How long will it take to change the spark plug? What about the spark plugs replaced with 60,000 kilometers? Many friends will probably say throw it away, it’s no use. I am afraid that most riders will not care about the specific state of the spark plug, and the practice of 4S stores is generally waste disposal.
The function of the spark plug is to introduce tens of millions of volts of high voltage into the combustion chamber, produce electric spark to ignite the mixture, and cooperate with the ignition system and fuel supply system to work with the engine, which determines the performance of the engine to a great extent.
The maintenance manual indicates the replacement cycle of the spark plug, of course, the safest way is to replace the spark plug according to the replacement cycle suggested by the manufacturer, which can be sure to be foolproof. But I personally think that the replacement cycle of spark plugs in the maintenance manual is relatively conservative. In general, double platinum spark plugs are replaced at 60-80,000 km. When my Tuan took off for 60,000 kilometers, I replaced the spark plug myself. I am also confused about the state of the spark plug and whether it can still be used. At that time, I just thought it was time to change the spark plug for 60,000 kilometers.
Comparison of new and old spark plugs
Let’s talk about how to determine the need to replace the car spark plug. I think it should be based on the actual state of the spark plug, one is based on the service life of the spark plug, and the other is based on the daily performance of the vehicle. Observe whether it is difficult for your car to start cold, whether the idle speed wobbles, whether the fuel consumption increases, or whether you feel a significant decline in engine performance, and whether there is an obvious sense of frustration. If there is one or more of these problems, there may be a problem with the spark plug, and it is necessary to check the state of the spark plug, remove it and check the color of the spark plug, the gap between the electrode, the gap between the porcelain and the metal, and so on, to further see if it is necessary to replace the spark plug.
Spark plugs are consumables, and the service life of spark plugs is a general value. It is very difficult to judge. I used to wash spark plugs after cleaning them when the mileage is close to 30,000 kilometers. Can spark plugs be used repeatedly? Judgment is particularly important!
By chance, a spark plug detector was found in a car wash. This detector is very intuitive to judge the actual state of the spark plug, and the spark plug can be judged clearly through the test, and there is no need to change it at random. So I wanted to go home and get the old spark plugs to be tested by the car wash master to see if it was good or bad.
In order to judge the quality of the old spark plug, I also have to make some preparations to clean the old spark plug first, and then check and adjust the gap between the electrodes of the spark plug to pave the way for testing.
The cleaning of spark plugs is generally chemical cleaning, using carburetor cleaning fluid, white vinegar, toilet cleaning king, anhydrous ethanol, Mr. Weimeng and so on. Keep abreast of the times and use local materials, the ones ready-made around me are Clean toilet Spirit and Mr. Weimeng. Clean toilet spirit I have used before, the effect is good, Mr. Weimeng cleaning spark plug is also my idea, want to see the cleaning effect.
Get your stuff ready and start cleaning the spark plugs.
Pour a little first, Mr. Whitey.
Before cleaning, let’s take a look at the old spark plugs. There are obvious burning marks at the extreme, and black carbon deposits are attached to the surface.
Put the spark plug upside down in the glass and soak it over the extreme.
The spark plug will react as soon as it is put in.
As time goes on, the color of the liquid in the glass changes obviously.
Washing and brushing is indispensable. Scrub carefully with an old toothbrush.
After soaking for 15 minutes, the transparent and clear Mr. Weimeng turned into a dark brown turbid liquid.
The cleaning effect of Mr. Weimeng is still good, and the carbon accumulation has disappeared.
Let’s try the cleaning effect with the toilet Clean King.
Soak the spark plug ignition electrode directly in the pure toilet spirit, and you will soon see a large number of bubbles produced, which is caused by the chemical reaction after the carbon deposition meets the toilet spirit.
You can see that there are a lot of black carbon floats in the toilet cleaning liquid.
Continue to soak and wash the thermal power extremes with a waste toothbrush
This chemical bubble is obvious.
After soaking for about 15 minutes, it can be seen that the blue toilet cleanser has become cloudy and the color is almost gray.
The color of toilet detergent changes obviously. It should be noted that the corrosiveness of toilet cleaning liquid is still relatively strong, do not soak for a long time, the process of soaking can be constantly scrubbed with waste toothbrushes, clean thermal power extreme.
Comparison effect after cleaning
Toilet cleaning King cleaning effect and Mr. Weimeng cleaning effect, Mr. Weimeng cleaning effect is also relatively obvious, but the spark plug burning blackening marks are still there.
The effect is obvious, followed by toilet Clean King cleaning, Mr. Weimeng cleaning, unwashed. Judging from the effect of the existing conditions, the cleaning effect of the spark plug at the same time is the best when the toilet cleaning king is the cleanest.
Spark plug electrode gap from 0. 8 to 1.1mm. Generally use plug ruler, there is no plug ruler on the hand, use ID card to replace, ID card thickness is 0.9mm, as long as can not wear the spark plug electrode.
If the electrode gap is too large, the gap can be adjusted by tapping the side electrode of the spark plug with a wooden handle; if the gap is too small, you can use a word screwdriver or metal sheet to insert the electrode outward and adjust it as far as possible to avoid adjusting the side electrode back and forth.
Measurement of electrode gap of new spark plug
Test of electrode gap of old spark plug after cleaning
After the spark plug is cleaned, it must be dry before it can be tested or used, or it can be blown with an electric hair dryer. From the naked eye observation of the cleaned spark plug, it feels that the appearance of the spark plug is OK and should be able to continue to be used.
Spark plug detector
Take the old spark plug and brazenly go to the car wash and ask the master to test it with the spark plug detector to see if the flower plug can continue to be used. The master readily agreed, took the spark plug and began to test.
The master took out the spark plug detector and repeatedly reminded me not to touch it. I also understand that when the spark plug works, the voltage reaches tens of thousands of volts, and the consequences of touching are very serious and terrible! Friends should also be reminded not to plug or unplug the spark plug with electricity. if you want to insert, test or remove it, you must first turn off the power supply. Safety always comes first!
The jump shape of the uncleaned spark plug has begun to diverge and is not a straight line.
Replace the cleaned spark plug and start testing. The higher the operating frequency of the spark plug, the stronger the spark column. The master gradually increased the working frequency of the detector, and he could clearly see that the blue-purple sparks turned from thin to thick.
It seems that Volkswagen’s original spark plugs are still good after 60,000 kilometers of use and can continue to be used after cleaning.
During the use of the spark plug, normal carbon deposits will occur on its electrode and skirt insulator. If these carbon deposits are not cleaned for a long time, they will accumulate more and more, eventually leading to leakage of the electrode or even failure to flash. Therefore, I personally believe that it is necessary to regularly remove the spark plug at 20,000 kilometers for spot inspection, check the appearance to remove carbon deposits, and check and adjust the electrode gap. Replace it at an appropriate time through testing, and do not wait until the spark plug is not working. Clean and replace it when it is not working.
PhilipBoyle 
7 
April 1, 2024 
