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Hi, I have a 2012 1.3L Mazda 2 with 60,000 miles. Today I routinely changed the spark plugs, probably for the first time. Would anyone be able to tell me what they read from them? Thanks.
Yes that easy... they look like a spark plug just removed for the engine.
You can tell what I am sure you and other love to use those outdated from the 1950"s spark plug charts. As well if you let the engine idle for even a few second it can get the way they look when you remove them. The only way to tell the level of performance is using an oscilloscope. Or you can do a power and pull run.
Otherwise depending on the miles if they have more then 15K miles then you could probably clean them and use them a little longer but if they have more then 25-35K+ miles your engine may seem to run it is not running as good as it could. And again, this is plainly seen on any oscilloscope. This topic is often challenged by "mechanic's and DIY all the time and I simple ask them to post where they got their data about the performance of the spark plug in question? lol
BTW when you post and ask a question on the performance of a spark plug based on how it looks for some of us knowing what to look for not normally on those 1950"s spark plug charts using a flashlight shing all the way down the insulator .
And using a small magnifying glass at the center and grounding electrodes .
Now if you want a GUESS base on the limited supportive information.... lol
GUESS.... GUESS.... GUESS.... GUESS ....GUESS.... GUESS lol
Your coils are not performing their best. the spring in the boots are lose prevent a better contact with the terminal and seals are likely worn to the point that under a load may be cause a spark to jump or register a slight dip in the sparkplugs output reducing the best effective flame kernel and it looks like you either used a gas with a high % of something your country seems to think works well to dilute the gas just enough to sell it as advertised on the pump or you are occasionally using a cheap gas and or oil additive? GUESS.... GUESS.... GUESS.... GUESS ....GUESS.... GUESS LOL
. If anyone who isn't nuts wants to reply I'd be interested, otherwise I'm done with forum after just 3 posts.
hmmm so you don’t like better information. And would rather just get another DIY respond ?
Maybe I gave you information overload.
You ask a question and I answered it.
Btw when you respond and hit save the original not the edited version get saved to members following a thread .
After seeing that response I posed again to perhaps bring light into the darkness of properly reading and understanding spark plugs
here are mine @ 7000 miles. This is a near best the best you can ask for. No oil , no carbon, no idle enrichment signs. And a good reading all the way down.
the compression is maximum so no carbon on pistons or combustion chambers as well 0% leak-down.
Normally a spray a 3-4 second of Nitrous at idle that will completely clean them looking almost new but I was not planning to reuse them. And I did let the engine idle down while pulling into my garage so naturally the plugs could have even looked cleaner even without the Nitrous shower. Lol
I should also ad that I have a calibrated my ECU currently for best mpg and not power which also tends to keep the spark plugs cleaner.
I also run only Chevron 91-93 and when Infill the tank gets a Pint Xylene.
Thanks for the reply, apologies for the earlier outburst, it was unfair and I tried to delete it.
Regarding cheap fuel, down here (the UK) most petrol pumps have switched to "E10" which contains 10% ethanol. I try to avoid it and use the premium stuff, usually "Momentum 99" which has 5% ethanol. Not sure if I'm wasting my money on it but I don't do very many miles, so the extra cost isn't significant, and it seems to give me some reassurance.
Thanks for the reply, apologies for the earlier outburst, it was unfair and I tried to delete it.
Regarding cheap fuel, down here (the UK) most petrol pumps have switched to "E10" which contains 10% ethanol. I try to avoid it and use the premium stuff, usually "Momentum 99" which has 5% ethanol. Not sure if I'm wasting my money on it but I don't do very many miles, so the extra cost isn't significant, and it seems to give me some reassurance.
The ECU unless it is actually calibrated for use fuel specifically targeted and formulated to lower exhaust emission (EFI/ECU Performance calibration) then the engine cannot fully take any advantage of the use of supplemented fuels.. Governments don't really want you to know or make readily available the full intentions of those type of fuels. Instead, the claim the positive and best scenarios for their use. that! AND you get unusual spark plug readings.
Spark plug reading
