Multi-electrode spark plugs. Why do we need

For the stable operation of the power unit, it is customary to put Japanese NGK VAZ 2106 candles on classic Zhiguli models, as well as high-quality products from other foreign manufacturers. "Native" parts of the A17 series, as a rule, are unreliable in operation and have a short service life. But to install imported spark plugs you need to know which of them are suitable for the "six" in terms of parameters.

Reasons for replacing elements

A spark plug in any car must function in difficult conditions, solving the following tasks:

timely ignite the air-fuel mixture compressed in the cylinder;
provide an even and powerful spark discharge at its contacts;
sparking should not deteriorate in any operating mode of the engine.

For ignorant motorists, checking spark plugs is reduced to a spark test. Hence, an erroneous statement arises: if, when connected to the source, a spark jumps between the contacts, then the element is completely serviceable.

But the conditions inside the combustion chamber differ from ordinary atmospheric ones, since there is a high pressure (over 10 bar), and instead of air, there is fuel plus a high temperature. Often, a spark plug that gives a confident spark discharge in air works with gaps in the cylinder or does not spark at all.

It is possible to determine the operability of the elements only at the stand with high voltage supply and pressure creation in the chamber. Such a check is not available to most ordinary motorists, the only way out is to replace the VAZ 2106 spark plugs on time by purchasing quality products from well-known manufacturers. These include the renowned brands NGK, Bosch, Beru and Brisk.

Russian candles of the A17 series cannot boast of a long service life and fail after 15-20 thousand km of run, as evidenced by the following signs:

The engine is "troit". Moreover, it is sometimes impossible to understand which of the cylinders is failing, since all 4 candles skip ignition cycles.
The car does not start well "cold" and is unstable until warmed up.
At high fuel consumption, a drop in power is observed.
A particularly neglected case is when the oil pressure lamp comes on. This is the result of a long drive on unusable spark plugs, when fuel that does not burn in the cylinders flows into the crankcase and dilutes the oil, which causes its pressure to drop.

Every motorist should remember that in case of malfunctions in the power unit, the first thing to do is to unscrew the candles and visually check their condition.

The color and thickness of carbon deposits on the contacts can tell a lot to an understanding motorist:

black carbon deposits on the contacts indicate that the fuel in the chamber does not burn completely, perhaps the candle is out of order;
white plaque on the electrodes indicates a poor air-fuel mixture, the plug is in good order;
red soot shows that there are harmful additives in the fuel, the candle is most likely in good order;
thick "fluffy" carbon deposits are the result of combustion of oil entering the chamber through the oil seals or piston group.

The normal color of the electrodes is all shades of brown with minimal plaque thickness.

What parts should I choose?

When choosing spark plugs for a VAZ 2106 car, you must be guided by the numerical value indicated on the marking. It denotes the heat rating of the element, which characterizes the ability of the candle to remove heat and self-clean from carbon deposits during operation. According to the Russian classification, the elements are divided into the following groups:

The heat number from 11 to 16 is a “hot” candle. They are designed for engines with low compression ratios and low power.
The same, from 17 to 19. The most widely used candles, including those on VAZ 2101-07 cars.
The same, from 20 to 26 - "cold" plugs installed on powerful engines with a high compression ratio and temperature in the combustion chamber.

If you put too "hot" or "cold" candles on a VAZ 2106 car, then the engine will not be able to function in normal mode with maximum efficiency. The letter indices on the marking indicate less important parameters, but they also need to be taken into account. For example, a product with the designation A17DV is suitable for engines where a carburetor and an ignition system with mechanical contacts are installed, and A17DVRM is suitable for power units with an injector.

The trouble is that the classification of imported candles differs from Russian ones, and there is no single measurement system, each manufacturer has its own. Therefore, before buying reliable products from the Japanese company NGK or another brand for the VAZ 2106, it is recommended to study the table.

According to the table, you can select elements from some foreign brands for classic Zhiguli models with different fuel supply methods and types of sparking systems.

Before proceeding with the replacement of the VAZ 2106 spark plugs, you need to make sure that the gap between the electrodes in the new parts is 0.7-0.8 mm for cam ignition systems and 0.8-0.9 mm for electronic ones. The gap is measured with a flat probe, in candles with several side electrodes - round.

The replacement algorithm is as follows:

Switch off the ignition and remove the high-voltage wires from the spark plugs, holding them by the lugs.
Unscrew the old parts and clean the seats with a brush.
Screw in new spark plugs, tighten with medium force.
Connect the wires and start the engine.

When connecting high-voltage wires, it is important not to mix them up, so you need to be guided by the markings on the distributor cover.

The condition and quality of the spark plugs play a decisive role for the correct operation of a gasoline engine. For example, an unstable spark will give ignition misfires, which will not only give themselves away by shaking at low speeds and driving vnatyag, but also lead to the ingress of a combustible mixture into the catalyst - and this is already the risk of overheating and failure. It is not for nothing that, starting with the Euro 3 eco-standards, the injection ECU programs of domestic cars provide for diagnostics of uneven crankshaft rotation and shutdown of the fuel supply to the failed cylinders.

Spark plug design features

Heat number characterizes the rate of heat removal from the electrodes to the candle skirt. During operation, the candle must be heated to such a temperature that the carbon deposits on it oxidize without having time to build up, but overheating is dangerous for it: a glow ignition may occur, the electrodes themselves will begin to rapidly collapse. The problem is that the heat load on the spark plug itself is uneven - when driving at low revs, the heating is much less than when driving "pedal to the floor". Candles with a standard glow number in both of these cases will work at the extreme point of the optimal mode - under- and overheat, respectively.
Spark gap depends primarily on the power of the standard ignition system and the maximum pressure in the cylinder at the end of the compression stroke: it must be such as to ensure a reliable spark breakdown even at low voltage in the network (cranking with a starter on a dead battery). And the difference in this case is obvious: usually the transformation ratio of the ignition coils is about 2000, that is, when the generator is running, they can produce up to 28 kilovolts, while at startup - only 14! Consequently, the set of spark plugs purchased must have exactly the gap that is set by the car manufacturer: increased means the risk of misfiring (but within the capabilities of the coil it will provide a more powerful, better flammable spark), a reduced one guarantees the ability to start with a dead battery, but is fraught with interruptions from - for reducing the energy of the spark.
Stick out of electrodes also means a lot for the performance of the spark plug in a particular motor. For example, on eight-valve engines, where the candle stands on the side of the combustion chamber, an increase in the overhang optimizes the ignition of the mixture: the area adjacent to the walls of the combustion chamber is less ventilated, while the removal of the electrodes further guarantees that there will be a high-quality, highly flammable mixture in the spark gap. For VAZ eight-valves, where the ventilation of the combustion chamber is structurally deteriorated (intake and exhaust channels are located in the same direction, and not opposite each other), this is quite sensitive. Plugs with electrodes buried inside are used, as a rule, on multi-valve motors with a minimum combustion chamber volume, otherwise they may collide with valves or a piston.
Number of electrodes in real operation, it is not very important. Theoretically, multi-electrode candles have an increased resource - when erosion destroys one of the side electrodes, a spark begins to hit the other (unlike a common misconception, a spark does not occur between several electrodes at the same time). In practice, the spark usually “floats” (which is why it seems that there are several of them) - in conditions of poor distribution of the mixture over the cylinder, the spark can move from the working area to the “shaded” one, that is, contaminated with residual exhaust gases. As a result, instead of improving the resource, we will get a deterioration in the operation of the engine, which, again, is fundamental for the VAZ eight-valve, and so disgustingly idling with the lean mixture prescribed by the current economic norms.

Video: Test of spark plugs at the stand.

Something else useful for you:

Precious metals: practical sense of application

As we already said in the last paragraph, the transition to a multi-electrode circuit did not bring much practical benefit in increasing the resource of the candles. In fact, at the same time, the fight against the very reason for the natural wear of the candles, that is, the erosion of contacts, was replaced by a palliative - the substitution of "spare". To increase the reliability of the electrodes directly, the design of the candles was significantly revised.

In "platinum" and "iridium" spark plugs, the main feature that strikes the eye is a very thin central electrode that precisely localizes the point of spark origin - opposite it, a plaque of the corresponding metal is soldered on the side electrode, and the central electrode is also covered with it.

The advantages of such candles are obvious: the electrodes have a service life that under normal conditions is two to three times greater than that of conventional candles. The thin center electrode is highly self-cleaning, which also contributes to reliable operation.

Cons, alas, are also significant. The first is the price: a set with a Platinum or Iridium inscription will cost at least two to three times more than regular candles. The second, oddly enough, is tenderness: non-burning carbon instantly kills such candles, and mechanical cleaning is contraindicated for them, like the old-fashioned burner. First of all, of course, we are talking about the notorious ferrocene, which is not uncommon to run into to this day.

Unconventional schemes

Some of the design solutions in spark plugs of an unconventional scheme can be called conditionally working - by improving one thing, they worsen another. The simplest example is a series of NGK V-Line spark plugs: their central electrode has a groove, respectively, the spark always slips between the edge of the electrode and the side one. In theory, this improves the ignition of the mixture by carrying the spark into a better ventilated space and stabilizing the spark point, but the erosion of such a central electrode is also accelerated.

Some of the candles on the market cannot be attributed in any other way than to the "herbalife" from the car market: all kinds of "prechamber", "torch" and so on candles, at best, work no better than standard ones, at worst - they are rapidly destroyed. For example, in the infamous "Bugaets" candles, the soldered skirt not only worsened the ventilation of the spark gap, but also burned out, and sometimes went into "free flight" into the combustion chamber. Of the constructions that are workable, but useless in the practice of an ordinary motorist, we note only that candles that do not have a side electrode at all - they were originally created to work in ultra-high boost motors in order to avoid overheating of the protruding side electrodes, in a normal urban cycle they are disgustingly self-cleaning and guarantee interruptions at idle, even on ideal quality gasoline.

Choosing spark plugs for VAZ

Let's talk about spark plugs using a specific example - a 16-valve VAZ-2110 engine, which is supplied from the factory with A17DVRM spark plugs from the Engels plant. The same plant, by the way, produces original candles for other Russian conveyors: the EZ marking can be seen on Renault Original candles, for example. For convenience, we will focus on these candles.

EZ A17DVRM

The main advantage of these spark plugs is the stability of quality: it is difficult to find in the original kit a large difference in resistance or the size of the spark gap. It was not for nothing that we mentioned the word "original" - alas, the market is flooded with either fakes, or rejection that is leaving for free sale. The spark plugs have a good margin for stopping sparking, with a standard ignition system withstanding scrolling when the voltage drops to 6V without stopping sparking. They also work stably at maximum loads - misfires, which can be "caught" by a sensitive gas analyzer, are minimal.

As for the resource, they answer their task - to work out from MOT to MOT - with confidence. Given their low cost and prevalence, they are clearly recommendable.

A three-electrode version of the familiar A17DVRM. The theoretical gain in the resource brought its own minus here: the parameters of the candles "float" more, and this is, first of all, an unstable gap, hence some deterioration in motor characteristics. But it should be noted that this deterioration can be "caught" only on a measuring stand, in real operation it cannot be said that three-electrode plugs from Engels will be worse than single-electrode plugs.

Excellent candles from one of the world leaders in their production: high and stable workmanship, confident operation in any mode and a good resource. The spark plugs confidently withstand a voltage drop at startup up to 6.5 V (unexpectedly losing to domestic ones!), Ignition misfires with them are minimal.

Their design uses the same solution as the NGK in the V-Line series, but exactly the opposite: the groove is stamped in the side electrode. This is definitely more profitable in terms of production, since it is not necessary to strictly orient the side electrode relative to the central one, but there is obviously less practical benefit from such a design.

The candles with the extended overhang of the central electrode, as expected, did not show an increase in motor performance on a 16-valve engine: this solution would be more "working" on an eight-valve engine. In all respects, this is a strong "middle peasant", but the price is significantly higher than that of competitors with the same qualities. We only note a good start on a dead battery: 6.2V is an excellent result ... but the original Engels candles are both cheaper and, oddly enough, better than the Czech ones.

The company's marketers were clearly mistaken in referring these candles to the V-Line series: their central electrode has no groove. Let's say right away: the original kit is a solid "middling" that does not stand out in any way, but does not fail the tests either. I definitely don't like the noticeable roughness of the workmanship - even the Made in France marking is always unevenly packed, the side electrode is usually unevenly soldered. One gets the impression that the manufacturing technology was deliberately roughened up for the sake of low cost, but these candles could have been better.

The main disadvantage of NGK is not themselves, but a monstrous amount of counterfeits on the market. It is enough to type “spark plug” in a search on Ebay or AliExpress without specifying the brand, and a multi-page list of “NGK type” from China will appear.

Bosch WR7DPX

Let's leave these candles out of the rating, considering how much the Platinum series is more expensive than its counterparts that do not contain precious metals. However, it is these candles that demonstrate the best results in all motor tests - this is primarily played by a thin central electrode, completely hidden in an insulator: the motor starts up when the voltage in the on-board network drops below 6V, which is not available to other candles, the minimum toxicity clearly indicates the least amount misfiring.

You will have to try to overheat the central electrode at maximum loads - the design guarantees the reliability of heat transfer from it to the insulator and further to the skirt. This means that this candle can be advised both to owners of driving cars and to lovers of aggressive driving. Unless, of course, the price stops you.

According to the technical regulations, spark plugs in 21116 and 21126 engines should be changed during TO-2, that is, after 30 thousand kilometers. In fact, this period can be extended one and a half times, if we are talking about a sparing operation. But you should not do this if the car is under warranty (then the replacement is made according to the regulations). Here we list which spark plugs are suitable for each of the specified engines. We will assume that the owner of Kalina-2 uses the catalogs of the following companies: BERU, CHAMPION, NGK, DENSO, BRISK, BOSCH.

JSC ZAZS (Russia) - AU17DVRM, A17DVRM;
BERU (Germany) - 14FR-7DU, 14R-7DU;
CHAMPION (England) - RC9YC, RN9YC;
NGK (Japan) - BCPR6ES, BPR6ES;
DENSO (Japan) - Q20PR-U11, W20EPR;
BRISK (Czech Republic) - DR15YC, LR15YC;
BOSCH (Germany) - FR7DCU, WR7DC.

On the left is the brand of the product suitable for the 16-valve engine, on the right is for. You may notice that the candles with a thin electrode, iridium, etc. were not listed here. A thin electrode is then used to ensure reliable ignition at high speeds (7,000, 8,000 rpm or more), but a cut-off is triggered for VAZ engines above 6,000 rpm. Iridium candles in their design have a thin central electrode, but as we have already found out, switching to using such parts is a waste of money, and nothing more. The longevity of iridium plugs roughly corresponds to the "life" value of a plug with a standard gauge copper electrode. We leave the choice to the owner.

Ceramic plaque has appeared - change the candles immediately!

In terms of their operational parameters, including durability, all the components of the listed items are almost the same from each other. This is confirmed by the reviews of car owners expressed in various forums, etc. Perhaps there are more expensive components, the use of which will allow a banal replacement to increase the power, engine torque or some other characteristics. But having installed such candles in the 21126 engine, most likely you will have to forget about the warranty on the box. With technology it is always like this: you need to imagine what exactly we are doing and what we want to achieve as a result.

The choice of candles for modern VAZ engines

Indications for replacing candles:

If black soot (“chamois”) is present on the insulator cone and electrodes, it can be cleaned or replaced. Cleaning is carried out, including by heating. When replacing, it is better to use candles with a slightly lower glow value than it was before;
If the surface of the insulator looks like a yellowish glossy ceramic, then the candle needs to be replaced. In this case, a glassy glaze is formed. It is electrically conductive.

In the first of the considered cases, carbon deposits are formed because not all elements of the candle are heated sufficiently, and self-cleaning does not occur. This can happen when the car is used for short trips at low speeds, frequent starts and stops. The same effect is typical for operating the motor at low temperatures. Logically, in such situations, the recommended replacement would be a candle with a lower heat rating than was provided by the manufacturer. You can try to install A14DVRM plugs instead of A17DVRM in an 8-valve engine, and so on. Only now, such a replacement must be discussed with the dealer.

Comparison of A17DVRM analogues produced under different brands

One of the online publications conducted a comparative test of spark plugs designed for the VAZ-21116 engine. The analogs of the A17DVRM candle supplied by the following firms were tested:

APS, Bosch, Brisk - Russian production;
Bosch Platinum, Beru, Finwhale - Germany;
NGK, Denso - Japan;
Eyquem - France;
Champion - "Made in the European Union".

Note that testing was carried out on an 8-valve VAZ-2111 engine (injectors, lambda probe, without catalyst, "January-5.1"). All measurements were carried out at the stand.

Selection of spark plugs for 8-valve engine 21116

The result of the tests performed is shown in the photo in the form of graphs. As you can see, there is still a point in buying imports: the use of Bosch candles, as well as products of the Finwhale, Brisk and Champion brands will provide a noticeable increase in power. If you want to save on fuel, then ask the stores for NGK products. Additional comments are unnecessary here.

For forced engines, an increased compression value is characteristic, and VAZ engines. With Brisk spark plugs installed, you don't have to worry about sparks at high pressure. But note that NGK candles have similar characteristics. It turns out that it is NGK products that should be considered the best choice, although fakes under this brand have appeared recently. And the "remake", it seems, is now coming from France, which is described in the film.

Kalina 2 after 100 thousand km. mileage. Is it worth ...

Sometimes motorists don't pay much attention when choosing spark plugs, but in vain. After all, they are the most important component of the entire ignition system, and the engine's performance depends on the quality of timely sparking. The main characteristics that you need to look for when buying candles are the glow number, spark gap, self-cleaning ability, service life, thermal characteristics, number of side electrodes and operating temperature. Do not be intimidated by the large number of characteristics, with a detailed study of them, choosing spark plugs will not be difficult.

When choosing candles, the first thing you should pay attention to is the glow number. This parameter is conditional and is selected specifically for a specific engine. This number indicates the pressure in the cylinder at which glow ignition occurs. The use of candles with a slightly higher glow value is allowed, but the use with a lower value is strictly prohibited. Another conditional characteristic, the ability to self-purification, cannot be quantified. All manufacturers promise high self-cleaning, but this can only be verified in practice. A good candle should not be covered with carbon deposits when heated to operating temperature.

The gap on the spark plugs or the spark gap between the side and center electrodes is determined by the manufacturer for each type. Suitable for VAZ with a size of 0.5-0.6 (0.7-0.8) mm from BOSCH, BERU, CHAMPION.

Spark plugs have one side and one center electrode. Recently, manufacturers have started to produce with 2-4 electrodes. They do not generate multiple sparks, but only make sparking more stable. As a result, more stable engine operation is ensured, and the ignition process is improved.

Perform a visual inspection before purchasing candles. Do not take products with damage, cracks, and before installation, check again if the gap between the electrodes is suitable.

Keep in mind that the service life of the spark plugs largely depends not only on their design, but also on the serviceability of the engine and power systems. Modern candles, with the right choice, installation and operation, should work up to 30 thousand kilometers.

Spark plugs are an essential attribute of any car with a gasoline engine. The Russian winter is a real test for these details. It is during this period of the year that the candles fail more and more and the drivers begin to think more carefully about which candles are better for the VAZ. It is on this topic that we will talk in more detail today.

Today, candles on the VAZ 2107, which are usually installed by car owners, are made in Europe and Japan. Unfortunately, drivers have little confidence in domestic candle manufacturers. In this review, we will describe several candles widely available in our market.

Overview of candles for VAZ

Three-electrode Japanese candles NGK BUR6ET are a very common option. Bench tests show good stability of the engine and a good increase in power - 4.4% (all the above parameters are indicated in comparison with the "native" VAZ candles EZ A17DVRM). They are also economical in terms of gas mileage (3.9%). Here are the best candles for VAZ2114.
French candles Beru Ultra-X 79 (4 electrodes) are the least toxic of all the candles that have passed bench tests and described in this article. In addition, these spark plugs showed the highest fuel savings (4.2%). However, they are somewhat inferior to their Japanese counterparts in terms of stability and power gain (only 3.7%).
The most stable were Czech three-electrode plugs Brisk Extra. In addition to stability, they provided a significant increase in engine power - by as much as 4.8%. However, their serious disadvantage was the insignificant savings in gasoline. When deciding which candles are best for Kalina, many stop at this option due to its reliability.
The best indicator of power gain (\u003e 6%) among the tested samples is provided by single-electrode Finwhale plugs. At the same time, they do not differ much in stability from Brisk Extra and are compared in this parameter with Japanese NGK candles. At the same time, their efficiency and toxicity indicators are even worse than those of Brisk Extra.
German Champion spark plugs have combined efficiency (4.2%, like the Beru Ultra-X 79) and good power gain (5.6%). They have the same medium resistance as Beru Ultra-X 79, inferior to all other samples.

When deciding which spark plugs to choose, you need to consider what you want from them. If reliability is your priority, then your option is Brisk Premium, Finwhale or NGK BUR6ET. If you are concerned about fuel economy then take Champion, Beru Ultra-X 79 or NGK. The Finwhale plugs will provide maximum performance (thus reducing the economy) and Champion (the power will be slightly lower, but the economy is much higher). In general, the best candles are original, that is, genuine. Unfortunately, today, without knowing it, you can buy a lot of fakes, which sometimes make drivers disappointed in the products of good firms.

In addition, when servicing the VAZ 2110, the technician will tell you which candles are better, because this is not such a serious problem as the frequency with which you need to change them. This should be done every 15-20 thousand km.