SPARK PLUGS 101 

The Role a Spark Plug Plays in the Engine:
A Technology All Its Own

The spark plug is the last step in the ignition circuit. It takes a voltage surge from the engine's coil through the distributor and produces a high-voltage spark that ignites the compressed air fuel mixture within each cylinder. If everything is working properly and the correct amount of fuel is used, steady burning of the compressed mixture results. The piston is pushed down, the crankshaft turns, and the engine runs efficiently. This provides maximum fuel economy and minimum exhaust emissions.

The spark plug is required to perform four critical functions:
o Provide a point for a spark to occur, starting fuel combustion
o Successfully transfer heat from the firing tip to the cooling system
o Prevent combustion pressure leakage between the shell and the cylinder head
o Prevent combustion leakage through the plug

The spark plug must dissipate combustion heat in a controlled manner in order to:
o Stay cool enough to avoid pre-ignition and/or electrode erosion
o Run hot enough to burn off combustion deposits that would otherwise collect at the firing tip
o Adapt to specific engine characteristics and widely varying driving/load conditions

The spark plug is exposed to more severe stress than any other part of the engine. It must deliver a high-voltage spark with split-second timing, thousands of times a minute, and under extremely varying, always hostile, operating conditions.

To form a perfect seal in the combustion chamber, each spark plug must exactly match the dimensional characteristics of the cylinder head. It is designed to fit in two important ways - thread diameter and reach.

Source: Sativa Ross/Rita Quinn, Autolite

TT092104

9/21/04

Goin' Platinum: Motorists Get More for Their Money With
Autolite® Double Platinum Spark Plugs

Trends show that an increasing number of installers and do-it-yourself (DIY) consumers are turning to premium spark plugs made with one of the most durable metals in the world - platinum - for its performance characteristics. The Autolite brand is there to meet the demands of its DIY and installer customers with Autolite® Double Platinum spark plugs, which are up to 30 percent more durable than the average of leading competitors and maintain optimal performance longer. Backed by a five-year limited mile warranty, these premium plugs provide platinum-to-platinum firing, top fuel efficiency, and virtually no gap erosion over their lifetime, which helps avoid wasting fuel and increasing emissions.

"The premium plug category is growing for a reason. Platinum has a much higher melting point than traditional nickel-coated plugs, which means platinum plugs resist the wearing effects of heat," comments Sean Lyon, Senior Product Manager for Autolite. "And because our plugs are more durable than the average, one of the most economic ways to maintain an engine and avoid wasting fuel is to change the spark plugs at regular intervals with Autolite Double Platinum plugs."

Autolite Double Platinum spark plugs are engineered to meet the original equipment (OE) design requirements for distributorless ignition systems (DIS), the most common ignition system in today's engines. DIS engines use multiple coils and an electronic module to provide correctly timed high voltage across two spark plug gaps simultaneously. One plug fires during the compression stroke to deliver power, the other fires during the exhaust stroke simply completing the circuit. This means that the spark plugs in a DIS engine fire twice as often as those in a conventional distributor ignition system, causing most of the wear to occur on the side electrode.

While single platinum spark plugs only have a platinum tip on the center electrode, Autolite® Double Platinum spark plugs have platinum tips on both the center and side electrodes. This design can withstand firing in both directions, and provides maximum performance and longer life by preventing gap growth and erosion. In addition to the platinum electrodes, Autolite Double Platinum spark plugs are engineered to meet the demands of the OE design for heat range and gap setting. "Because of the more durable electrode, Autolite Double Platinum spark plugs are engineered for vehicles equipped with DIS," explains Lyon.

Retailing for about $3.99-$4.99 per plug - depending on the application - Autolite Double Platinum spark plugs are available at automotive and discount retail outlets including Wal-Mart, Advance Auto, and CSK. To find out more about engine protection and the complete line of Autolite products, consumers can log on to www.autolite.com or call 1-800-862-7737.

Headquartered in Danbury, Conn., Autolite is a unit of the Honeywell Consumer Products Group. The Honeywell Consumer Products Group manufactures and markets FRAM® oil, air, transmission and fuel filters; Prestone® antifreeze/coolant and car care products; Autolite® spark plugs; and Holts® car care products. Information about Autolite products is available on the web at www.autolite.com.

Source: Sativa Ross/Rita Quinn, Autolite

TT092104

9/21/04