Car engines are made up of many components that each work to enable a vehicle to start and run smoothly.
Two such components are spark plugs and glow plugs, which are often referred to interchangeably yet have some distinct differences to know about.
Crucially, glow plugs and spark plugs work in different types of engines and also have varying properties.
At Filter Services UK, we sell a wide range of essential automotive components to keep your vehicle up and running.
In today’s post, we’re here to give you a general overview of the differences between spark and glow plugs.
Spark plugs
Spark plugs are found in petrol engines and serve the purpose of igniting the air-fuel mixture with a spark. As the name suggests, they work by creating an electrical spark between two electrodes. When this spark occurs, it ignites the compressed air-fuel mixture inside the engine’s cylinders.
This generates the power necessary to drive the engine’s pistons and keep the vehicle running.
As a highly durable engine component, spark plugs often boast excellent mileage. Though, this will ultimately depend on the vehicle and the driving conditions it is subjected to. Spark plugs are generally easy to inspect and replace. Over time, spark plugs can degrade due to wear and tear so should be checked at regular intervals.
On the whole, spark plugs are quite temperature-resistant.
However, in extremely cold weather, spark plugs often don’t work as well which can inhibit the overall engine performance.
Glow plugs
Glow plugs get their name from the fact they glow when warm. They remain glowing until the engine reaches a certain temperature.
Used to preheat the combustion chamber to help diesel fuel ignite, the primary purpose of a glow plug is to aid with cold starting a diesel engine. During cold starts, the glow plug remains extremely hot.
A caveat of glow plugs reaching extremely high temperatures is that they are more sensitive to wear and tear specifically due to the constant heating and cooling process that occurs when the engine starts. Therefore, glow plugs also require frequent replacement, especially if mostly used during cold weather.
Due to glow plugs having a more intricate design, they also cost more to replace.
Filter Services – Find components for your vehicle on our website!
Beyond glow plugs and spark plugs, your car or van also contains many other components that are integral to its operational performance.
Many of these include various filters that you’ll find right here on our website!
Head over to our filters page to discover the top brands we stock including Donaldson, Fleetguard and Mann. Or, visit our branches in Chesterfield, Leeds or Leicester.
If you need any help with purchasing from our website, please send us a message and our team will be with you shortly.