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Yellow May: The relevance of spark plugs to ensure traffic safety

15 May 2025
3 min reading

Notice gasoline residue, Oil or carbon buildup in the spark plugs may indicate that other components of the car are not working as they should

São Paulo, maio de 2025 – During the Yellow May campaign, which aims to raise awareness among the population about the high rates of traffic accidents and how to avoid them, The importance of preventive maintenance of vehicles as an important safety measure is highlighted. Many drivers still perform the service only before long trips or on vacation. Yet, Everyday use on urban routes, with heavy traffic and adverse conditions, It features a severe usage situation that accelerates wear and tear on vehicle components. Keep maintenance up to date, even outside of these periods, it is essential to prevent accidents and preserve lives.

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A crucial item in the vehicle review is to verify the correct operation of the engine and ignition system. Problems in these systems can make it difficult to start the engine, increase fuel consumption and even cause more serious damage. Spark plugs, responsible for generating the spark and burning the air/fuel mixture in the engine, contribute to the diagnosis of these problems. To ensure that this component is always in good condition and assists in identifying other problems with the vehicle's engine, and NGK, Niterra brand specialized in ignition systems, has drawn up a checklist on when spark plugs should be replaced or inspected.

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1 - Mileage indicated by the maintenance plan: Each automaker adopts a specific recommendation for the preventive replacement of spark plugs. In cases of severe use, It is recommended to anticipate the maintenance plan, halving the time interval or mileage. That is, se a revisão for anual ou a cada 10.000 km, deve ser feita a cada 6 meses ou 5.000 km.

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2- Failures in the operation of the engine and other components: engine failures, especially difficulty in starting with cold engine, may be indicative of worn candles. Drivers should be aware of misfires and difficulties in starting, that favor the contamination of the engine lubricating oil, and unburned fuel, which is caused by misfires and can cause damage to the catalytic converter.

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3- Increased fuel consumption: Higher-than-normal fuel consumption may indicate wear on the spark plugs. This is because the injected fuel is not completely burned, which causes irregular idling, failures in acceleration and increase in pollutant emissions. Today, fuel represents a significant part of the expenses with a car.

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Segundo Hiromori Mori, Niterra Technical Assistance Consultant, Visual inspection of spark plugs can reveal important signs, such as the accumulation of waste, fuel or oil soaking and carbon deposits, common with the use of gasoline as fuel. These signs can indicate faults in other engine components, such as lack of tightness in the injectors, Excessive wear on valve guides, Drying out of valve seals, piston ring wear, Ovalization of cylinders, crankcase ventilation system problems, turbocharging system defects and fuel injection system failures. Even the use of poor quality fuel (Iron Oxide) and coolant infiltration (Radiator Fluid) can be detected on candle inspection.

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"A simple inspection, made by mechanic, can prevent significant damage to the engine and, in more serious cases, anticipate the need for corrective maintenance. This directly contributes to road safety and the prevention of accidents caused by mechanical failures, in addition to preventing damage to other engine components", reinforces.

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If it is necessary to change the spark plugs, NGK offers the G-Power lines to the aftermarket (platinum) e Iridium IX (iridium), providing access to advanced technologies, previously exclusive to modern vehicles or premium lines. These products offer better ignition, Faster matches, More stable idle and more efficient acceleration. Furthermore, promote greater fuel economy on constant-speed routes and reduce pollutant emissions, Contributing to urban sustainability. Beyond these lines, NGK has a line of Laser Platinum spark plugs, Iridium Laser and Ruthenium Laser that are used in most modern vehicles as original equipment.

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