Not all spark plugs are the same. Any plug capable of generating a strong enough electric current to ignite fuel and compressed air in the combustion chamber to start and run an automobile can be considered a spark plug.
With that said, because there are many types of spark plugs, they tend to have certain differences and unique capabilities separate of each other despite their ability to do essentially the same function. Certain spark plugs are more efficient (and expensive) than others.
4 Different Types of Spark Plugs
Match your spark plug choice with whatever it is your manufacturer recommends for your purchased vehicle. With that said, here are the different types of spark plug.
- Copper: Copper spark plugs are best used for vintage or older vehicles built before 1980. However, they have the significant downsides of requiring more voltage and not lasting as long as the other spark plug types. They're made of solid copper and its central electrode is composed of nickel alloy. What's more, it possesses the biggest diameter compared to other spark plug types. They need more voltage to generate their electric current for the sake of spark production.
- Iridium: A spark plug that's made of iridium will last the longest among your prospective choices. Iridium is a type of material that's more durable and harder than even platinum. It's expensive but not exorbitantly so because of how small a spark plug is. So there you go. It's expensive but lasts the longest while using less voltage from your battery. You get what you pay for with iridium, making it last quite long.
- Platinum: A platinum spark plug is similar to copper but its center electrode contains a platinum disc that's welded into the tip area of the platinum unit instead of the traditional nickel alloy from the copper unit. This allows it to last longer than its copper counterpart. Debris buildup is reduced significantly as well. However, it's not the strongest spark plug in the market. You can get better like the double platinum and iridium spark plug upgrades if you so wish.
- Double Platinum: Last but not least is the double platinum spark plug. It gets its name from its double platinum content compared to platinum spark plugs. It works on a waste park system that makes the plugs fire twice. The first spark is for compression stroke's cylinder then the other is for the exhaust stroke's cylinder. The latter spark has no ignition there but this system is more resilient against environmental conditions such as dampness and rain. This ensures you a more reliable spark. This spark plug isn't recommended for electronic DIS.