Replacing spark plugs on a Lada Granta (16 valves) with your own hands

08 October 2015 315 960

A malfunction of the spark plugs immediately affects the operation of the engine; it begins to stall, jerk, does not pull, or starts poorly. To solve the problem, simply replace them with new ones, but which spark plugs are better to choose?

All modern 8 and 16 valve power units have the same manufacturer's recommendation. In other words, advice on choosing spark plugs will be similar for all modern Lada cars.

In the user manual for Lada Priora, Kalina, Granta, Vesta Largus, Niva and XRAY cars, the engine technical specifications contain the following data:

The gap between the spark plug electrodes should be within 1...1.15 mm. Let us remind you that Lada Vesta and Lada XRAY can be equipped with a Nissan-Renault HR16/H4M engine. The spark plug gap in this case should be 0.85...0.95 mm. For K4M/K7M engines (more about spark plugs), the gap between the spark plug electrodes is 0.95+-0.05.

According to the requirements, the manufacturer must guarantee uninterrupted operation of the spark plugs for 18 months, provided that the vehicle mileage does not exceed 20,000 km. However, with good technical condition of the engine and proper operation, the service life of the spark plugs can be significantly longer. Thus, spark plugs are often replaced every 3 years or after 40 thousand km.

Marketers suggest improving engine performance by installing, for example, iridium, platinum or multi-electrode spark plugs on the Priora, the price of which is higher than usual. AVTOVAZ recommends using conventional, single-electrode spark plugs for its engines. In a review by ZaRulem magazine, a survey was conducted that shows that the majority of drivers follow the factory’s recommendations and choose simple, inexpensive spark plugs.

As part of the same review, nine different spark plugs were tested. As a result, they all passed the tests, and the winner was determined by summing up the points:

So what spark plugs should I put on the Priora/Granta/Kalina/Vesta? Based on the recommendations of AVTOVAZ, the test results of a popular car magazine and a survey of the social network VKontakte, we can conclude that the best choice would be spark plugs from manufacturers: NGK, Bosch, Denso, Brisk and EZ Standard.

Where can I buy?

Original LADA spark plugs can be purchased in our online store:

What kind of spark plugs do you use? What is the main factor when choosing them? Let us remind you that a high-quality battery also affects engine starting.

Keywords: ignition system Lada Priora | ignition system for Lada Kalina | ignition system for Lada Granta | Lada Priora engine | Lada Kalina engine | Lada Granta engine | ignition system for Lada Vesta | Lada Vesta engine | ignition system Lada Largus | 4x4 ignition system | ignition system lada xray | Lada Largus engine | 4x4 engine | lada xray engine | Niva ignition system | Niva engine | universal article

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Category:
Product ratings » Spark plugs|
Author:
Vladimir Redka|
Updated:
28-10-2020

The Lada Granta engine with 8 valves is simple, so when replacing spark plugs, you should not spend money on consumables with iridium or platinum electrodes - the result expected from such a replacement will only be on new 16-valve internal combustion engines. Ordinary and inexpensive ones with an average heat rating are sufficient. Cold spark plugs (20 and above) often miss a spark, and at idle the engine will be completely unstable, and so-called. “hot” ones will “harass” the owner with detonation after turning off the ignition.

Below we have selected, in our opinion, the best options for replacing the Lada Granta. User opinions indirectly confirm that it is difficult to find better spark plugs for the Lada Granta.

What are the benefits of “golden” candles?

If you see in the factory instructions the recommendation “replace spark plugs every 120,000 km” or an even higher figure, do not rush to write off everything as marketing gimmicks. Most likely, your car is equipped with spark plugs with platinum or iridium electrodes . Such spark plugs are expensive, durable and provide excellent spark generation throughout their entire service life; as a rule, they are equipped with highly accelerated engines that require extremely stable spark characteristics.

In addition to being expensive, they also have a number of disadvantages: for example, they are quite capricious to external influences, so it is not recommended to unscrew them from the engine again - falling on the floor or mechanical cleaning with a wire brush in the old fashioned way will most likely immediately disable the expensive spark plug. In addition, despite the fact that platinum (and even more so iridium) spark plugs have greater “penetrative” spark power and self-cleaning ability than conventional spark plugs, they are just as susceptible to the formation of carbon deposits on an engine that overflows or consumes a lot of oil. But you won’t be able to clean them using old-fashioned methods, unlike ordinary candles. Therefore, they are not recommended for installation on old engines: they are unlikely to have time to fully reveal their potential and fully realize the economic benefits of use.

But if you still decide to install fashionable platinum or iridium candles, then keep in mind: they, just like ordinary ones, must be carefully selected according to parameters, first of all, according to external dimensions and heat rating. Otherwise, instead of improving engine performance, you may end up with lost money and headaches.

Rating of the best spark plugs

When forming the rating, we took into account the characteristics of spark plugs. As a result, our TOP includes only the best models that are optimally suited specifically for the Lada Granta vehicle. In addition, we took into account the opinions of users. For this reason, our rating includes only those spark plugs that received the largest number of positive reviews from car owners.

The best SZ from famous manufacturers

Here are the best spark plugs from well-known manufacturers.

No. 5. DENSO 4604 K20TT

These are inexpensive and high-quality spark plugs.
The products are equipped with a thin electrode that promotes rapid ignition. Thanks to this, the motor runs smoothly, the engine starts faster and its vibration is reduced. DENSO 4604 K20TT
Specifications:

main electrode size – 1.5 mm; number of side electrodes – 1; motor type – petrol; tightening angle – 90 degrees.

Pros: high quality; reliable manufacturer; affordable cost; positive effect on engine performance; long period of action.

VAZ-21126 and 21127 engines are equipped with 16 valves, but the spark plugs in them need to be changed as often as in 8-valve engines. The replacement interval is 30 thousand km. The spark plug wells will be covered by the ignition coils. Therefore, first disconnect the coil connector, unscrew it, and then you can unscrew the spark plug. During installation, it is better to use a ratchet wrench, withstanding a force of 25–30 N*m.

The meaning of a candle in a power apparatus

Thanks to it, a spark is formed. The spark contributes to the ignition of the flammable composition in the engine cylinders. This process occurs because a high voltage discharge occurs through the electrodes. And yet, how often should you change spark plugs?

Structure

They are formed by several components:

1. Output element. Through it, the spark plug is connected to the high voltage line.
2. Insulator. It protects against excessive heating. Its ribs prevent damage to the entire surface. And between the center electrode and the side electrode the impulse, the spark, moves.
3. Special seal. It prevents fuel from penetrating from the combustion compartment into the engine housing.

Key Features

Here, the leading place in importance is occupied by the distance (electrodes). It is also called gaps. Its size affects the efficiency of ignition of the combustible composition. The wider the parameter, the higher the power of the generated spark. And with a high-quality spark, the scale of the ignition area will increase. This way, the engine in the car is guaranteed to run smoothly and fuel consumption is stable. How can you tell when it's time to change your spark plugs?

If the parameter is modest, then a premature spark appears. And at low voltages a breakdown occurs. As a result, the power and efficiency of the engine decreases.

How to get rid of unnecessary details

Any 16-valve engine has a plastic protection installed on top. But the protective cover can always be removed by simply pulling the part up. By the way, the rubber supports on the covers of motors 21126 and 21127 will be the same (see figure).

Cover and 4 supports, motor 21126 Cover and the same supports, motor 21127

It is recommended to unscrew the filler plug, but you can leave it in place. The lid must be pulled up, snapping off the supports one by one.

Practicing on motor 21127 Four supports snapped off

Everything looks more complicated than it actually turns out to be. Try it!

Actions before replacement

First of all, we recommend disconnecting the negative terminal of the battery. To do this you need a key “10”. Then disconnect the ignition coil connectors. The appearance of one connector is shown below.

By pressing the latch, the connector is pulled up

Next, taking a TORX E-8 wrench, unscrew the screw securing the coil.

Need a TORX spanner

The coil itself can be pulled out by holding it by the connector body.

The connector will not break, try it

Finally, the engine is ready to replace the spark plugs. This process is discussed further.

Do not allow dust to get into the spark plug well! If necessary, you can use a can of compressed air.

We change the spark plugs ourselves

Let's say all the wells were open, and now you can see the contacts of the spark plugs.

Only one well is open here

Taking a high 16 socket wrench, dismantle each spark plug. It is better to use a special tool - that is, a “spark wrench”.

All spark plugs should come out easily

Installation is carried out in the reverse order, but the following requirements are observed:

1. First, taking the spark plug body with your hands, screw it in without using a key;
2. The key must be rotated with a force of 25–30 N*m. Do not exceed these numbers!

It is usually recommended to change spark plugs “one at a time”. This advice will be useful for beginners.

If there is oil inside the wells, you need to “get it wet”. The oil itself will not cause harm, but sand and dust will get into the cylinders with it.

Varieties and features