We all know that the gasoline combustion in the engine needs to be ignited by the spark plug, and only when the spark plug jumps in time and has enough energy can the mixture be ignited at the right time to ensure the power of the car. However, any type of spark plug has a certain lifespan and needs to be replaced regularly after expiration. Generally, the life of ordinary spark plugs is about 40,000 kilometers, and the spark plugs of platinum or iridium are about 100,000 kilometers to replace, and most car owners should follow this mileage. However, the different use methods of the vehicle and the different working conditions of the vehicle also have a great impact on the life of the spark plug. When should the spark plug be replaced, it should be determined by inspection, how to judge its life? Just one trick: observation.
1. Observe the electrode gap
Checking the electrode gap is the most important and the easiest and most effective way to determine whether the spark plug needs to be replaced, and most maintenance workers rely on it to make judgments, without the help of any instruments and tools, just an observation. The spark plug has two electrodes, a center electrode and a side electrode. The center electrode is connected to the positive pole of the power supply, and the side electrode is connected to the negative pole of the power supply, and there is a distance between the two called the spark plug gap. The gap is about 1 mm, too large or too small, it will affect the ignition energy.
The spark plug electrode gap in normal use will only become larger, not smaller. Why is it getting bigger? This is due to the fact that the central electrode has been ablated and part of it has been burned off. The head of the spark plug sticks out into the cylinder and has to withstand the high temperature and high pressure environment of the mixture combustion all the time, and after a long time, part of the electrode will be burned off. If part of the head is burned, the gap will inevitably become larger, which means that the spark plug has reached its life and it is time to replace it immediately.
So can I adjust the side electrode and press it down a bit to bring the gap back to normal and continue to use it? It is still possible to use it for emergency use in a short period of time, but it is not recommended to use it for a long time. Because some of the electrodes are burned out, it can be reflected from the side that the spark plug has used a lot of kilometers, and the performance of other indicators will also decline in addition to the gap. For example, an increase in internal resistance will also lead to a weakening of the ignition ability. Therefore, if you see that the electrode gap has become larger, it is highly recommended to replace it.
2. Observe the appearance of the electrodes
The normal spark plug color should be brownish-yellow or rust-colored, and the surface should be smooth and free of carbon depositsIf the spark plug turns black, has serious carbon deposits, or even looks oily on it, this is also a sign that the spark plug should be replacedSecondly, observe the ceramic part of the spark plug to see if there are cracks or breakages. The ceramic part is white and smooth, and if there is a small black strip on it, it looks like a gel pen has been drawn on it. If there is, it means that the inside of the spark plug has broken down. This can lead to electric leakage and a significant reduction in the ignition capacity of the spark plug, which may cause the cylinder to fail to ignite properly, resulting in severe engine shaking.
The observation method requires the spark plug to be removed, and you need to go to the repair shop or have your own tools. Therefore, there is no need to check the spark plug frequently, only when the manufacturer's recommended mileage of use has arrived, or there are some fault phenomena, such as idle jitter, acceleration weakness, increased fuel consumption, poor ignition, etc., the spark plug needs to be checked. If there is a fault phenomenon, it can only be suspected that it is a problem with the spark plug, whether it needs to be replaced, and finally it needs to be taken out for inspection. When the number of kilometers is used, it is not directly replaced, and it must be checked and confirmed before deciding.
It is best to go to the 4S shop to replace the spark plug for your own car, and you can replace the type of original car with what type, and the standard must not be lowered. For example, the original car is made of platinum, and it cannot be replaced by an ordinary one for the sake of cheapness. It may lead to insufficient ignition energy and various problems in the future. A good spark plug doesn't cost much more because of the long replacement cycle.
Generally speaking, as long as the spark plug is replaced, it should be replaced all at once, and it cannot be replaced with which one is damaged. Because it is necessary to ensure that the ignition performance of the spark plug is the same, some cannot have strong ignition ability and some have weak ignition ability, so that although the spark plug can work normally, it will also cause the engine to shake slightly. Of course, if the spark plug is replaced not long ago, and suddenly one of them is damaged due to quality problems, this can be replaced only one, because the other ignition capacity has not decreased.