Anyboby tried these in their Xfire yet? If so, any improvements?

 

Woops, forgot the link.....

http://www.e3sparkplugs.com/index.htm

 

they are a waste of money, the spark will only reach the electrode that is closest (were talking less than a thousandth of an inch) I was told at work that the company was sued because of their bogus horsepower gains. Supposedly they switched the plugs out of cars that have dirty plugs that have probably never been changed, which I could see making a 20+ horsepower difference. If there is no additional energy fed to the spark plug, the spark will be just as powerful assuming the gap is the same. If they are claiming that they will last longer because they have 3 electrodes I dont beleive that either, because the unused electrodes would gunk up due to their lack of use, so once the one that is being used gets gunked up, itll be time to change the plugs anyway. I've also seen a new plug called pulse plugs or something along those lines. Kind of like an MSD box built into each plug. Those (provided they work) could make a difference, but I would think only in older, carbureted cars.

 

Theoretically there will be a small improvement but I think "over hyped" is the key expression here. As long as they are a direct replacement you might as well try them since they are not much more expensive than a regular plug (at least on Amazon).

 

Wished I would have read your post before writing mine. Anyway, if the spark actually propagates as portrayed in their video then theoretically a better ignition of the a/f mixture could occur. Realistically this is not going to make any significant, or insignificant, difference at all. Now if the electrodes do hold up then it's possible the plug can go over 100,000 miles. Thinking about this, though, raises a question: how does the ECU account for electrode wear vs wear in a normal plug?

And another thought: will your Crossfire be kept long enough, and the plugs last long enough, to justify the extra 6 or 7 dollars they cost?

Well I just convinced myself not to buy them. Syfi, you would be better off keeping your tires properly inflated and routinely replacing your air filter rather than using these plugs.

 

Thanx Brent and Downward.... I had a feeling these could be suspect. In all honesty, I'm just happy with what I've got.

 

The reason to have 3 points (E3 diamond fire), 4 points (Bosch Platinum +4), etc. is that when one electrode fails, fouls, etc. then there's another electrode to ground to to provide spark. Platinum is a better metal for conductivity than copper the most common core of spark plugs. Electricity goes to path of least resistance. This in conjunction with the differing amounts of electrodes is what allows for 100,000 mi intervals which is the main reason for using the higher end plugs.

Now there are ignition units out there (MSD is a big vendor) for upgraded spark voltages. When raising compression ratios the spark voltages need to be increased as well or your voltage stays the same but spark duration decreases with the increased resistance (combustion chamber pressure), resulting is lots of unburnt fuel in the cylinder.

Hope this helps a little



Justin

 

All of the above posts have some valuable and healthy skepticism. I have posted before on spark plugs and my position is that if there is an advantage in horsepower gain, gas milage increase, or longevity, the automobile manufacturers would all be jumping on the new technology. If the new technology was patented, they would buy the patents.

I worked for Champion Spark Plug Co. for 25 years and between my father, grandfather and me, we had a cumulative 92 years there. I also have managed a Shell station and advised my customers to put in the same original plugs that come out. The only time you need to change heat range is if you are driving the car hard or racing when you would need a colder plug, or if you are driving in the city and your plugs are fouling, you need a hotter plug. This is less true today as in the past. With a copper core you can use a thinner longer profile to get the advantage of a hotter plug and still be able to dissipate the heat out of the plug mimicking a cold plug. In other words you have a greater heat "range" built in to modern spark plugs today.

The one element of truth in the ad is that a spark jumps most efficiently from a sharp edge. That's why in the past with conventional ingition systems you needed to replace pugs after about 10,000 miles, the edges got rounded. Leaded gas also fouled plugs after about 10,000 miles. With todays electronic ignitions, the computer compensates as the plug wears and looses it's sharp edges.

It always amazes me that there is a definite " perceived performance" boost that occurs when replacing spark plugs. If I told you I put a new type of plug in your car and told you it will boost your horsepower by 10 percent, most would say they "feel" the difference even if I didn't change the plugs.

Our plugs in the Crossfire were designed to go for 100,000 miles. It certainly won't hurt to replace the plugs but in most cases it's not needed.