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With the heavy traffic of large cities, that has persisted since the first days of the year, associated with the congestion invariably faced on highways, during holidays, Drivers should pay attention to spark plug wear. A NGK do Brasil, world's largest manufacturer and specialist in spark plugs, issues an important warning: although the car remains stationary, or engine continues to run, and only indicating the mileage traveled is not an accurate reference for replacing the component.
For vehicles used in heavy traffic, NGK recommends that the maintenance plan indicated by the manufacturer be anticipated by half. That is, If the owner's manual recommends changing the spark plugs every 20.000 kilometers, they must be removed and analyzed by a specialist after 10.000 kilometers. The need for replacement can be confirmed after visual inspection of the electrodes, and must be carried out by a trusted professional.
Preventive analysis will avoid inconveniences such as difficulty starting, higher fuel consumption, imperfections in operation, failures during resumptions and increased levels of pollutant emissions.
Hiromori Mori, NGK Technical Assistance technician, states that even the most attentive drivers only notice the signs when the wear is already significant. "In many cases, Problems are not noticed as soon as they appear. When they are noticed, the failure has been occurring for some time, which may cause damage to other components of the ignition system, as rotor, distributor cap, ignition cables and even in the transformer (ignition coil)."
During removal, a visual analysis of the candles is important, which will provide various information about the internal conditions of the combustion chamber. According to Mori, candles are an important source of diagnosis.. “Because of its appearance, It is possible to identify several engine problems, such as wear of other components, use of adulterated fuel, between others. For this reason, we recommend that it be checked periodically by a trusted professional".
NGK do Brasil provides repairers with a diagnostic poster, that guides and assists in visual analysis. The material can be requested free of charge by calling SAC 0800 197112. Furthermore, the company offers a table for the mechanic to consult the correct application of the spark plug, according to the characteristics of the vehicle. The NGK application table can be downloaded from the website www.ngkntk.com.br or requested in the SAC.
