Hybrid cars’ engines are fundamentally the same as any traditional engine, so no, there’s nothing different or special about the spark plug found in a hybrid.
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Have you ever wondered what makes your car’s engine come to life? Well, it all starts with a tiny yet crucial component called the spark plug. It’s like the matchstick that ignites the fire! This small device is screwed into the cylinder head of any engine that uses gasoline, be it a hybrid or not. When the spark plug lights up the air-fuel mixture, it triggers a combustion reaction that releases energy, ultimately powering your vehicle.
Do Hybrid Cars Need Special ‘Tune-ups’
Hybrid cars have a unique powertrain system that combines both a gasoline engine and an electric motor. While the electric motor requires little maintenance, the gasoline engine in a hybrid car operates just like any other traditional ICE engine. It consumes fuel and converts chemical energy (fuel) into useful energy eg. charging the battery or moving the vehicle.
The good news is that hybrid car engines are very similar (if not the same) as the engines found in traditional non hybrid vehicles. This means that they don’t need specialist knowledge or bespoke servicing. However, it’s still important to keep up with regular maintenance, including checking and replacing the spark plugs.
Regularly checking and replacing spark plugs is an essential part of maintaining a hybrid car’s performance and fuel efficiency. Consult your owner’s manual for specific maintenance recommendations for your hybrid car.
How Do Bad Spark Plugs Affect a Hybrid?
Bad spark plugs can negatively impact a hybrid car’s performance and fuel efficiency. The spark plugs in a hybrid car are responsible for igniting the fuel in the engine’s cylinders, and when they’re worn or damaged, they can cause misfires or incomplete combustion.
This can lead to reduced power, lower fuel economy, and increased emissions. In severe cases, bad spark plugs can cause the engine to misfire or stall. Misfiring can not only damage the engine and drivetrain, it can also melt the catalytic converter, costing a lot of money to fix.
I’ll tell you a story – about 10 years ago I had an old Volvo S80 that had done about 200,000 miles. It was still on the original factory spark plugs and going strong, until one day it wasn’t going! I found out the hard way, 100s of miles from home!
The car developed a misfire on a French road trip (I live in the UK). It turned out that the plug circled orange lost part of the negative terminal tip (3 metal bits protruding). I replaced all the spark plugs, unfortunately this was after the engine had eaten part of it’s own spark plug! It never quite ran as sweet after that – let my mistake be a lesson to you all – DO NOT SKIMP ON MAINTENANCE.
What the Colour of Your Spark Plug Can Tell You About Your Engine
The colour of your spark plugs can reveal extremely useful information about your engine, or more specifically the cylinder it came from. Check out the image in the previous section above to see what I mean.
The spark plug’s colour can indicate how efficiently the engine is burning fuel, and whether there are any issues that need to be addressed. If you are interested in learning what a pro looks for when they pull the plugs out of your engine, here’s a list of what they are looking for:
- Running lean (not enough fuel) creates a white plug
- Running rich (too much fuel) creates a sooty black plug
- A misfiring cylinder will have a wet oily looking plug (unburnt fuel)
- Light tan / grey colour – it’s likely the engine is burning efficiently
Which Spark Plugs Improve Acceleration Performance?
Upgrading to high-performance spark plugs is unlikely to give any notable performance increase. I challenge anyone to identify a high performance spark plug just from driving the car.
Drawing on my technical background as an engine calibrator I will say that the 2 ‘tricks’ to increase power in a gasoline engine are:
- Increase the amount of fuel burnt per minute
- Increase the peak cylinder pressure during combustion
Point 1 is achieved the following ways:
- building a bigger engine, or…
- adding a turbo charger or…
- increasing the top engine speed (red line).
The big challenge with turbo charged engines is that they must run as cool as possible and some spark plugs are better than others, find out more below.
Point 2 is all about spark advance, otherwise known as spark timing. By advancing the spark, the peak cylinder pressures increase but with that the temperatures go up, so like turbo engines it is very important to run the engine as cool as possible, high octane fuel helps and so does the correct spark plug.
What Types of Spark Plugs are there?
There are several material types for spark plugs available, each with their own advantages and disadvantages namely:
- Copper
- Platinum
- Iridium
Copper Spark Plug Advantages & Disadvantages
Copper plugs are notably cheaper than the alternatives. Not only are they easy on the wallet, but they also have some impressive features. For instance, copper plugs are less likely to experience pre-ignition issues, as they tend to run cooler than their counterparts made of platinum or iridium. The secret behind their efficient heat management lies in copper’s remarkable ability to conduct heat, which allows it to draw heat away from the cylinder and disperse it into the comparatively cooler cylinder head
Cool running spark plugs made from copper are typically factory fit options necessary for high compression or turbo engines which are far more susceptible to pre ignition.
- Heat conductivity is measured by the heating power in Watts per meter required to raise the temperature by 1 degree Kelvin)
- Copper has a heat conductivity of 398 W/m.K
- Platinum has a heat conductivity of 95 W/m.K
- Iridium has a heat conductivity of 147 W/m.K, it is also said to be 6 times stronger than platinum
Platinum Spark Plugs
Platinum spark plugs have a few advantages over their counterparts. Firstly, they are highly durable and can last up to 100,000 miles before needing replacement. Secondly, platinum is an excellent conductor of electricity, which means that it can produce a strong spark for reliable ignition. Since platinum is the worst heat conductor they are less prone to fouling – they get hot enough to burn off residual soot etc.
However, platinum spark plugs can be costly, especially when compared to copper spark plugs. Additionally, they are not as good at dissipating heat as copper spark plugs, which can cause issues in high-performance engines.
Iridium Spark Plugs
Iridium spark plugs also have their fair share of advantages and disadvantages. One significant advantage is their remarkable longevity, with some iridium plugs lasting up to 150,000 miles. They are also known for producing a very strong spark, thanks to their superior conductivity. However, iridium spark plugs are often the most expensive option, making them less appealing for those on a tight budget. They are also quite fragile and can be easily damaged if mishandled during installation. Lastly, iridium plugs tend to be more prone to fouling than platinum spark plugs, due to running slightly cooler.
Which Spark Plug is Right for my Engine
Having said all this, it is very important to fit the correct spark plug as specified in the vehicle handbook. For example, don’t be tempted to downgrade an Iridium plug to platinum, the short term savings may be short lived!
If you are considering changing your spark plugs, I would recommend getting yourself a set of decent sockets like this
Why do some gasoline engines have 2 spark plugs per cylinder?
Some gasoline engines use two spark plugs per cylinder for improved combustion efficiency. The second spark plug helps to ignite any fuel that wasn’t ignited by the first spark plug, which can result in more complete combustion and increased power.
This design is typically used in high-performance or high-compression engines, and it can result in improved performance and fuel efficiency. However, it also requires more maintenance and can be more expensive to replace both sets of spark plugs.
Before You Go
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