Spark plugs: rating of manufacturers, reviews

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

From the invention of the automobile to the present day, spark plugs, which are responsible for the correct operation of the engine (as well as its durability and economy), remain one of the important details. The choice of such products is very wide and varied (both in terms of manufacturers and prices). We hope that the spark plug ratings presented in our review article will help motorists in purchasing these parts. The price for such products (it largely depends on the materials used for their manufacture and design features) ranges from 50 to 1,500 rubles apiece. Comparing candles from radically different price categories will not be entirely correct. Therefore, we give 3 varieties of the most popular spark plug models from different groups.

Top Manufacturers

In the ratings of spark plug manufacturers, products from well-known and time-tested companies are regularly present:

• German Bosch, Beru, Finwhale and SCT;
• Japanese NGK, Denso and HKT;
• American Champion, Autolite and ACDelco;
• CzechBrisk;
• French Valeo and Eyquem.

Many of the above companies are the official suppliers of spark plugs for world famous car manufacturers, which, as a rule, do not develop devices for sparking. But parts bearing the vehicle manufacturer's mark are relatively expensive. Therefore, it is often cheaper to choose a high-quality analogue than to buy an original part from an authorized dealer. As practice shows, such a replacement does not lead to a deterioration in engine performance.

Important! You should change the original spark plugs for the corresponding analogues on your own only after the expiration of the warranty period provided by the manufacturer for the car engine.

Main Specifications

Car spark plugs (depending on the model and engine power) differ from each other in the following characteristics:

• diameter, length and thread pitch;
• air gap between the electrodes (they usually range from 0.8 to 1.1 mm);
• heat number;
• number of side electrodes (their number is from 1 to 5);
• materials used for manufacturing;
• diameter (from 0.4 to 2.7 mm) and center electrode geometry;
• wrench size needed to replace the spark plug.

Varieties

Today, the rating of spark plugs (in ascending order of cost) is as follows (depending on the materials usedfor making electrodes):

• Copper (or rather, made of iron-nickel alloys with the addition of copper and chromium). Quite often, such products are simply called standard.
• Platinum (in which a precious metal is deposited on the outer surface of the electrodes).
• Iridium (using special alloys based on platinum group metal, which has a very high corrosion resistance).
• Iridium-platinum (central electrode coated with iridium, on the inside of the side electrode - platinum soldering).

By the number of side lobes, candles are divided into:

• single electrode;
• multi-electrode (depending on the design features, their number varies from 2 to 4).

For people who spend quite a lot of time behind the wheel, the rating of car spark plugs is not just a table of the popularity of a particular product, but useful information for the subsequent purchase of new spare parts if they need to be replaced. Based on the recommendations of the car manufacturer, their own preferences and financial capabilities, everyone will be able to choose the most suitable candles based on them.

External signs of the need to replace candles

Even the best spark plugs require periodic replacement. The main signs of such preventive work are:

• drop in engine power and performancevehicle;
• increased fuel consumption;
• unstable (with the so-called "skips") engine operation (especially at low and medium speeds);
• difficulty starting a cold engine.

TOP 3 standard candles

Such candles are preferred by numerous owners of domestic LADs, as well as foreign cars of "not the first freshness", to be installed in their cars. Buying “fancy” iridium or platinum counterparts for such cars is irrational, and economically unprofitable. For example, for a VAZ (injector), the rating of spark plugs, compiled according to user reviews, today looks like this:

• The first line of the podium is confidently occupied by the German Bosch WR8DCX+. A distinctive feature of the leader is that yttrium is used to make the central electrode.
• Users gave the middle of the TOP-3 to the Japanese NGK BPR6ES-11.
• Closing the top three, again, the "Japanese" - Denso W20EPR-U11.

Note that the price of products (from different manufacturers) is approximately the same and is approximately 160-180 rubles per piece. The rating of spark plugs compiled (based on the results of testing the above samples) by the experts of the Za Rulem magazine almost completely coincides with the distribution of popularity places from users.

A few words about platinum candles

A technological feature of such candles is the deposition of a thin layer of platinum on the surface of the central electrode (and the side, asusually made on the basis of yttrium alloys). According to the manufacturers, this makes it possible to double the service life (compared to standard products). Grinding electrodes on special laser machines significantly increases the anti-corrosion resistance of such candles. Service life exceeds standard analogues by 2 times. However, they are also more expensive (on average 2 times).

In the rating of automotive spark plugs with a platinum center electrode, experts and users included:

• Model PK20TT from the Japanese manufacturer Denso worth 470-500 rubles apiece.
• WR8DPX candles from the German concern Bosch, which today cost about 300-350 rubles.

Model OE131/T10 from the famous American company Champion (370-450 rubles)

Note! Even when using low-quality grades of gasoline, such candles will last a long time. As practice shows, their replacement will be required no earlier than after 50,000-60,000 km of the car's run. However, only by checking the rating of spark plugs with platinum electrodes while driving, we can make a final conclusion about their advantages and the feasibility of acquiring them for subsequent replacement. Feedback from users who have tried such products on their own cars is only positive.

Dignity of iridium spark plugs

The use of iridium alloys in the manufacture of spark plugs is by far the most innovative technology for their production. The design feature of these products isthe fact that the central electrode is made in the form of a pointed needle with a diameter of 0.4-0.8 mm, and the side electrode has a groove on the inside. The undoubted advantages of such candles are:

• the highest service life (compared to all analogues) - up to 100,000-150,000 km of car run;
• stable and high-intensity sparking even on engines with a very high compression ratio (up to 14-16);
• confident start of a cold engine (even at the lowest sub-zero ambient temperatures);
• better wear resistance (even compared to platinum items);
• highest anti-corrosion performance.

Note! The only disadvantage of such candles is their high cost.

Leads the rating of Japanese iridium spark plugs NGK LFR6AIX-11P with a central electrode with a diameter of 0.6 mm, the cost of which today is 630-700 rubles.

Denso SK20R11 (450-550 rubles) with a guaranteed service life of 100,000 km, not inferior to them in terms of main technical indicators, confidently took second place. German Bosch HR7MII30T users put at the end of the "tournament table": most likely because of their higher cost - 670-780 rubles apiece. Although the “outsider” has a significant advantage over the leaders: the iridium insert is equipped not only on the central, but also on the side electrode (as evidenced by the inscription on the package - Double Iridium, that is, doubleiridium).

According to some research tests, when using such candles, on-board computers of cars record up to 7% fuel economy, which, combined with the longest service life (compared to analogues), allows us to conclude that the funds spent on their purchase are fully justified.

Note! According to user reviews, all the advantages of such products are fully manifested on cars equipped with turbocharged engines.

Advantages of multi-electrode spark plugs

Multi-electrode spark plugs have been designed to more completely burn the fuel mixture in the cylinder and increase the life of the products themselves. Tests carried out by specialists have shown that the use of such multi-contact products results in:

• reducing fuel consumption (by 3, 1-4, 7%);
• reducing the toxicity of exhaust gases (by 3-4.5%);
• slight increase in engine power (by 2, 9-3, 7%).

The rating of the best multi-ground electrode spark plugs, based on feedback from users who have tried these products on their cars, is as follows:

The first place was taken by the Czech Brisk Premium LOR15LGS (380-420 rubles) with four wide side electrodes of the original design

• German Beru UXF79 (570-590 rubles) settled on the second one.
• The Finwhale FS30 (220-350 rubles) with three side contacts closes the top three.

For information! Separately, it is worth mentioning the candles Bosch FGR7DQP. Firstly, the German manufacturer applied the original raised design of four side electrodes above the central one. Secondly, they have a platinum coating. Thirdly, these candles combine all the advantages of both multi-pin and platinum products. But they did not get into our rating because of the very significant cost, which is 850-900 rubles apiece.

Briefly about Russian-made candles

The only full-scale plant in Russia producing spark plugs for cars is an enterprise located in the city of Engels (Saratov region). However, although it is located on the territory of the Russian Federation, its products cannot be called purely domestic. Since 1996, the controlling stake in the enterprise has been owned by the German concern Bosch. Candles are produced under three registered trademarks: EZ Standard, EZ Yttrium and EZ Standard LPG. The first two varieties are installed in almost all Russian-made cars. Moreover, the products were initially not just “customized” to the required characteristics, but were designed simultaneously with cars. And, since the plant has high-tech production equipment and each product has a corresponding quality certificate from Bosch, you can be quite sure of the quality of Russian candles (and even at a much more affordable price).

For information! Set of 4 spark plugs EZ Standard A17DVRM for carburetorVAZ 2108 will cost you only 210-220 rubles. For the same amount you can buy A14DVR for Gazelle (4 pieces).

EZ Standard LPG has been developed specifically for vehicles whose owners convert them to use gas (its various types) as a fuel. The use of special bimetallic electrodes gives the candles the so-called "thermoelasticity" and allows you to maintain thermal balance when switching from one type of fuel to another (gas / gasoline).

Note! 50% of all products produced by the plant are exported, which undoubtedly indicates the high quality of the produced candles.

What to look for when choosing

Of course, numerous ratings of spark plugs and user reviews will help you make a choice, but the main principle to be guided by is “selection by car”. Only after carefully reading the recommendations of the vehicle manufacturer, you can purchase the correct analogue. Sometimes extra costs for prestigious iridium candles will not bring the expected positive effect. Conversely, a standard plug from a trusted manufacturer and selected in accordance with the characteristics of the engine will successfully cope with the function of sparking assigned to it.

A highly qualified sales consultant, knowing the model and date of manufacture of the car, as well as the volume and compression ratio of the engine, will be able to choose for you exactly those candles that will most closely match the original products(and sometimes surpass them in some performance indicators).

In closing

As you can see from the above, users consider products from the three most trusted manufacturers: Denso, Bosch and NGK to be the best spark plugs for engines. And this is not surprising. After all, it is these companies that are the main conveyor suppliers of candles for numerous concerns for the production of cars. Therefore, when choosing spare parts for the stable operation of the ignition system, you should first of all pay attention to the products of these manufacturers. Moreover, it would be quite difficult to unambiguously distribute places in the rating of spark plugs among these most popular companies.

Note! Do not ignore products from other time-tested manufacturers that have a good reputation among the multi-million army of motorists. The main thing is to choose a spark plug that ensures reliable engine operation.