Bosch releases new aftermarket spark plugs
How your car, minivan or SUV performs ultimately depends on the type of vehicle you drive and what it was designed for in the first place. However, new technology in premium aftermarket spark plugs allows drivers to extract the best performance their vehicles can offer without compromising fuel economy.
“From copper to platinum and iridium—modern spark plugs help motorists get a lot closer to experiencing the highest level of performance and fuel economy their vehicle is capable of producing,” said Reid Smith, product manager for spark plugs for Robert Bosch LLC, a leading supplier of premium spark plugs to vehicle manufacturers and the aftermarket and a pioneer in the development of spark plug technology.
Within a vehicle’s ignition system, the spark plug serves to ignite the air-fuel mixture which, in turn, produces the energy that moves a car. Over time and after thousands of miles, spark plugs may begin to show wear between the electrodes.
According to Smith, this wear increases stress on the ignition system and can prevent the spark plug from igniting the air-fuel mixture efficiently. When this happens, the car’s performance and gas mileage both decline.
The biggest waste of gas is an inefficient engine, commonly shown to the driver through an illuminated check engine light. Often, repair or replacement of malfunctioning car parts such as mass airflow sensors, oxygen sensors and others will frequently restore fuel efficiency. A properly operating ignition and emissions system can improve gas mileage by up to 40 percent.
“Fresh premium spark plugs help extract more energy from the same amount of gas,” said Smith. They improve the transfer of energy from the ignition system to the fuel, thus offering improved fuel efficiency and more power.
The Car Care Council, a consumer organization for motorists, said “a dirty spark causes misfiring; and inefficient combustion caused by worn spark plugs wastes fuel.”
To meet the growing demand for performance and efficiency, aftermarket automotive parts supplier Bosch has upgraded and expanded its entire line of premium spark plugs to suit every driver’s taste.
Bosch’s new technology-based Platinum Ir Fusion is the industry’s only aftermarket spark plug that combines iridium and platinum in a patented fused fine wire center electrode design, Smith said.
On-road testing by Bosch indicates that the reduced gap wear of the Bosch Platinum Ir Fusion lowers the voltage requirement on the ignition system, yielding better, more consistent performance and longer service life, Smith said. The Fusion is now available for virtually all domestic and imported vehicles.
A properly tuned engine can increase fuel efficiency from 4 percent to 20 percent, saving 26 cents a gallon. As part of a modern day tune-up, ignition and fuel systems should be inspected to improve performance and maintain the reliability of a vehicle.
According to the Car Care Council, a typical aftermarket spark plug fires as many as 3 million times every 1,000 miles, resulting in a lot of heat and electrical and chemical erosion. A dirty spark plug causes misfiring, which wastes fuel. Spark plugs need to be replaced regularly.