Iridium vs Platinum Spark Plugs
Lifespan of a spark plug may vary depending on its quality and your driving style. But when the spark plug requires changing, there is one decision to make: what type of spark plug you should choose. Making this decision may be quite challenging for those who is not familiar with essentials (fundamentals?) of mechanics and has never done a spark plug replacement before. The amount of spark plugs available on the market may be confusing.
They vary depending on a heat range and materials used. In this article we will talk about different types of spark plugs and which of them suit better different vehicle configurations.
Spark Plug Materials
Whether you head to a local car accessories store or browsing a website of large e-retailer, you'll find spark plugs made of a variety of materials and their combinations, including aluminum, copper, platinum spark plugs, iridium ones and more.
Copper spark plugs are the most commonly used nowadays. They have good performance, but much shorter lifespan, compared to iridium or platinum spark plugs. Though, if you're prepared to change your spark plug every 20,000 miles, copper one may be a choice for you.
Though, in this article we'd like to give you a brief overview of iridium and platinum spark plugs, so you could have some alternative options when choosing a next spark plug for your vehicle. So let's take a look at this small contest: iridium vs platinum spark plugs!
Platinum Spark Plugs
Platinum spark plug is a 'golden mean' between copper and iridium ones. Platinum has twice better longevity than copper and fairy low price. Platinum disc and central electrode tip provide slow wear rate and better fuel efficiency. Though, platinum is less conductive than other materials, so platnum spark plugs but performs at a lower level. Just installing platinum spark plugs won't give you any significant performance boost. That's why spark plug gapping may come in handy if you're building a performance vehicle with platinum spark plugs.
Iridium Spark Plugs
Iridium Spark Plugs have some significant advantages over spark plugs made using other metals. They have better performance and more complete combustion than platinum-tipped spark plugs.
Iridium has an outstanding longevity, so you won't have to change the spark plug so frequently. Iridium spark plugs are quite consistent and wear-resistant. So, in general, iridium spark plugs allow you to have a lifespan of platinum and performance comparable to copper. Commonly it's not recommended to gap iridium spark plugs, as this metal can be damaged during the process.
One of disadvantages of iridium spark plugs is a higher price. Whether to pay it or not is up to every driver. We hope, reading this article will help you understand pros and cons of iridium vs platinum spark plugs and choose the right spark plugs for you. When the choice is made, it is time to make a purchase. Whether you decide to buy copper, platinum or iridium spark plug, there are two more things that matter – brand and vendor. Such spark plug manufacturers as Bosch and Pulsar set high standards for the industry and are the top choice for those who are looking for durability and performance. Choosing a right vendor is essential to receive an original product. We highly recommend you to buy spark plugs from authorized dealers, such as CARiD. Browse a selection of spark plugs at CARiD.com for top-rated products and supreme service.
