Colder vs Iridium vs Copper vs Platinum - Which Spark Plugs do you need?

►The spark plug is one of the simplest parts fitted to your engine. Yet, its health determines how much power you make and how well the engine runs. Symptoms of a bad spark plug include power loss, poor fuel economy, misfires, and engine hesitancy. Luckily, a simple spark plug replacement is all that's needed to restore what was lost. Just make sure you have the correct spark plug for your application.
There are well over twenty different sizes and types of spark plugs for automobile engines. While fcpeuro.com will give you the right types to choose from, it's up to you to pick the one that best fits your driving style. So which one is that? Follow along with Mike Hidalgo, FCP Euro's Professional DIY'er, as he takes you through the most common plugs you'll find for your vehicle and how each might work for you.
00:00 - Intro
00:44 - Copper Core Spark Plugs
01:24 - Iridium Style Spark Plugs
01:56 - Double Platinum Spark Plugs
02:20 - Double Iridium Spark Plugs
02:46 - Racing Spark Plugs
03:12 - "One Step Colder" Spark Plugs
05:59 - Wrap-up
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[@Mm.2112]

An important thing to check before you install the next set of spark plugs is the gap even if says pre-gapped

[@fcpeuro]

For peace of mind - it never hurts to check!

[@repairvehicle]

Awesome information! Thank you!

[@fcpeuro]

Happy to share!

[@cykablyat8513]

Copper is the best conductor of any spark plug metal in use and as such, a copper plug gives the best spark. It is a broad spark which produces a large flame front in the combustion chamber. Iridium plugs *do* last longer...a lot longer. Like over twice as long as a copper plug. They tend to overheat as it takes more electricity to produce a comparable spark but for most vehicles (cars, etc) this is not a concern. The big deal with iridium plugs is that you do not need to change them as often. For performance machines, I still use standard copper resistor plugs (to answer the OP's question: The "R" stands for resistor which means it puts out less electrical interference). Especially in racing where we tend to run richer mixtures (or are dumping fuel in wide open all the time) the iridium plugs will foul out whereas the copper ones will not. There is a huge misconception that Iridium plugs perform better, even people who should be 'in the know' are subject to relentless marketing campaigns. I can tell you that at least 3x a year someone will call me into their garage because their track bike is not running well and it was cured by replacing the iridium plugs with copper

[@alphastone8362]

After the third mention of the term “modern high performance engine “ the reference starts to lose meaning. It’d be helpful to cite a couple of vehicles and their engines to help your average viewer understand better.

[@7mpowerd]

Does FCP euro know the gap for M177 plugs? I’d like to check before they go in.

[@michaell.445]

Copper core is better for a forced induction engine at the same heat range as iridium for a remedy to spark-knock on a hot track day.

[@iz2904]

crazy that I'm literally looking for spark plugs right now 😂 I'm replacing my 2004 volvo s40 T5 spark plugs. Which ones do you think I should use then??🤔 Because it's not exactly a modern car.. but it's not the oldest..

[@iansmith6728]

Check your owners manual for the correct plug.

[@microcolonel]

Does there exist any third party qualification on DFE/PSPE NGK Ruthenium HX plugs? They claim that they are as ignitable as any of their other plugs, and are expected to last as long as Laser Iridium.

[@johnnyblue4799]

Don't lube the coated plugs. Check what the manufacturer says...

[@7mpowerd]

I know NGK specifically says no anti seize anymore. It also brings up torque on plus. Can lead to stripping.

[@johnnyblue4799]

@@7mpowerd Exactly. NGK's spec was exactly what I had in mind.

[@bryancreagan5838]

Indexing should be discussed particularly for Mercedes.

[@Silentprofessional1]

Would a iridium plug be better than a regular copper plug for a generator

[@dixondavispe]

But, WHY do all these different (and usually more costly) material changes in spark plugs make them better? Why, will I receive better gas mileage or why will I need to cool my chambers down?

[@shmuck66]

well, first off it is to concentrate spark energy into the most intense spark possible. This is why fine wire designs are used on modern plugs. Next, fine wires have sharp tips, making the spark plug easier to set off. The down side, is with a more intense spark is it is easier to melt and wear away the electrode material. This is why they use platinum and iridium materials, which resist melting and wearing away much better than copper/nickel plugs of old times. So that covers why the new plugs use these costly materials. The additional benefit is the longer life these materials give your plugs, so they last much longer pushing up the maintenance intervals. this helps keep customers and bean counters happy. Regarding temperature ranges. Stick with the stock temperature range unless you know you need colder, or you have been told by your tuner to use a colder plug. The heat range referred to is the ability of the plug to move heat out of the tip of the plug. Normally you want the plug to maintain a certain temperature so it stays in it's self cleaning range (range of temperature where the plug won't collect soot or ash or deposits) if the plug is too cold, it can foul up from deposits. but if the plug is too hot it will lead to knocking and pre-ignition and engine damage. So you want to use what the manufacturer of your engine recommends. Remember, it's ok to go colder, just not hotter. Why would you go colder? well if you have tuned your engine or are use the car on track days, you are making more heat, which can lead the stock plug to get too hot and start causing knocking or pre-ignition, leading to engine damage. So going colder when you are tracking the car or driving hard, is a way to keep the engine from hurting itself.

[@garyvanremortel5218]

No discussion of side-gapping for improved flame front, lesser gap for boosted engines or resistance checks?

[@rschneid1996]

Those are specialty applications and not applicable for ordinary street driving.

[@scottykilmer3920]

Most important you always install the right type spark plug for your specific engine. Do not install platinum or iridium if your car came with copper !

[@cellculturist]

Hey there, some misinformation in this video! Copper is by far the best conductor out of the three and will offer better “performance” than platinum and iridium. The only downside is they don’t last nearly as long. Long time FCP euro customer here and I love the parts selection, but saying platinum and iridium offer better performance for high HP applications is just not true. If you want to run a plug for 100k miles, go for an iridium. If you want the best spark ensuring the most complete fuel burn, copper is the way to go. Just change them out every 20 to 30k.

[@cellculturist]

That being said, if your car came with iridiums from the factory, likely best to stick with it. There is more at play than just conductivity. Many plugs and wires even have purposefully chosen resistances. Heat dissipation is also different between the three.

[@paulkennedy8036]

Was just about to say the same thing about the miss information on the “performance” aspect. The coppers will offer the best performance but not last as long

[@shmuck66]

@@cellculturist resistance differences between copper and iridium is freaking meaningless at 30kV-100kV that the plugs fire at. Fine wire tip resulting in ease of ignitability due to electrical field formation, and ability to keep that fine wire tip sharp for a long time, is what makes important factors for plugs. Heat dissipation is already dictated in the temperature range the plug was designated, so between the 3 types, if they all have the same heat range then the heat dissipation is nearly the same. If I have a B8ES and a BR8EIX and a B8EVX, they all have a heat range of 8. So you can't go saying that the heat dissipation is different just because one is copper vs the platinum or iridium ones.

[@cellculturist]

Yup you’re right on the heat ranges! But resistances… You mention the firing voltage but are you familiar with the amperage?

[@shmuck66]

@@cellculturist yea, i am. im an electronics engineer and work with high voltages daily in use for laser and x-ray generation. Amperage is not concern here. it is total joules of ignition energy. The minuscule resistance change you are trying to say is important is like 0.001% change. it's meaningless here, and whatever minuscule difference it does make will be made up by the fact the ignition coil delivers a certain amount of joules to the plug. so to make up for it the spark will last a fraction longer so that all the same joules of energy go to the spark tip. you also seem to be ignoring the fact that the ignition coil, ignition conductor and spark plug have inbuilt huge resistances like 1000 to 10000 ohms. so the minuscule 0.01 ohms change in resistance from copper to iridium is meaningless. also one more point to thors hammer this. those iridium plugs are not totally made of iridium. 95% of the plug uses the same copper as a copper plug, only the final last 1mm tip of the plug is iridium. so there's that.

[@andreborges2881]

Weak content, sadly. “Modern performance engines”, “iridium better performance than copper”, “colder plugs cool engine combustion chamber”?Expected MUCH more from you, guys. Cheers, from Brazil.

[@bimmermavenwrench1660]

pretty weak tech content..."use modern plugs for modern engines " "colder plugs cool down the combustion chamber"...no.