky installation of the spark plug, but also to repairing the spark plug well.

So, the procedure is:

1. Mute engine and let it cool.
2. Clean the surface of the block from dust and other debris so that it does not fall into the spark plug wells.
3. Disconnect the high-voltage wires from the spark plugs. To do this, just pull the cap. This must be done carefully, slightly swaying from side to side.
4. Unscrew the spark plugs with a wrench. In this case, it is best to remember where which one was located, so as not to get confused if the set was not replaced.
5. Inspect the spark plugs, clean them if preventive maintenance is carried out.
6. Screw cleaned or new (if completely replaced) spark plugs into the spark plug wells.

If the spark plug goes “tight”, then skew is possible when screwing in. You need to carefully unscrew the spark plug, set the element level and try again, by hand. When candle will be screwed in by hand, then tighten with a wrench with the required torque, but carefully, without effort.

Change spark plugs on a cold or hot engine.

Selection of spark plugs for replacement

Read:

Before as change spark plugs, it is worth finding out which ones are suitable for the vehicle being serviced. This may be indicated in the manual. In addition, you can simply take an unscrewed old candle and show it to the seller to buy exactly the same one from the catalogue.

It is also useful to know that candles come in several types and also have different physical sizes. Highlight:

• ordinary candles;
• platinum (iridium) spark plugs;

They also differ in the number of electrodes:

• two-electrode;
• multi-electrode (three or four electrodes);

This moment destabilizes the engine. The higher the heat number, the less the spark plug will heat up. Based on their size, spark plugs are divided into “cold” and “hot”; they are used depending on the type of internal combustion engine, operating characteristics, etc.

What happens if you don’t change or clean the spark plugs?

In addition to glow ignition with faulty spark plugs, as mentioned above, engine tripping may occur and detonation occurs in the combustion chambers.

When detonation occurs, a shock wave occurs. Its strength depends on exactly how much of the fuel-air mixture has detonated. Engine power also drops significantly and excessive fuel consumption occurs.

But the main problem is that engine parts experience additional thermal and mechanical stress. All this shortens the service life of not only the spark plugs, but also the power unit. In addition, the cylinder head gasket may burn out, the edges of the pistons, valves, etc. burn out.

Conclusion

As you can see, in addition to what you need to know, change spark plugs on a cold or hot engine, it is also necessary to be able to correctly select the indicated elements and replace them in a timely manner, taking into account the limited resource.

In other words, in order to increase the engine resource before overhaul, the driver must take into account and understand what signs indicate the need to check spark plugs, how to choose the right spark plug