Cleaning Spark Plugs

[G_lo]

Hey guys I recently put four new NGK platinum spark plugs in my car. The next day, I did some more maintenance and cleaned the throttle body with Carb Cleaning Spray but, I think I used too much and got some into the system cause the car smoked and rattled like crazy for about a minute after I turned it on. After it went back to normal, the "Service Engine Soon" light came on. When my friend used his code reader on it, it indicated (Bad Spark Plug No. 4) So, I figured the plug was defective from the factory, since it was new. Well when I pulled it out, it was all fouled/dirty just like the old ones I had replaced the day before. I went to exchange it for a new one and the guy at Napa was ok with it. Now I made the connection that it was probably a good plug and the Carb cleaner burning fouled it up to the point of failure. Also, I'm thinking that the other three are probably all dirty too. They probably aren't as bad as #4 was but I'm thinking I should pull them out anyways and clean them rather than buying new ones since they probably won't believe me that all four could have been faulty. So, what could I clean them with and not damage them? They are platinum $. I was thinking Carb cleaner and a toothbrush, just as long as I let them dry out really well before putting them back in. Or, should I just buy three new plugs? Let me know what you think ok.

Thanks.

 

[MrCritical]

If there's a lot of carbon it will rattle like crazy. The missfire causes the SES.

What kind of car is this?

 

[G_lo]

Misubishi Eclipse GS. 2000.
2.4L engine

95k miles.

I've only had the car for a week. That's why I was messing with it. Just trying to get it all ready for college.

 

[Master ACiD]

modern plugs are self cleaning if the heat range is correct. just run the thing.

 

[G_lo]

What do you mean by, "heat range"?

Pardon my ignorance, I'm still fairly new to being under the hood.

Thanks.

 

[G_lo]

The car is a little shaky when I come to a stop sign. Could it be the fouled plugs? I did notice that the box for the plus said that they are self-cleaning though. Could this procedure with the Carb Cleaner have fouled them up beyond their self-cleaning capabilities? What could I clean them with?

 

[Matt_S]

If you're going to clean them, a brass bristle brush and some carb or brake cleaner would do the trick. Make sure you clear any loose pieces of grit out of the recesses of the plug before reinstalling.

 

[ATS-V]

Easliest cleaning is high load, high rpm driving since the plugs are new and self cleaning.

Heat range is the temperature of the tip and the ability of the plug to remove heat from the cylinder.

 

[Kestas]

One of the more important parts to clean on a plug is the procelain insulator between the electrodes.

For years (decades) I've cleaned plugs by grit blasting. I usually toss them once the center electrode wears too far down. I'm careful to clean the grit from the recesses before installation to prevent cylinder contamination. Saved lots of money over the decades.

 

[mechtech2]

NEVER use a brass or steel brush to clean spark plugs!!
It can impregnate the insulator with conductive metal and cause misfires. You will never get them clean again.
I vote for a highway blast, and a lot of full throttle to clean your plugs. It's tough to clean a plug properly and do no damage when outside of the car..

 

[Quest]

Mechtech2 is bang-on! (thank you for chiming in).

As much as I like to be a cheepskate in auto maintenance and repair, there are several things that I would absolutely refused to participate in:

-never buy remain water pumps or idler/tensioner bearings unless it's OEM from manufacturer (e.g. NTN from Japan for Toys, Hondas, etc.)

-never brush/clean spark plugs with brass/steel bristled brushes or grit-blast them to get some more miles out of it.

For the latter part, main reason is that when brushing with metal bristles, it will leave a tiny coating of metal on the insulating ceramic nose causing spark leaks and what-not. As for grit-blasting, you can almost never get it absolutely clean with some very fine grit that is stuck way up in the nooks and crannies inside the spark plug nose base.....

Either way, with due dilligence and care, i typically replaced my platinum plugs every 50,000kms or iridium plugs every 75,000kms (pulling them off for inspection every 2 yrs or 40,000kms).

Q.

 

[va3ux]

Quote:

---

What do you mean by, "heat range"?

Pardon my ignorance, I'm still fairly new to being under the hood.Thanks.

---

Heat range refers to the approximate temperature the tip of the plug (insulator & electrodes ) remains under normal operation. Or, the ability of the plug to allow heat to flow away from the tip.

A "hot plug" is designed to maintain a higher tip temperature than a cold plug. A colder plug allows more heat to travel away from the tip while a hot plug retains more heat at the tip. Running too hot a plug for the engine design can cause pinging/detonation/knocking with the accompanying damage to pistons and valves. Running too cold a plug will cause the plug to foul with soot/carbon which can cause misfires, hard starting and other issues. The engine manufacturer specifies the plug-type for the engine and that includes a plug with the correct "heat range" for the engine. A plug with the correct heat range is hot enough to remain clean and free of deposits and provide proper ignition but will not be hot enough to cause undue pinging or detonation. A plug that has the correct heat range will typically be clean and the insulator nose will be off-white to tan in color. If the plug is too cold the insulator will be dark brown or black. A plug that is too hot will typically be pure white and blistered, and may have condensed metallic deposits on it.

You can probably get a more thorough explanation on one of the plug manufacturers sites.