Niterra, owner of the brands NGK and NTK, Clarifies 5 doubts about glow plugs

The company also highlights signs of problems and best practices for maintenance and replacement of these components

São Paulo, November 2023 – In the world of diesel engines, Spark plugs play a key role in making cold starts smoother and ensuring safer vehicle operation. That is why, Niterra, Japanese multinational owner of the NGK and NTK brands and specialized in components for ignition systems and sensors for injection systems, lists the top five questions about these devices:

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1 - Application: Designed according to the vehicle's cold start system or engine, These components can vary between automakers and according to emission standards and warm-up time. Therefore, It is essential to select the right spark plugs for the vehicle taking into account these variables;

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2 - Warm-up time: Older warming candles had a longer warm-up time than, in many vehicles, It was indicated by a lamp on the dashboard. On the most modern systems, Warm-up time is reduced to approximately 3 seconds, which makes the start faster and eliminates the need to wait;

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3 - Heating Temperature: It can vary depending on the type of cold start system. Old models reach around 800°C, while more modern ceramics can reach approximately 1,300°C, Facilitating Cold Starts;

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4 - Durability: Unlike other vehicle components, The durability of glow plugs is not measured in mileage, but in drive cycles. Depending on the vehicle, This cycle can be equal to the number of departures. On newer models, Durability depends on the drive of the system - whether the engine was cold enough to require warming up or not;

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5 - Tension: Warming candles can operate on two main voltages: 12 volts or 24 volts. It should be noted that some are marked with unconventional stresses, Like 4,3 volts or 4,4 volts. In such cases, The indicated voltage refers to the control system average per pulse width (PWM control) - No to a direct supply of the battery, that can burn the heater candle.

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Signs of Heater Spark Plug Problems

In addition to the points highlighted above, It is important to consider that the glow plugs must be changed in view of the actuation cycles. Nonetheless, signs such as difficulty cold starting, High level of white smoke emissions from cold start and fault light illumination in newer vehicles indicate that components may be experiencing problems.

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Segundo Hiromori Mori, Technical Assistance Consultant at Niterra do Brasil, Some actions must be taken by the mechanic when replacing the set of heater plugs, How to Clean Your Accommodation - There is a specific tool - and check the condition and correct functioning of the cold start system and the battery.

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"Warming candles can vary in shape (length, diameter, projection), Working Voltage (12 volts or 24 volts), Manufacturing Technology (metal or ceramic) e, principally, in relation to the cold start system", Mori explains. "So that the mechanic has no doubts as to the right product that should be applied, he can refer to the NGK application table provided in our site www.ngkntk.com.br."

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Supplier of original equipment glow plugs for the Asian and European markets, NGK offers metallic types in Brazil, Self-regulating metal and ceramic.