Spark Plugs

Global Player

GERMANY

Engine Lab. in Komaki

Plant

DETROIT

Engine Lab. in Headquarters

JAPAN

Technical Center of Detroit in U.S.A.

Technical Center in Europe

BRAZIL

Engine Lab. in Brazil

OEM customers worldwide

Alfa Romeo

General Motors

Peugeot

AMG/Mercedes

Honda

Renault

Aston Martin

Hyundai

Rolls Royce

Audi

Isuzu

Rover

Bentley

Jaguar

Saab

BMW

Kia

Seat

Citroen

Lancia

Skoda

Daewoo

Lotus

Subaru

Daihatsu

Maserati

Suzuki

Daimler Chrysler

Mazda

Toyota

Ferrari

Mitsubishi

Volkswagen

Fiat

Nissan

Volvo

Ford

Opel

Spark plugs
Oxygen sensors

1950

1980

2000

Trends
PAST

PRESENT

FUTURE

50.5

56

HEX
16

HEX
20.7
M14

51

Pt

M14

Bi-HEX
12

HEX
14

19

19

51

51

HEX
16

M12

26.5

M10

26.5

Ni
19
M12
Pt

Ir alloy

Ir alloy

Advanced Engine Design

Smaller plug hole diameter

19

26.5

PRESENT

FUTURE

14 mm

10-12 mm

Standard plug

Central electrode with copper core Connecting nut

Groundelectrode

Gasket

Seals

Thread
Insulator

Leakagecurrent
barriers

Plug with interference-suppression

resistor

Glass seal

The measurement of the interference-suppression

resistance with a low voltage multi-meter is not reliable.

Spark Plug - Design

Standard type

Twin ground
electrode

Triple ground
electrode

10-15,000 km

25-40,000 km

40-60,000 km

Spark Plug - Design

Platinum
electrode

12 mm type

Projected
firing tip

10 mm type

12 mm thread
Hex:16.0 mm

8 mm type

Compact type

Racing plug

V-line principle

Ground electrode
Flame front

V-groove
Central electrode
Simultaneous propagation of the flame front

Twin platinum spark plug

VW Lupo
60,000 km

Iridium IX plug

Iridium plugs offer maximum ignition

reliability, fewer emissions and even
longer service lives than platinum
plugs.

Iridium - IX

Photo 3: The new central electrode has an iridium tip which is only 0.6 mm thick

Photo 4: From spark to ignition: electrical discharges take place in the annular gap. This eliminates any
carbon fouling. The result is excellent cold-start performance.

Iridium - IX
The lack of deposits in the
annular gap guarantees that
the ignition voltage is not
diverted.

Hybrid-Spark Plug

Audi 2.0l FSI / 60.000 km

Racing spark plugs

Racing plugs are used at extreme engine

speeds (> 12,000 rpm) and volumetric
efficiencies (> 70 kW/l)!

S -

Heat rating
2 hot

Thread
diameter
B: 14 mm
D: 12 mm
C: 10 mm

Electrode
gap
9 : 0.9 mm
11: 1.1 mm

12 cold

Hexagon
C: 16 mm

Interferencesuppression
resistor

Projected
firing tip

11

Thread
length
E: long
H: short
S. Standard
A: Special
B: -"...........

Main problem

Conductive deposits
result in leakage of the
ignition voltage

Supplementary spark gap

Current OEM technologies for avoiding carbon

fouling deposits

Supplementary spark gap

Semi-surface gap spark plug

Current OEM technologies for avoiding carbon

fouling deposits

Semi-surface gap spark plug

Heat rating and heat dissipation zones

5
hot

7
cold

Varying heat ratings

Surface ignition range
Safety margin
(5) hot
(6)

Optimum
operating range
(7) cold

Carbon-fouling range
Speed

New
1/2 2/3

Used

1/12 - 1/8

Tightening torques for flat seat:

14 mm: 25-30 Nm 12 mm: 15-20 Nm 10 mm: 10-12 Nm

Corona mark

Normal brown discoloration

from deposits of electrically
charged oil particles. Not an
indication of malfunction or
leakage.

With Zetec engines it is

recommended that new
spark-plug leads be fitted.

Deposits

In mechanically worn engines

deposits accumulate on the
spark plug and encourage
surface ignition.

Insulator breakage

Mechanically-caused
ceramic breakage
(fitting, transport,
impact) or thermal
shock

Melting

Caused by preignition.

Carbon fouling

Caused by adverse operating

conditions or heating rating
which is too cold.

Normal appearance

Whitish-grey
discoloration of the
insulator and slight
deposits

Thank you
for
your
attention