What Causes Spark Plug Damage?
2 Answers
Causes of spark plug damage: 1. Overly rich air-fuel mixture - The unburned residue typically accumulates and carbonizes on the spark plug electrodes, causing abnormal sparking until carbon bridging damages the plug; 2. Engine oil consumption - During engine operation, if blue or black smoke appears from the exhaust pipe, it indicates excessive oil entering the cylinder, which either deposits carbon on the spark plug electrodes or wets them with oil preventing sparking; 3. Incorrect spark plug type or heat range - If spark plugs with one or two heat range grades lower than specified are used, the plug temperature rises excessively as heat cannot dissipate properly, leading to abnormal combustion and ultimately causing electrode melting and premature failure.
I've had personal experience with spark plug damage, which is largely related to daily driving habits. The most common issue is prolonged low-speed short-distance driving, where the engine doesn't reach optimal temperature, leading to incomplete fuel combustion. Carbon deposits gradually accumulate around the electrode tip, getting thicker like dumpling wrappers. Another cause is using low-quality gasoline - impurities can form crusts on the electrodes, severely affecting conductivity. Many car owners neglect maintenance, continuing to use spark plugs even when the electrodes are peeling or the center electrode wear exceeds 0.8mm, resulting in increasingly larger ignition gaps. Improper installation is another pitfall - novices using ordinary wrenches might crack the ceramic insulator without realizing it. If the engine already has some oil consumption issues, it's worse - oil sludge can completely coat the spark plug, causing immediate failure. I recommend checking spark plugs around 30,000 kilometers - don't wait until you experience cold start difficulties to think about them.
