Help with Spark plugs Please!!!

[Sams984Runner]

Hi every one, i recently made a trip to Auto Zone and bought me some Bosh 4 Platinums (supposedly the best) but when i openned my first spark plug, it did not seem to be in bad/worn out condition at all. It was darker in color but the pin and the prongs looked just fine. Now i'm guessing that the previous owner may have got them changed not too long ago. So i showed them to my big b and he said that they looked good. So i decided to return the plugs. Now did anyone get a chance to look at their spark plugs closely before changing them and did not see the plugs worn out -not too badly-???

My question is, should i go and change the plugs just for the piece of mind, or should i wait till i feel that the truck is suffocating? any suggestion people???

I will try to put up a pic of one of those soon, so the experts can guide me :

 

[Sams984Runner]

NO one have a clue???

out of 33 People who viewed this thread yet, No one bothered to leave a reply... Is it because no one opened their spark plugs in a while, or is it just coz no one have a clue about them??? reply plz

 

[Kmvreter]

Sounds like you are the 2nd owner. How many miles have you put on it and what is the total mileage? And is that near a normal spark plug service interval for the truck? If they look good and almost new I would leave them and wait until the required mileage service interval.

 

[Sams984Runner]

thnx Kmvreter,
yeah i'm the second owner, the mileage on the car is 107K but the required maintaince is @ 60K and then at 120K.

But as we both agree that if they look new, they are probably changed out before. So i'ma leave it like this for now.

Thnx.

 

[GSGALLANT]

Yeah, no need to change them if they still look new. But do yourself a favour and return those Bosch 4's anyways. when it comes time to replacing your plugs, buy dual ground Denso or NGK, as is recommended by Toyota.

 

[Sams984Runner]

Yeah, no need to change them if they still look new. But do yourself a favour and return those Bosch 4's anyways. when it comes time to replacing your plugs, buy dual ground Denso or NGK, as is recommended by Toyota.

Thnx GSGALLANT, i actually did return those. But why buy Two and not Four prongs, i think it will make a better spark, don't u think??

 

[GSGALLANT]

Thnx GSGALLANT, i actually did return those. But why buy Two and not Four prongs, i think it will make a better spark, don't u think??

I think the fact that they are platinum is more of a problem than the fact that there are four electrodes. I'm no sparkplug expert, but I've read that Bosch has acknowledged when using their Platinum plugs in engines with waste spark ignition systems (which the Toyota 3.4L has), there is a tendency of electrode metal to get transferred depending upon the polarity (direction of current flow) of the spark.

In waste spark ignition systems, 1/2 of the plugs always see reverse polarity sparks. Given the very narrow platinum center electrode of the Bosch Platinums, performance will be degraded more significantly when reverse polarity sparks will cause material to be transferred from the large ground/outer electrode onto the narrow platinum center electrode's exposed end surface.

In cars with conventional (1 coil) ignition systems, every spark is of the same polarity, for which the Bosch Platinums are optimized, leaving them to deliver their designed advantages, which include:

* Reaching self-cleaning temperature faster ("than any other plug")

* Maintaining the spark gap and low firing voltage requirement throughout their service life. (even in my high-stress turbocharged application.

I believe that four electrodes will give you longer spark plug life (maybe), because of the greater surface area available for spark transfer, but I think it will also lead to a weaker spark unless you upgrade the ignition system to deliver more voltage. My reasoning for this is that the strongest spark you can get is between two fine points... all the charge gets concentrated at the tip of the point before arcing across the gap. If you add more surface area, the charge will be dispersed evenly throughout the area (especially with platinum, which is a better conductor), which will lead to a lower voltage differential between the two points that the spark arcs across.

Again, don't quote me on this information, but it seems to be the consensus from what I've read on the subject.

 

[Sams984Runner]

thnx

I think the fact that they are platinum is more of a problem than the fact that there are four electrodes. I'm no sparkplug expert, but I've read that Bosch has acknowledged when using their Platinum plugs in engines with waste spark ignition systems (which the Toyota 3.4L has), there is a tendency of electrode metal to get transferred depending upon the polarity (direction of current flow) of the spark.

In waste spark ignition systems, 1/2 of the plugs always see reverse polarity sparks. Given the very narrow platinum center electrode of the Bosch Platinums, performance will be degraded more significantly when reverse polarity sparks will cause material to be transferred from the large ground/outer electrode onto the narrow platinum center electrode's exposed end surface.

In cars with conventional (1 coil) ignition systems, every spark is of the same polarity, for which the Bosch Platinums are optimized, leaving them to deliver their designed advantages, which include:

* Reaching self-cleaning temperature faster ("than any other plug")

* Maintaining the spark gap and low firing voltage requirement throughout their service life. (even in my high-stress turbocharged application.

I believe that four electrodes will give you longer spark plug life (maybe), because of the greater surface area available for spark transfer, but I think it will also lead to a weaker spark unless you upgrade the ignition system to deliver more voltage. My reasoning for this is that the strongest spark you can get is between two fine points... all the charge gets concentrated at the tip of the point before arcing across the gap. If you add more surface area, the charge will be dispersed evenly throughout the area (especially with platinum, which is a better conductor), which will lead to a lower voltage differential between the two points that the spark arcs across.

Again, don't quote me on this information, but it seems to be the consensus from what I've read on the subject.

Thnx man. I'll keep that in mind when i go buy my Next set of Spark Plugs :clap: