All about spark plugs (part 2)

Description of Bosch spark plugs

The main direction of the Bosch company is the production of components for various vehicles. One of them is SZ. They ignite the fuel assemblies in the working cylinders of the internal combustion engine.

SZ from Bosch

The high-quality spark plugs produced by Bosch have a wide range, which makes it possible to select products for any vehicle.

Marking and its decoding

The company's assortment includes a large selection of SZ, which differ in the following characteristics.

Each product has a marking (designation) - this is a code consisting of letters and numbers, each of which indicates a specific characteristic. Bosch spark plug markings are located on the body of the part.

Explanation of SZ designations
Below is the explanation of the markings:

1. The first is a letter, which means such data as diameter, thread pitch and type of O-ring. It can be flat or cone-shaped.
2. The letter in second place indicates the type of candle. R – with a built-in resistor that suppresses interference. L – have a semi-surface spark gap. M – for sports and racing cars. S – for low power engines.
3. The number following the two letters means the heat number, which characterizes the operating temperature of the SZ, which can be from 06 to 13.
4. The number is followed by a letter indicating the length of the thread. For example, A - 12.7 mm when the spark is in the normal position, B - 12.7 mm when extended, C, D, DT, L - 19 mm (respectively normal position, extended, extended and three ground electrodes, far extended) .
5. If the symbol is missing, this means that SZ has one side electrode, otherwise D - 2; T - 3; Q - 4.
6. Material of manufacture of the central electrode: S – silver, C – copper, P – platinum, E – nickel-yttrium, I – platinum-iridium.
7. Side electrode material.

Advantages and disadvantages

At Bosch factories, there are virtually no tolerances; all products are manufactured exactly in accordance with the specified parameters.

For the manufacture of SZ, modern materials are used: iridium, rhodium, platinum.

An example would be Bosch Platinum spark plugs. This makes it possible to extend the service life of products (video author - Mikhail Shirshov).

Thanks to recent developments, it has been possible to achieve more accurate conduction of the spark into the combustion chambers due to the length of the spark trajectory. One of the modern developments is a directional side electrode. Its use made it possible to create conditions for high-quality combustion of fuel assemblies with direct injection.

Bosch SZ have the following advantages:

• high quality;
• fuel economy;
• high-quality combustion of fuel assemblies, reduction of exhaust gas emissions;
• provide engine protection;
• reliable operation in various operating conditions;
• possibility of selection by car;
• long service life.

Spark plugs BOSCH and NGK

Due to the fact that I work in the field of selling automobile parts, I often have to answer the same questions. Therefore, I tried to structure the material I know about spark plugs and present it in a way that would be understandable to the widest range of readers.

The most common and best-selling spark plugs in Russia today are Bosch and NGK brands. They are the ones who have won national fame and popularity among us. Although there are also Beru, Denso, Champion, Valeo and others, they are used less frequently. Usually, having read in the instructions that his car needs Champion or Denso spark plugs, the car owner looks only for them in stores, not even suspecting that his car will work just as well with spark plugs from other manufacturers. The world-famous leader in candle sales is the German company Bosch.

Bosch spark plug

Spark plug NGK

It was the owner and founder of Bosch who invented the world's first candle in 1902, which made a real revolution in the automotive industry. The founder of the company and generator of new ideas, Robert Bosch, achieved great success in life only thanks to his own knowledge and abilities, tireless hard work and desire for excellence.

This year the corporation turned 111 years old, and its employees do not have time to surprise the world with new inventions, registering 12 patents a year. Over these 111 years of life, the company has developed more than 20 thousand modifications of spark plugs, and the plugs themselves have become more and more advanced.

The range of use of Bosch spark plugs is very wide - they are used in cars, commercial vehicles, motorcycles, mopeds and snowmobiles, boats and watercraft, agricultural, construction and garden equipment, chainsaws, stationary engines and generators.

A spark plug has several main characteristics that determine the range of its use - the shape of the supporting surface and its thread, design, heat rating, thread length and spark discharge trajectory, design of electrodes, electrode material, type of design.

The range of Bosh spark plugs for passenger cars has now been greatly reduced, and the most used spark plugs are currently 55 varieties. On the boxes they are marked with numbers from +1 to +55. And part of the range is now produced in Russia.

Each candle is marked with its marking, consisting of 5-7 numbers. At the same time, according to the marking of any candle, except Chinese or Taiwanese, you can find its analogue from another manufacturer. Spark plugs from different manufacturers are interchangeable, and their parameters differ little from each other.

Almost all spark plugs today are produced with an interference-suppressing resistor, which is indicated in the marking by the letter R preceding the heat value. And, of course, the most important thing when selecting a spark plug for your car is the heat rating, which characterizes the efficiency of heat removal from the electrode. The higher this number, the hotter the candle. For most passenger cars in Russia, the heat rating is 6, 7 and 8.

It comes third in the labeling. For older cars from 1989-1995, the heat rating is especially important. So, if, for example, you put the wrong spark plug in an Audi or Volkswagen, the engine will work like a tractor, and the car will shake and convulse. For new models with engine electronics, a deviation of plus 1, minus 1 is allowed. After the heat number there is a designation of the thread length and spark discharge trajectory. Motorists also call the length of the thread “skirt length.” If the spark plug is single-contact, after indicating the length of the threaded part, the letter is omitted, D indicates the presence of two contacts in the spark plug, T - three and Q - 4. The material from which the electrode is made is also indicated on Bosch spark plugs by a letter of the Latin alphabet: C is copper, E – nickel-yttrium, P – platinum, S – silver, I – platinum-iridium. Spark plugs have many other characteristics, called design features. But the most important thing that a car enthusiast needs to remember is that the spark plug must be selected according to a professional catalog and be designed specifically for his car.

How to choose a Bosch SZ based on your car?

If you select the SZ yourself, it can take a lot of time due to the variety of assortments from different manufacturers: you need to decide on the manufacturer, choose the SZ for a specific car model. There are resources on the Internet that will help you select spark plugs without any problems, without leaving your home.

Example page for selecting SZ

On specialized websites for the sale of components for cars, there is usually a section on the selection of spare parts. The section displays a list of manufacturers and models produced. The user needs to act according to the selection prompts. When asked to select a make and model of a car, you must provide information about your car. A list of SZ suitable for the selected vehicle is displayed. Next, the user selects products according to his preferences.

Price issue

1. Super Plus (price - from 300 rubles)

2. Iridium (price - from 400 rubles)

3. Platinum (price - from 500 rub.)

NGK spark plug: basic information and purpose

As noted above, the NGK brand has long established itself in the market. A large number of cars come off the assembly line with spark plugs from this manufacturer. This applies to German brands - BMW, Volkswagen, but NGK also produces spark plugs for other cars, including the Koreans that are common in Russia.

Please note: The production of NGK candles is established in Japan, from where they come to the Russian market.

Like any spark plug, the main task of NGK models is to ignite the working mixture in the combustion chamber of a car engine. The operation of the motor largely depends on how well the spark plugs work.

Depending on the characteristics of the engine, it is necessary to select different spark plugs. Of course, most specialized stores can advise drivers on spark plugs that are ideal for their car model, but it’s still better to know for yourself how this or that spark plug differs.

Important: In addition to spark plugs for injection engines, NGK also produces glow plugs for diesel engines.

NGK candle models

Having dealt with the labeling, it is worth talking about the list of models that are available for sale. NGK is constantly updating its product range, releasing new models and removing obsolete ones. The main range is as follows:

• NGK Racing is a model designed for racing cars. It can withstand high loads and is suitable for professionals;

• NGK LaserLine - spark plugs designed for cars equipped with gas engines;
• NGK Glow are glow plugs used in diesel engines. Candles in this series have a special heating coil;
• NGK D-Power - glow plugs designed to work in harsh conditions. They allow you to start a diesel car engine even at low ambient temperatures. It is worth noting that this series is quite extensive, and it also contains ceramic candles;
• NGK Standard - spark plugs with a nickel central electrode. This series is standard and has good service life;
• NGK Platinum VX - spark plugs that differ from standard ones by the presence of platinum coating. The diameter of the central electrode of such spark plugs is 0.8 mm. They are distinguished by long-lasting service;
• NGK Laser Platinum - spark plugs that have a platinum coating and also have specially designed corrugated fins that prevent fires;
• NGK Laser Iridium - spark plugs whose electrode is made of iridium. The service life of such spark plugs is about 100 thousand kilometers;
• NGK V-Line - spark plugs, on the central electrode of which there is a notch in the shape of the letter V. Due to this solution, it is possible to achieve more efficient ignition;
• NGK V-Power - spark plugs with a copper core (for efficient heat dissipation) and a V-shaped notch.

Listed above are only the most popular series of candles from NGK. The full current website can be found on the manufacturer's website.

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