Spark Plug Wires

The Spark of Volt?s Electric Power Steals the Show

The North American International Auto Show (NAIAS), a haven of phenomenal concepts and production vehicles, sparkled brightly like no other automotive event. The show is known for its ability to satisfy the cravings of car aficionados in every respect. Lately, it has offered a remarkable feast of automotive technology. And among the vehicles introduced, the electrifying appeal of the Chevrolet Volt seemed to steal the show.

Bob Lutz, GM Vice Chairman, showed off the Chevrolet Volt concept car – the so-called series hybrid. The batteries in the car do all the work in giving power and the gasoline engine is merely used to recharge them. The day was cloudy however and despite the weather, some 7,000 journalists came to witness the latest revelations in the auto industry.

The bountiful feast of automobiles includes Audi, BMW, and Volkswagen’s remarkable lineup. Mercedes-Benz also flaunted its Bluetec system that reduces harmful diesel engine emissions. By next year, the automakers will be offering “50-state” diesels that meet the stringent limits of states including California.

But according to critics and enthusiasts, the best meal was the Chevrolet Volt. GM announced its plan to build cars that accept a new kind of hybrid electric drive. These cars are expected to be released in 2010. To offer a sneak peek of what is to come, GM pulled the cover of Volt concept car, the first serial hybrid concept from the automaker.

Volt’s engine has no connection to the wheels. Instead, it turns a generator that charges batteries, the batteries power a motor, and the motor drives the car. According to the automaker, the car is engineered to go about 64 kilometers on a single charge and it is enough to cover many drivers’ daily requirements without ever engaging the tiny 1.0-liter engine to be in use. This engine’s only purpose is to serve as what GM calls a “range extender.” Usually, the car would recharge on wall current hence the term “plug-in hybrid.”

The 64-km range of the cars made it distinct from other hybrids. The latter runs mainly on gasoline or with a considerable help from electricity. Moreover, they are only capable of running on pure electric power in a matter of minutes. This is because they rely on nickel-metal hydride batteries. They are designed for high peak power rather than for utmost energy storage. The Chevrolet Volt, on the other hand, is engineered for lithium-ion batteries which are those batteries used in laptops.

To make the car commercially available, GM needs automotive-strength lithium-ion batteries. Various companies are working on the design and are testing them. But cars, compared to laptops and mobile phones, are more demanding. Laptops and mobile phones do not have to survive 64-km side impacts or work in temperatures from 30 °C to 249 °C (–22 °F to 480 °F) or during heavy dust storms. Worst, batteries for the Chevrolet Volt have to last 10 years.

GM earlier reported its agreement with 2 battery groups to make the concept a viable commercial car. It has also announced its plan to design small cars starting around 2010 to deliver the drivetrain architecture of Volt.

The Ford Motor Corp. has also unveiled a serial concept called the Airstream at the Detroit auto show. The difference lies on the Ballard hydrogen fuel cell instead of an engine and a generator as a range extender. The car features asymmetric windows and an entire body side that lifts up. One striking feature of the concept car is the modern lava lamp with soothing flame images on the circular LCD.

Volvo, Ford’s safety marquee, is boosting its reputation with the introduction of the Volvo XC60, a small sport utility vehicle that features an anti-collision system called CitySense. The latter is scheduled to be offered within a couple of years. CitySense uses optical radar to monitor the speed of the car in front of it. It will use “pretension” Volvo brakes to prevent impacts at speeds up to 30 kilometer per hour.

Ignite the Spark

In the industrial revolution of automobile manufacture, the processes that involves the ignition of engines has been constantly modified and developed with the latest advancement in technology. The engine convert forms of energy into mechanical or motion force. This mechanism involves the controlled expansion of gases to produce energy. But before this happens, the engine must be ignited first before it actually does its work. Of the many components and systems that make the internal combustion engine, one systematic process initiates the complex structure that brings the machine to life. One that is responsible for everything else that follow suit, let’s take a look at the ignition system.

The main function of the ignition system is to ignite the engine fuel at exactly the right time so that the expanding gases can perform their maximum capacity to work. The primary device that serves as the ignition’s front liner is the spark plug. Upon the very turn of the car keys the spark plug ignites the compressed aerosol gasoline by means of an electric spark. This voltage that the spark plug gets comes from the coil which stores the electrons that produces the spark needed by the system. It is the coil that generates the high voltages required to create a thunderbolt-like spark. The ignition coil is basically a device used for electrical breakdown induction that scientifically alter a car storage battery’s 12 electric volts to a thousand of volts the needed to flicker the spark plugs. It made of of two coils of wire. The magnetic field of the primary coil collapses rapidly to support the secondary coil. The secondary coil, in turn, absorbs a powerful and intermittent magnetic field. This field activates a strong current that reaches to a very high voltage up to 100,000 volts that is then fed to the distributor. The high voltage flows from the distributor to the correct engine cylinder wherein the spark happens therefore igniting the engine. It may seem elaborate, but the ignition system easily can just be broken down to its integral parts.

In the industry of automobile manufacture, one car maker stands out in terms of incorporating the science of ignitions systems with every vehicle they make. German car manufacturer tycoon VW, produces top of the line automobile brands that boast high-quality engineered ignition coils. VW is currently the 4th largest car manufacturer in the world and the number one car maker in Europe. From the iconic Beetle to its best selling model VW Golf, all of their cars are equipped with VW ignition coils that best responds to the spark plugs. Remarkably, the VW ignition coil improves engine output by transforming a significant amount of electrodes to staggering degrees of high voltage.

Since the VW ignition coil is subdued to endure great amounts of torture due to excessive production demand, it may be subject to regular maintenance and check-ups. When your engine fails to ignite it may mean that it is not getting any spark. Inspect the ignition system parts and if ever the ignition coil needs to be replaced, there are a vast selection of VW ignition coils that are out in the market.

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Car Systems United Through a Spark

The ignition system of a car plays a very vital role It ensures that the car gives off surefire spark every time a driver inserts the key into the ignition. But how does this work? And what are some of the ways able to guarantee that one can get high-quality parts for the ignition system for a fail-safe performance? Well, Volvo owners need not worry. Their Volvo Ignition Coils can handle that all the way.

The Volvo Ignition Coils or spark coils serve as the ignition system’s induction coils. They convert the battery’s standard 12 volts in vehicles or six volts in some older ones to quite a number of volts, say thousands, necessary to ignite the spark plugs. This particular type of autotransformer works with the contact breaker to transform the battery’s low voltage into a high voltage needed by spark plugs in an internal combustion engine.

The Volvo Ignition Coils are basically high-voltage transformers comprising two coils of wire. One coil of wire is the primary coil while the other wrapped around it is the secondary coil, which has a hundredfold more turns of wire than the former. Current coming from the battery courses through the Volvo Ignition Coil’s principal winding. Breaker points or an electromagnet/ inductor found in an electronic ignition may unexpectedly interrupt the primary coil’s current. This causes the swift collapse of the primary coil’s magnetic field. A dynamic magnetic field then overcomes the secondary coil. As the secondary winding holds a huge number of coils, the secondary coil provides this voltage to the distributor through an insulated, high-voltage wire.

To gain a total understanding of how a vehicle can reach its maximum performance, one should perhaps ponder on this thought. That is, despite all the intricacies of the various systems that make up a car, it is the ignition system that holds them altogether. And this, one must remember, starts with every powerful jolt of the ignition coil.

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Igniting a Spark

Your Volvo has thousands of parts in it. Some play a crucial role in the car, while others do not. Some are used all the time, while some are needed only for a specific time.

One of the latter is your Volvo’s ignition coil. Also called a spark coil, the ignition coil is an induction coil in the automobile’s ignition system. The Volvo ignition coil transforms a storage battery’s 12 volts into the thousands (which sometimes could reach as high as 120,000 volts) needed to ignite the spark plugs.

Invented by A. Kent Atwater in 1921, the ignition coil is a simple transformer that has two sides: the 12 volt or primary side and the high voltage or secondary side. The primary side contains a few hundred turns of a large diameter wire and it builds up the magnetic field in the coils. On the other hand, the high voltage side contains thousands of turns of small diameter wire. The coil uses “electromagnetic induction” to create the high voltage. When the voltage in the primary side is turned off, the collapsing magnetic field in the secondary side induces a voltage in the secondary side, producing thousands of volts.

In older vehicles, a single, large ignition coil would serve all the spark plugs, distributing voltage via an ignition distributor. In modern systems, the distributor is omitted and ignition is controlled electronically, instead. Much smaller coils are used with one coil for each spark plug or one coil serving two spark plugs (so two coils in a four-cylinder car). These coils may be remote-mounted or they may be placed on top of the spark plug (coil-on-plug or direct injection). Where one coil serves two spark plugs (in two cylinders), it is through the “wasted spark” system.

In this arrangement, the coil generates two sparks per cycle to both the cylinders. The fuel in the cylinder that is nearing the end of its compression stroke is ignited, whereas, the spark in its companion nearing the end of its exhaust stroke has no effect. The wasted spark system is more reliable than a single coil system with a distributor and cheaper than coil-on-plug.

Where the coils are remote mounted, they may all be contained in a single molded block with multiple high-tension terminals. This is commonly called a coil-pack.

Your Volvo ignition coils are part of a larger system, which is the ignition system. The ignition system is part of an even larger engine system. The ignition system’s primary responsibility is the timely burning of the fuel-air mixture in the engine. Your Volvo user’s manual would carry the recommended service interval for your ignition system, including your Volvo ignition coil.

Your Volvo engine might run rough, buck, surge, stall or even get poor fuel economy. These are signs that your ignition system might need servicing as they are potentially an ignition system problem.

When this happens, drive to the nearest Volvo dealership and have a qualified technician take a look around. Your Volvo engine might be in problem in the long run.

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The Unnoticed Importance of the Spark Plug?s Heat Range and It?s Impact in the Environment

In recent years, humanity has become aware of the great dangers that emissions, which, due to development and modernity are being released increasingly to the Environment, represent in the future. These emissions are originated from factories, machines and vehicles, as well as from different products for industrial and domestic use.

The devastating effects over the life and the conditions of the environment are so great, that if they do not rush in modifying the toxic mechanisms and technologies, we could go to the edge of the abyss, from which we would not have the way to go out unharmed. We would then condemn the future generations to an obscure, inhospitable world, in which scarce food and the lack of health would be the norm.

Facing this reality it is foreseeable that many economic activities will urgently change, generating new and variable models, as well as transformations so radical that maybe some products and processes will disappear, as they are known now.

How to diminish the emissions it is the general preoccupation.

Experts from different disciplines, politicians from all the ideologies, technicians and media press, are talking with intensity about the urgent necessity to do something of immediate application and great effectiveness to mitigate the disastrous effects of the contamination.

Bravo! It is very good to the humanity that this intention should be sincere and that these speeches will be motivating the direct ones and indirectly involved with these aspects to put immediately into action.

Being known by all that the major generating of contamination is the automotive population, that is the direct responsible of the generation of 80% of the pollutants that are destroying our planet and the life as we know, there are indefatigable efforts; ones more advanced that others, to find cleanest fuels and technologies to the future vehicles.

All that is very good and worthy of applause without doubt, nevertheless, from now until which such innovations could be lists to be sent to the market, it has to even pass long time. And of there up to when all the humanity can have replaced their present vehicles by which today are in investigation and development process; without any doubt will have to pass some generations.

Meanwhile, every day, each one of the proprietors and drivers of vehicles of internal combustion engines, are contaminating dangerously our planet, destroying the delicate and fragile environment with each kilometer that we cross and with each gallon of fuel that we used.

It is clearly then that it is an indispensable imperative to dominate the sooner the polluting gas discharge of the vehicles that at the moment are circulating on the Earth. Only by this we will be really making something effective that allow us to inherit to our descendants a healthful and livable planet.

Is it only a dream? Is it something almost impossible to reach?

Believe it or not, it is not only possible, but also immediate, cheap, and easy to reach.

All what is necessary is to customize the selection of the heat range of the spark plug to be installed in any gasoline vehicle all around the Earth. Let me explain you why.

When talking with automotive experts, every one of them talks about the releases generated by automobiles

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Ford 5.4 Spark Plug Warning!

At the start I, Francisco at Franciscos Auto Repair, want everyone to know I like Ford vehicles. I have owned them and have worked on them for many years. A problem has come up that can be very costly to consumers if no proactive measures are taken. Here is the warning I give to anyone with a 2004 and newer Ford vehicle with Triton 5.4 engine. Get your spark plugs replaced way before the recommended mileage shown in the maintenance manual.

The horror stories about these spark plugs have generated a number of sites complaining about Ford’s repsonse – see more information about this at consumer affairs, www.fordproblems.com/spark-plug-ejected-from-engine.shtml or http://orangecounty.injuryboard.com/automobile-accidents/faulty-ford-spark-plug-causes-fires.aspx?googleid=214796.

While the complaints are well documented, the NHTSA does not agree with consumers and says that the spark plugs do not present a hazard and Ford is not liable to recall the engines in question. While Ford says it is not liable, it has issued a repair bulletin that requires a mechanic to purchase a special tool to remove the spark plug.

For some reason, the manufacturer is using a new style spark plug; a two piece plug! I am sure there is some reason for it, but it does not matter. When left in the engine for the recommended time frame, there is a strong possibility of only being able to remove one half of the plug. The second part will be seized the head. This second part will need to be broken out, tapped and extracted. Unfortunately this leads to a big expense to remove the broken half safely. In some cases the cylinder head or the engine may have to be removed to properly perform the repair.

My advice is to have the spark plugs removed and replaced at 30,000 miles to avoid a huge expense down the road. Many shops now will refuse to replace the plugs because of this problem. If you drive one of these Ford 5.4 Triton powered vehicles, check your service records and consult with your mechanic now. Hopefully, Ford will develop a new style spark plug to eliminate this occurring in the future.

If you have any concerns and wish to discuss this with me, feel free to call the number on my web site – www.Franciscosautorepairhuntingtonbeach.com.

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Mercedes Distributor Rotor—giving the Necessary Spark

The primary task of the ignition system in Mercedes Benz vehicle is to ignite the fuel at exactly the right time so that the expanding gases can do the maximum amount of work. It is usually switched on and off through a lock switch operated with a key or a code patch. If the ignition system fires at the wrong time, power will fall and gas consumption and emissions can increase. Because of this task, the ignition system is considered an important part of the overall engine system.

And for that spark to be made, subcomponents are needed to do such tasks. This includes the sparkplugs, ignition coil and the distributor. The distributor deserves more credit as performs various functions like distributing high voltage from the coil to the correct cylinder and breaking the current to the coil.

Working in tie-up with the distributor cap in the distributor assembly, the Mercedes distributor rotor distributes electricity from the ignition coils to the spark plug wires at the right timing. It switches high-sparking voltage from the spark plugs to fire in correct sequences.

The metal part of the Mercedes distributor rotor contacts the central high voltage cable from the coil via a spring loaded carbon brush. The metal part of the rotor arm passes close to (but does not touch) the output contacts which connect via high tension cables to the spark plug of each cylinder. As the rotor spins within the distributor, electrical current is able to jump the small gaps created between the rotor arm and the contacts due to the high voltage created by the ignition coil.

The firing end of the Mercedes distributor rotor is from where the high tension spark jumps to each of the cap terminals. It should not be worn because wearing out will result in resistance to the high tension spark. A worn firing end of the rotor requires immediate replacement. The rotors are mounted on the upper end of the distributor shaft. Thus, the Mercedes distributor rotor must have a snug fit on the end of the shaft. With other designs, two screws are used to attach the rotor to a plate on the top of the distributor shaft. Built-in locators ensure correct reassembly. These are found at the rotor and holes in the plate. One of which is round while the other is square.

Working with Spark Plugs in a Car

One of the important components of the most modern engines are the spark plugs. These components are subjected to a lot of stress and should be checked periodically and replaced when needed. These components can be easily replaced with little care and some tools, the method is quick and straightforward but also a methodical procedure.

Replacing them will definitely be a rewarding task an individual can perform. It is a fairly simple and easy task and it takes only 40 minutes for a V8. Follow the directions.

Tools Needed
-    3/16 or 5/8 deep socket
-    3? and 6? drive extensions
-    Swivel adapter for the driver allows for tight spaces
-    Socket Driver
Directions

Step 1:
Before starting the work, consult a repair or service manual for the particular model and make of your vehicle.

Step 2:
Before you begin, Make sure that the car engine is turned off.

Step 3:
Grip the plug wire boot without the wire for removing one spark plug wire from one spark plug. Using a spark plug wire puller will be better if available.

Step 4:
The spark plug should not have any oil or dirt around it. If needed, wipe clean the area around the spark plug hole. Be sure not to brush away the oil and dirt from the hole.

Step 5:
For taking out the plug, only use proper tools. The plug has to be turned anti-clockwise to the left. A 5/8 or 13/16 deep socket is the appropriate tool for this task. You may also need a swivel joint and an extension.

Step 6:
Replace the plug with a new one and turn by hand until it is tightened.

Step 7:
For fitting in the new one, use the same tool that was used for taking out the old one.

Step 8:
Connect the spark plug wire to the new plug and make sure it is on.

Step 9:
All plugs have to be replaced by following the steps from 3 to 8.

Tips and Warnings
-    Diesel engines do not have spark plugs.
-    Consider installing high quality plug wires while you are under the hood.
-    Examine the old spark plugs closely when you remove them. They are helpful in giving signs of how the vehicle is running.
-    Everything will be kept in order by doing one plug at a time. A plug wire that is crossed means that the vehicle will fire out of order or miss fire.
-    When you are at the auto parts store, a spark plug wire puller and a spark plug gaper is needed. Although the gap is already set on new plugs but it would be better to check it. The wire puller helps in saving the wires from getting pulled apart.
-    There will be usually the 4 spark plugs in 4-cylinder engines located on top of the engine clearly visible. For 6 or 8-cylinder engines, follow the spark plug wires for locating the plugs.

How to Gap a Spark Plug and Flush Radiator

Do you know the importance of gapping a spark plug? If no, then this article would be helping you to understand what it is all about. The main aim of any car enthusiast would be to make the engine of his car better and better. If you belong to this group of people, you should be surely learning what the spark plugs are all about. Here we will be assisting you to build new gaps in between spark plugs the easy way. The steps that we are going to introduce would be easy to follow even for a newbie.

You must be having certain tools with you for carrying out the gapping process. There will be two electrodes namely ground electrodes and center electrodes – and here we’re concentrating on setting up gap between these two electrodes. When we adjust the gap the right way, we can easily manage the efficiency of the car engine. When you play with these kinds of things it’s better to seek the help of someone that has good experience dealing with these kinds of things. People make use of the gapping process while repairing the spark plugs as well.

If you don’t take care of your car’s radiator from time to time, it can harm the cooling system in a big way. Before you get any further you should be trying to understand what a car radiator actually does. Once you get an idea regarding its use, you would be doing things the right manner. It’s a good idea to do the maintenance of the radiator on a regular basis. Doing so, you’ll be able to identify leakage or any other problems pretty easily without any hassles. You should be keeping the car manual handy with you if you are thinking about playing the radiator. This will ensure you’ll be doing things the right way, if something goes wrong.

If you’re thinking of undergoing the gapping process to gap a spark plug, you should be making sure you are with the gapping tool. This is one of the most important tools that you should be having with you while carrying out the process. And to flush a radiator, you should be first of all learning the different aspects of a car radiator. From then on, you’ll be easily getting the hang of it.

How to clean your spark plug

First of all what is a spark plug? Spark plug is a device used in an internal combustion engine – that is, an engine that derives its power via exploding gases inside a combustion chamber -to ignite the air-fuel mixture. Time to time carbon builds up on the tip of the spark plug that delivers low mileage and can damage the whole engine. As factory advice it is a must to replace your spark plugs ever 100,000 miles.

It’s a must to check your spark plugs every 5000kms to your for any carbon build ups that can cause fluctuating rpm and poor combustion. Here are some steps on how to clean you spark plug.

Step1 Disconnect the spark cap or high tension wires

Step2 Remove spark plug( you will need a spark plug wrench)  take fine grit sand paper or steel brush then brush the large threaded end of spark plug till you see silver metallic color.

Step3 Dip large threaded end of spark plug in bottle cap of gas/kerosene, then lay on nonflammable surface and light allow to burn out and cool this will get rid of all carbon build up on spark plug.

Step4 Check the gap of the tip of the plug using a feeler gauge, be sure to follow the correct gap specified by the manual. If you don’t have a gap gauge for the spark plug you can gap it with the skinny end of a butter knife be sure to use and old one for this can damage the knife.

Step5 Reinstall the spark plug to the motor. Be sure not to over tighten the plug to avoid loose threads.

Step6 Reconnect the spark plug cap or high tension wire. Start the motor then your good to go.

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