How to Identify Spark Plug Materials?

[DelTaylor]

Spark plug materials can be identified by the central electrode core. A thicker core indicates a standard type, while a thinner white-colored core signifies platinum, and a thinner yellow-colored core indicates iridium. Platinum spark plugs should be replaced at 40,000 kilometers, standard nickel alloy spark plugs at 20,000 kilometers, and iridium spark plugs at 60,000 to 80,000 kilometers. Spark plugs are installed on the side or top of the engine. In earlier models, spark plugs were connected to the distributor via ignition cables, but over the past decade, most car engines have been updated to feature direct connections between ignition coils and spark plugs. Working principle of spark plugs: The ground electrode of a spark plug connects to the metal shell, which is threaded into the engine block via the cylinder head. The insulator primarily serves to isolate the metal shell from the central electrode. The terminal nut is the part of the spark plug that contacts the high-voltage coil. When current passes through the terminal nut and central electrode, it ionizes the medium between the central electrode and ground electrode to generate a spark, thereby igniting the air-fuel mixture in the cylinder.