Salam...i have recently been visiting many threads on PW about spark plugs, some prefer platinum, others iridium while rest advise to stick with the stock copper ones...from what i understand about spark plugs (n this comes from roaming to various sites) n i quote
"Spark plugs are all about conducting electricity between a gap to ignite the air/fuel mixture. The better spark you get, the more complete burn you get, and the more power you get out of the fuel you're using (and less emissions, too). To get a better spark, you need to use a good conductor. Copper is one of the best conductors available for spark plugs, and is dirt cheap, though it has pretty short life span. Nickel and platinum aren't that great, and are only used by manufacturers because of their extended life span."
"The total resistance of the copper/platinum/iridium conductor is billionths of an ohm. Meanwhile, it's in series with the spark plug wires, which typically have a resistance of 10,000 to 15,000 ohms. So difference comes between 10000.000000001 ohms and 10000.000000006 ohms. The difference between the conductivity of copper and platinum is totally irrelevant, and couldn't even be measured. Platinum is used because it's more durable, not because it's a better conductor."
"The longevity of iridium is more than that of platinum ."
"Platinum and Iridium plugs perform at a lower level than copper spark plugs, because they are less conductive and they tend to overheat. However, the overall longevity of these two types of metal is better than copper plugs. In reality, copper has the best performance of all three and the worst longevity. Platinum has good longevity and the worst performance. Iridium has good longevity and a performance that is decent, which is why iridium plugs tend to be more expensive than any other type."
"The best plugs don't really have much to do with the latest developments in spark plug technology. The best plugs are the plugs that work best with your car and engine. This information is found in the vehicle's owner's manual. By using the manufacturer recommended spark plugs, you are using the best spark plugs for your car and engine. This has nothing to do with what may be the latest and "best" spark plugs, since the latest and "best" spark plugs weren't used when your engine was designed and built."
"I compared the Electrical Resistance for each element; Copper, Platinum and Iridium.
Definition of electrical resistivity:
The electrical resistivity, or specific resistance, ρ, is the resistance between the opposite faces of a meter cube of a material.
Copper: 1.7
Platinum: 10.6
Iridium: 4.7
By those numbers Copper is the least resistive metal. HOWEVER, as mention above, heat is a factor in the ability to conduct electricity.
Here are the melting points of each element.
Copper: 1984 degrees F
Platinum: 3214 degrees F
Iridium: 4471 degrees F
Now, based on that you can obviously tell that an Iridium tipped plug is going to withstand any heat and a normal combustion engine with give. Same goes for platinum. Now, Copper, most likely will have issues with hot applications, especially in Forced Induction.
So, given Iridium lower electrical resistance and higher melting point that Platinum, it surely possesses better qualities."
So if u can plz guide me regarding:
1. what kinda spark plugs i should go with for my Alto VXR (as i am not an auto expert n also didn't understand much what has published on internet regarding this topic)
2. if i go for iridium or platinum ones, should i change the spark plug wires too, and if yes what kind should i buy (which type of spark plug wire suits which type of spark plug)
3. changing the spark plugs n wires...will it effect fuel consumption, pick up, mileage, over all engine's life (i mostly drive on cng, petrol only when cng not available)
4. if i change the plugs and wires which company should i prefer...NGK/Denso/Bosch etc...
5. changing the plugs and wires...will it have any effect on battery power, and if yes which battery power should i go with
6. what is the cost of iridium/platinum 4 set plugs and suitable wires and from where can i get these (i'm located in lhr)
Thanking you in anticipation...