Good spark plugs: rating, description, photo

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

The issue of choosing spark plugs comes up sharply after the car has been serviced by an authorized dealer. Which spark plugs are best for an engine?

Comparing all the candles available on the market is irrational; it is more logical to choose a specific car and make a rating based on it. The reliability and low price of Renault Logan made it extremely popular on Russian highways, and therefore recommendations for choosing spark plugs will be based on this model. The same advice applies to other cars - Renault Symbol, Lada Largus, Peugeot 406, Toyota Avensis, Opel Vectra, Chevrolet Lacetti, Skoda Octavia.

Good traditional spark plugs: 77 00 500 168200

Inconspicuous markings hide genuine Renault spark plugs, designed specifically for the Logan engine. Accordingly, their characteristics are ideally suited for operation with this motor, and the stability of quality and reliability are guaranteed by the strict control of each stage of production by the factory.

Original candlesignitions are produced by the French company Eyqiem - the main supplier of most European automakers. Good spark plugs are designed with a few things specific to eight-valve engines in mind:

• The stability of the ignition of the mixture when it is unevenly distributed over the cylinder during operation in some modes due to the difference in the composition of the mixture in the volume of the combustion chamber and at its walls is ensured by a large reach of the central electrode into the combustion chamber. The spark gap placed deep into the combustion chamber contributes to ignition stability and improves ventilation;
• A pair of side electrodes increase the life of the candle. Contrary to popular belief, a spark is formed between two, and not all, electrodes with the best conditions - no carbon deposits, a shorter distance, and others. Sparking with inevitable wear of the "working" pair of electrodes is transferred to the second pair, although in practice it alternates between different pairs.

Genuine spark plugs are a good choice due to their consistent quality. The resource, depending on the quality of the fuel and the condition of the engine, is 40 thousand kilometers maximum.

Benefits:

• Steady high quality.
• Compliance with the operating conditions in a specific engine.

Flaws:

The cost from an authorized dealer is several times higher than the market price, and you can buy it in auto shops to order

Denso K20TXR256

Good Japanese spark plugsproduction almost completely copy the original, differing only in marking. Corrosion resistance and a long working life of the electrodes are provided by a nickel coating. A banal magnifying glass allows you to evaluate the quality of candle production: the stamping of the side electrodes is even, the soldering points are neat, without distortions. This provides good Denso spark plugs with stable sparking, which guarantees economical fuel consumption and smooth engine operation.

Both electrodes are set at the standard Renault spacing of 1 mm.

Benefits:

• Electrode resistance to spark corrosion.
• Steady quality.

Flaws:

High cost - more than genuine Renault spark plugs

Beru Z193149

Single electrode spark plug from a well-known manufacturer, part of the Federal Mogul concern. You should not expect super indicators and a great resource from them: the main task is to move away from maintenance to maintenance - they do an excellent job, but no more.

Compared to the top rankings, which ones are better for engine spark plugs? Candles Z193 have three disadvantages:

• Shorter working life due to single electrode design.
• The reduced spark gap, on the one hand, makes it easier to start the engine with a dead battery, and on the other hand, it reduces the power of the spark. Together with low-quality fuel, this can cause misfires when operating at high loads.
• Central electrode severalrecessed, which adversely affects the ventilation of the spark gap and ignition conditions. However, the real difference is only noticeable when testing spark plugs on dynos.

Additional advantages are the wide popularity and affordable price.

Key Benefits:

• Affordable price.
• Minimum counterfeit level on the market.

Flaws:

Unsuitable for the engines listed auto design

Bosch FR7LDC+

Two-electrode good spark plugs 1 6 - a budget alternative to factory spark plugs. Doping the central electrode with yttrium provides high resistance to spark erosion and a decent working life.

In terms of production quality, candles are not inferior to the best spark plugs for VAZ and the cars listed above; the solder line of the electrodes is even, the marking on the metal skirt is uniform in depth. Only the gap between the electrodes causes complaints - it is somewhat smaller than that of most candles in this rating.

Bosch spark plugs are as efficient as cheaper Beru spark plugs. Given the fact that the resource of candles is most often not limited only by production technology and is highly dependent on the quality of fuel, Bosch's rating was lowered due to a higher price, which outweighed even the use of alloyed metal in the design.

Benefits:

• High working resource.
• Similarity with standard candlesmost options.

Flaws:

Higher frequency of fakes on the market

NGK BKR6EK (2288)210

Which spark plugs are best? Alas, some believe that they are not Japanese-made NGK candles, but not because of poor quality, but because of the huge amount of Chinese counterfeit products sold on the market under this brand. Previously, most car dealerships, trying to save on purchases, filled the shelves with low-quality "left" products, which easily differed from the original by poor-quality markings and crookedly soldered electrodes.

NGK spark plugs, in terms of design, are not inferior to the original Renault spark plugs: their gaps between the electrodes are placed in the combustion chamber. However, it is still possible to detect their shortcomings:

• Due to the rough stamping of the ground electrodes, most noticeable at the ends, the protruding edges are rapidly destroyed. This leads to spark instability, which is most pronounced under high pressure; loss of engine power becomes noticeable at such moments.
• The spark gap is 0.9 mm, which is slightly less than expected. With not the best quality and a price almost identical to higher quality candles, NGK does not get the highest place in the ranking.

Despite the fact that BRK6EK is almost identical to the original Renault plugs, in the catalog, the manufacturer NGK for the K7M engine indicates compatibility only with single-electrode BKR6E. However, this optionmore suitable from a financial point of view: with identical quality, the cost of these candles does not exceed 100 rubles.

Benefits:

Prevalence in stores

Flaws:

• Inconsistent quality and rough manufacturing.
• A large number of counterfeit goods in auto shops.

Denso PK20PR-P8466

Japanese platinum candles, one of the top ranked candles with precious metal coating. What are the best spark plugs for Renault? Almost ideal performance characteristics make Denso spark plugs the best option for installation in Renault engines: a long service life is guaranteed by the platinum coating of the side and center electrodes and high workmanship. Only the size of the gap between the electrodes causes complaints, which is also less than the required Renault - only 0.8 mm. True, the purchase of expensive iridium spark plugs, which are more resistant to erosion due to the high hardness and melting point of iridium, is not rational in civilian use.

Benefits:

• Affordable price.
• High working resource.

Flaws:

Gap difference with Renault requirements

NGK BKR6EIX (6418)522

Which iridium spark plugs are best? NGK is not inferior here either - its BKR6EIX iridium spark plugs are considered one of theof the best in terms of workmanship, but still do not meet the requirements of Renault in terms of the size of the interelectrode gap - only 0.8 mm. Such spark plugs are ideal for installation on a new engine without excessive oil consumption - stable sparking, coupled with a reduced gap, allows you to start the engine even when the battery is almost completely discharged.

The working resource of iridium candles with the right choice of fuel can reach 50,000 kilometers. For frequent use of the car in different directions, it is better to purchase two sets of standard spark plugs for the same price, since the failure of an expensive set of spark plugs due to the use of low-quality fuel will be an irrational solution.

Key Benefits:

• Spark stability.
• Potentially large work resource.

Flaws:

• Does not meet vehicle manufacturer's electrode gap requirements.
• Too much price.

Number and types of electrodes

There is a wide range of spark plugs on the market, differing in several ways. By design, spark plugs are divided into three categories:

• Single electrode.
• Two-electrode.
• Multielectrode.

Separate the side and central electrodes. They can differ in the type of material from which they are made: steel alloyed with nickel or manganese. Expensive models are plated with platinum, nickel or iridium.

Spark plug sizes

An important role inWhen choosing spark plugs, their dimensions play: spark plugs that are best for Chevrolet may not be suitable for other cars in terms of thread type and length, head size and diameter. However, they rely on three main thread length classes:

• Short - 12 millimeters.
• Long - 19 millimeters.
• Elongated - 25 millimeters.

Spark plugs are selected based on size. If they do not match, you can damage not only new parts, but also the design of the car engine.

When spark plugs need to be replaced

Recommendations of automakers regarding the replacement of glow plugs are quite clear: every 10-15 thousand kilometers for cheap parts, 25-35 thousand for expensive ones. The need to replace candles is determined by their condition: the presence of soot, overall color, "breakthrough" by a spark. Replacement timing is highly dependent on the condition of the vehicle's engine and the quality of the fuel used.

Replacement interval

In the old days, cleaning or replacing spark plugs was considered standard for motorists, but, unfortunately, these procedures are a thing of the past, as is the art of assessing the accuracy of a carburetor setting by the color of soot on the electrodes. Modern injection systems, thanks to precise fuel dosing, guarantee a full service interval of 15 thousand kilometers on average (some automakers, for example, Skoda, set a longer spark plug replacement interval - about 30 thousand kilometers). The need for urgent replacement arises due to the uselow-quality spark plugs or low-quality fuel, as evidenced by red deposits on the electrodes caused by ferrocene additives.

Conclusion

Saving on spark plugs, which are better for Priora and foreign cars, is not worth it - they are not so expensive: a set for the same Logan will cost thousands of rubles maximum, provided that original parts are purchased from an authorized dealer. Choosing details based on the popularity and promotion of the brand is also not worth it; a vivid example of this is the NGK brand. It is best to rely on the experience of car owners of similar brands and models and service specialists who can suggest which spark plugs are best for VAZ. The above rating was built primarily on the opinion of experts and engineers of automotive concerns and spark plug companies.