There a three different platinum spark plugs by NGK 4G, 5G, 6G with different sparking temperatures 5G being the mid temp choice. The parts guy at courtesy said to go with 5G. And that 6G is better if you are burning oil, because the higher temp will burn it better/faster. I know nothing, so I ask. What are these different temperature characteristics really for?

Which to go with for 97 GLE 276k, going strong.

And the plugs on ebay, are they knock offs and bad or what? I can get NGK coppers on ebay for 2.99 a piece, but there are other choices. There is an NGK G-power platinum for like $4.04. The price differences don't matter that much; they are marginal. I'm looking for value, as this car is my commute companion. So what to go with?

http://shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nkw=NGK...1&_from=&_ipg=

 

Go with factory. NGK Laser Plat. 9.99 apiece at autozone.

 

The OEM plugs are the NGK Laser Platinum plugs. I paid about $60 for 6 but they last 60k miles.

 

 

Need help, My 97 Maxima cuts out while driving and dies when stopping sometimes. Sometime It'll run fine for a day then run bad for a day or two. Seems to run better when there's less than half a tank of gas.

Also what would be a fair price if I sold the engine and tranny?

I was going to trade it in on my new work car but what the dealer offered me for her I couldn't let the old girl go out like that.

Thanks for any help,
Sorry this wassn't suppose to go here.
FNG's!!!



Thanks,
James

 

i run ngk v-power plugs there $1.99 at autozone they work just fine didnt loose any performance or mileage. $10 a piece for plugs when ur laid off is out of the question for me

 

So why the three different temperature ratings for the plugs? And how do they (different temp spark plugs) affect engine performance?

And under what conditions in a maxima is each spark plug heat range appropriate?

 

+1

 

Sounds like the Service Engine Light should be on, so you need to find out why it's on. In the main 4th gen maxima forum, HERE, there is a thread explaining how (and without much effort at all) you can pull the error codes from the car so you know what is causing your car issues. There is also a video by one of the savvier members on youtube HERE explaining how to do it. The thread and the video are all you need to pull the codes. Once you pull them, just search the forum for how to fix the error codes; in other words, repair your car.

 

u can go with factory but that will cost you alot more. i went with ngk iridium IX, they are less expensive, lasts longer and performs better (supposedly). I think as long as you are running NGK's you should be fine

 

Gpower plus here, paid ~2.60 off amazon work fine, have used in 3 Nissans no probs at all

 

the 5g temp is stock. If you are boosted you want to run cooler i believe (or is it hotter).

a while ago i saw a dyno chart of all the NGK plugs up against each other as well as the $24 a piece pulstar plugs and they pretty much stacked up the same against each other. they were all within a 1hp range averaged out over 3 runs each, which is within the margin for error.

The only difference is the interval in which you should change them.
I think the coppers are 60k miles and platinum/iridium is 105k miles

 

I went with Denso Platinum Twin-Tip design with Titanium Enhanced Ground Strap PK20TT which is Part# 4504 Works great so far. But until i get my KS replace won't know how well. Have 160k on my 95 SE 5MT and this is the first time I am changing the plugs since i have only had it for a couple hundred miles. So there is much data to be gained. Will be trying out others and see how they perform. Nihon Gaishi Kaisha are what everyone seems to be running..so i thought i'd do something different. I will likely try E3 next...well see how they do. Put one in my push-mower and run really good. Bad comparison I know. Plugs seems to lose performance over a couple months. Been with E3 plug for almost a year...starts on the first pull every time...go figure. Yes it sat for several months too...By the way, anyone know a REALLY good Data logger setup. And where to get it. Not trying to spend hundreds either. Just something to do my studies and tuning with

 

THE GENERAL GUIDE TO UNDERSTANDING SPARK PLUGS AND TROUBLESHOOTING THEM
Spark Plug Basics
The primary function of the spark plug is to ignite the air/fuel mixture within the combustion chamber under any operating condition.

Spark plugs must provide a path and a location for electrical energy from the ignition coil to create a spark used to ignite the air-fuel mixture. A sufficient amount of voltage must be supplied by the ignition system to spark across the spark plug gap. This is called “Electrical Performance.”

The spark plug firing end temperature must be kept low enough to prevent pre-ignition, but high enough to prevent fouling. This is called “Thermal Performance”, and is determined by the heat range selected.The spark plug heat range has no relationship to the electrical energy transferred through the spark plug. The heat range of a spark plug is the range in which the plug works well thermally.

Some basic structural factors affecting the heat range of a spark plug are:
~Surface area and/or length of the insulator nose
~Thermal conductivity of the insulator, center electrode, etc.
~Structure of the center electrode such as a copper core, etc.
~Relative position of the insulator tip to the end of the shell (projection)

The major structural difference affecting the heat rating is the length of the insulator nose. A hot type spark plug has a longer insulator nose. The insulator nose of a hotter spark plug has a longer distance between the firing tip of the insulator, and the point where insulator meets the metal shell. Therefore, the path for the dissipation of heat from the insulator nose to the cylinder head is longer and the firing end stays hotter. The insulator nose of a hotter spark plug also has a greater surface area that is exposed to more of the ignited gases and is easily heated to higher temperatures. A colder spark plug functions in an opposite manner.

The heat range must be carefully selected for proper spark plug thermal performance. If the heat range is not optimal, then serious trouble can be the result. The optimal firing end temperature is approximately between 500°C (932°F) and 800°C (1472°F). The two most common causes of spark plug problems are carbon fouling (< 450°C) and overheating (> 800°C).

Causes of Carbon Fouling:
~Continuous low speed driving and/or short trips
~Spark plug heat range too cold
~Air-fuel mixture too rich
~Reduced compression and oil usage due to worn piston rings / cylinder walls
~Over-retarded ignition timing
~Ignition system deterioration
~Pre-delivery fouling

Carbon fouling occurs when the spark plug firing end does not reach the self-cleaning temperature of approximately 450°C (842°F). Carbon deposits will begin to burn off from the insulator nose when the self-cleaning temperature is reached. When the heat range is too cold for the engine speed, the firing end temperature will stay below 450°C and carbon deposits will accumulate on the insulator nose. This is called carbon fouling. When enough carbon accumulates, the spark will travel the path of least resistance over the insulator nose to the metal shell instead of jumping across the gap. This usually results in a misfire and further fouling.

If the selected spark plug heat range is too cold, the spark plug may begin to foul when the engine speed is low or when operating in cold conditions with rich air-fuel mixtures. In some cases, the insulator nose can usually be cleaned by operating the engine at higher speeds in order to reach the self-cleaning temperature. If the spark plug has completely fouled, and the engine will not operate correctly, the spark plug may need to be cleaned / replaced and the fouling cause identified.

Causes of Overheating:

~Spark plug heat range too hot
~Insufficient tightening torque and/or no gasket
~Over-advanced ignition timing
~Fuel octane rating too low (knock is present)
~Excessively lean air-fuel mixture
~Excessive combustion chamber deposits
~Continuous driving under excessively heavy load
~Insufficient engine cooling or lubrication

The most serious result of selecting a heat range that is too hot is overheating. Overheating will cause the electrodes to wear quickly and can lead to pre-ignition. Pre-ignition occurs when the air-fuel mixture is ignited by a hot object/area in the combustion chamber before the timed spark event occurs. When the spark plug firing end (tip) temperature exceeds 800°C, pre-ignition originating from the overheated insulator ceramic can occur. Pre-ignition will dramatically raise the cylinder temperature and pressure and can cause serious and expensive engine damage. When inspecting a spark plug that has experienced overheating or pre-ignition, blistering on the ceramic insulator and/or melted electrodes can sometimes be found.

As a general guideline, among identical spark plug types, the difference in tip temperature from one heat range to the next is approximately 70°C to 100°C.


Some factors to consider in selecting the proper heat range spark plug

There are many external influences that can affect the operating temperature of a spark plug. The following is a brief list to consider in avoiding reduced performance and/or expensive engine damage.

Engine Speed and Load

~If the engine is to be operated at high RPM, under a heavy load, or at high temperatures for long periods a colder heat range may be needed.
~Conversely, if the engine is to be operated at low speeds or at low temperatures for long periods, a hotter heat range might be needed to prevent fouling.

Air-Fuel Mixture
~Excessively rich air-fuel mixtures can cause the plug tip temperatures to decrease and carbon deposits to accumulate, possibly causing fouling and misfires.
~Excessively lean air-fuel mixtures can cause the cylinder and plug temperatures to increase, possibly resulting in knock and/or pre-ignition. This may cause damage to the spark plug and/or seriously damage the engine.
~If an air-fuel ratio meter or gas analyzer is not available, it will be necessary to visually inspect the spark plugs frequently during the tuning process to determine the proper air-fuel mixture.

Fuel Type / Quality
~Low quality and/or low octane fuel can cause knock which will elevate cylinder temperatures. The increased cylinder temperature will cause the temperature of the combustion chamber components (spark plug, valves, piston, etc.) to rise, and will lead to pre-ignition if the knock is uncontrolled.
~When using an ethanol blend fuel with high ethanol content in high performance applications, a colder heat range may be necessary. The spark timing can be advanced further because ethanol blend fuel has a higher resistance to knock (higher octane). Due to the decreased knock, there will be less audible “warning” from knock before the spark plug overheats and pre-ignites.
~Some types of fuel additives in lower quality fuels can cause spark plug deposits that can lead to misfires, pre-ignition, etc.

Ignition Timing
~Advancing ignition timing by 10° will cause the spark plug tip temperature to increase by approximately 70° to 100°C.
~A colder heat range spark plug may be necessary if the ignition timing has been advanced to near the knock level. Higher cylinder temperatures near the knock level will bring the spark plug firing end temperature closer to the pre-ignition range.

Compression Ratio
~Significantly increasing the static/dynamic compression ratio will increase cylinder pressures and the octane requirement of the engine. Knock may occur more easily. If the engine is operated near the knock level, a colder heat range spark plug may be necessary due to the resulting increased cylinder temperatures.

Forced Induction (Turbocharging, Supercharging)
~A colder heat range spark plug may be necessary due to the increased cylinder temperature as boost pressure (manifold pressure) and subsequent cylinder pressure and temperature increase.

Ambient Air Temperature / Humidity
~As the air temperature or humidity decreases, the air density increases, requiring a richer air-fuel mixture. If the air-fuel mixture is not properly richened, and the mixture is too lean, higher cylinder pressures / temperatures, knocking, and the subsequent increase in the spark plug tip temperatures can result.
~As the air temperature or humidity increases, the air density decreases, requiring a leaner air-fuel mixture. If the air-fuel mixture is too rich, decreased performance and/or carbon fouling can result.

Barometric Pressure / Altitude
~Air (atmospheric) pressure and cylinder pressure decrease as altitude increases. As a result, spark plug tip temperature will also decrease.
~Fouling can occur more easily if the air-fuel mixture is not adjusted to compensate for the altitude. Higher altitude = less air = less fuel.

Types of Abnormal Combustion

Pre-ignition
~Pre-ignition occurs when the air-fuel mixture is ignited by a hot object / area in the combustion chamber before the timed spark event occurs.
~When the spark plug firing end (tip) temperature exceeds 800°C, pre-ignition originating from the overheated insulator ceramic can occur.
~Is most often caused by the wrong (too hot) heat range spark plug, and/or over-advanced ignition timing. An improperly installed (insufficient torque) spark plug can also result in pre-ignition due to inadequate heat transfer.
~Pre-ignition will dramatically raise the cylinder temperature and pressure and can melt and hole pistons, burn valves, etc.

Knock
~Occurs when part of the air-fuel mixture in the combustion chamber away from the spark plug is spontaneously ignited by the pressure from a flame front originating from the spark plug. The two colliding flame fronts contribute to the “knocking” sound.
~Knock occurs more frequently when using low octane fuel. Low octane fuel has a low resistance to knock (low resistance to ignition)
~Knock is related to ignition timing. (Knock is sometimes referred to as “Spark-knock”.) Retarding the ignition timing will reduce knock.
~Heavy knock often leads to pre-ignition.
~Heavy knock can cause breakage and/or erosion of combustion chamber components.
~Knock is sometimes referred to as “ping” or “detonation”.

Misfires
A misfire occurs when the spark travels the path of least resistance instead of jumping across the gap. Misfires can be caused by the following:

~Carbon fouling
~Worn or deteriorated ignition system components
~Too large of gap size
~Spark timing excessively advanced or retarded
~Damaged spark plugs (cracked insulator, melted electrodes, etc)
~Mismatched ignition system components (plug resistance / wire resistance, ignition coils / igniter modules, etc.)
~Insufficient coil primary and/or secondary voltage – voltage required to jump the spark plug gap higher than coil output.

 

Nice. Thanks. Where is that cited from? I don't know anything about data loggers, so I'm no help. What do you need a data logger for?

 

The name itself is a give-away. Raw data acquisition. I previously owned several DSM's and Mazda BP's. Those are references for engine codes and or manufactures that most people know them by. If your intent is to going fast or making a vehicle perform more efficiently. It would pay off to do the homework right?