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Spark Plug Maintenance and Function in Performance of Automobiles

Internal combustion engines perform the conversion of energy from chemical to work. The fuel is ignited and the expansion property of the gas is utilized to move the piston in the cylinder. A spark plug is used to ignite the fuel-air mixture. Spark plug design helps to improve the performance of the ICE systems. Automobiles spark plugs to be cleaned and maintained at periodic intervals to get a high efficiency of the engine because it corrodes and carbon soot deposits on the surface of the spark plug sparking tip.
Spark plug model

Spark Plug


Due to this effect automobile or motorcycle engine do not start immediately, so check the spark plug and clean its tip with a cotton cloth and fix it back. This will make the engine to start. The spark plug sparking tip is the form of positive and negative electrode set up placed very close to each just in millimetres. When a power supply is given from automobile battery a charge in the form of spark pass between these electrodes.

Types of spark plug used are:

  • Resistor spark plug (SP)
  • Inductor SP
  • Shielded SP

Position and fitting of spark plug will also show direct effect combustion and even the present in the electrodes of spark plug cause pre-ignition of the air-fuel mixture. In wet weather conditions and at low-temperature regions the spark plug to be covered with suitable containers when are used to seal the spark plug and make it a waterproof.

In winter and rainy seasons, the fuel gets into the combustion chamber with partial vaporization and when it enters in liquid droplets deposit on the electrodes surface, which is wetted and when an engine is to be started it fails even after repeated attempts this leads to battery down. To overcome this spark plug with heat coils and insulator are used.
Petrol engines with twin spark plug will perform much better which have an advantage of complete combustion of fuel and air mixture.