What are Ruthenium Spark Plugs?

What are Ruthenium Spark Plugs? . Ruthenium spark plugs are advanced automotive components designed to ignite fuel-air mixtures in combustion engines more efficiently and last significantly longer than traditional spark plugs. Utilizing ruthenium—a rare and durable precious metal—these plugs outperform conventional iridium and platinum spark plugs in longevity, reliability, and ignition efficiency.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll dive into the unique features of spark plugs, their benefits, and how they compare to other types of spark plugs.

The ruthenium spark plug uses ruthenium electrodes.

Currently, there’s only one manufacturer that makes them, and that is NGK spark plug — specifically the NGK Ruthenium HX. This NGK spark plug is formulated with NGKs patented ruthenium technology.

The NGK Ruthenium HX spark plug has two different models of these related products:

Ruthenium HX DFE (double fine electrode), and
Ruthenium HX PSPE (projected square platinum electrode).

But why use ruthenium when manufacturing spark plugs?
Well, that’s because ruthenium is considerably cheaper and just as good as other precious metal spark plugs (iridium and platinum). Ruthenium is a Platinum Group Metal, which is known to have excellent physical and chemical properties like a high melting point, and it doesn’t corrode easily.

If ruthenium metal is that good, surely it would make a reliable plug, right?
To answer that question, let’s go through some pros and cons of using ruthenium spark plugs.

What is Ruthenium?

Properties of Ruthenium

Ruthenium is a rare transition metal known for its exceptional hardness, chemical inertness, and high melting point. It is part of the platinum group metals and is often alloyed with other materials to enhance durability and performance.

Role in Spark Plugs

In spark plugs, ruthenium is utilized for the electrodes—the components responsible for generating the spark. Its properties allow for finer electrode designs, reducing energy loss and improving ignition precision.

How Do Spark Plugs Work?

The Ignition Process

A spark plug ignites the compressed fuel-air mixture inside the combustion chamber, initiating the engine’s power cycle. It achieves this by creating a high-voltage spark across its electrodes.

Key Components

Central Electrode: Conducts electricity to create the spark.
Ground Electrode: Provides a grounded connection to complete the circuit.
Insulator: Prevents energy leakage and ensures focused sparking.

What are the Pros and Cons of Ruthenium Spark Plugs?

Like other spark plugs, manufacturing spark plugs with ruthenium produces its own benefits and disadvantages. Let’s take a look.

A. Benefits:

Here are some benefits of of ruthenium plugs:

Provides a complete fuel burn and has high ignitability, resulting in quicker throttle response, smoother idle, and better cold starts

Helps produce less emissions and ensures better fuel economy in modern engines

Enhances vehicle acceleration power

Performs better at higher temperatures and various driving conditions (leisure drives, light towing, medium-to-high performance, newer engines, etc)

Has a low chance of fouling because ruthenium is brittle and shatters when dropped, so the outer layer of the electrode will come off along with the dirt and grime

B. Disadvantages:

Here are some potential disadvantages of using ruthenium plugs:

Slightly more expensive than conventional spark plugs
Is unpredictable under extreme temperatures
Wears faster in higher engine revs
Shorter lifespan when compared to traditional iridium spark plugs
Doesn’t work well with certain engine types

Now you might be thinking, maybe an iridium spark plug is better than ruthenium ones?
Let’s compare them.

Types of Ruthenium Spark Plugs

Ruthenium HX

Engineered for modern engines, Ruthenium HX plugs provide superior cold starts and combustion efficiency.

Double Ruthenium

Designed for high-performance engines, these plugs feature double-coated electrodes for unmatched durability and spark accuracy.

Comparison with Iridium and Platinum

Compared to iridium and platinum plugs, ruthenium offers better performance under extreme conditions and a longer service life.

Are Ruthenium Plugs Better than Iridium?

Some might say the ruthenium spark plugs are better than traditional iridium spark plugs, or vice versa. They’re both precious metal spark plugs used in modern engines.

We won’t tell you which one you should get, but we can guide you to see their differences. So, here’s a back-to-back comparison between ruthenium and iridium spark plugs based on specific criteria:

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A. Physical Properties

Both metals are durable and have anti-corrosive properties, but a ruthenium spark plug wears out faster.

Ruthenium and iridium metals are transition metals and Platinum Group Metals. While both can withstand high temperatures, ruthenium has a higher melting point than iridium. This makes ruthenium more resistant to high operating temperatures.

However, iridium is more stable than ruthenium, making it less likely to corrode when exposed to harsh chemicals of other elements. Iridium also offers the highest durability of the two spark plugs.

B. Operational Performance

Ruthenium and iridium plugs are known for providing excellent operational performance but differ in engine compatibility.

Iridium spark plugs are a better choice for high performance engines (like turbo and supercharged engines) because they produce more power and have higher ignitability than traditional spark plugs.

On the other hand, the ruthenium spark plug is better suited for everyday engines.

C. Price

Here comes the most obvious difference between the two spark plugs: their prices.

Ruthenium spark plugs cost about $12 a piece, while iridium spark plugs are sold for about $18 to $100 each. Although it’s quite a huge difference, if you compare it to how often you’d have to replace them, using iridium plugs can give your money’s worth when taking into account maximum durability.

Installation Process

Tools Needed

Ratchet wrench
Spark plug socket
Torque wrench
Anti-seize compound

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Step-by-Step Guide

Prepare the Engine: Turn off the engine and allow it to cool.
Remove Old Plugs: Use the spark plug socket to carefully remove old plugs.
Install New Plugs: Apply anti-seize compound to the threads and install the ruthenium plugs, tightening them with a torque wrench.
Test the Engine: Start the engine to ensure proper functioning.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Over-tightening the plugs
Skipping the use of anti-seize compound
Installing incompatible plugs

Ruthenium Spark Plugs for Different Vehicles

Ruthenium plugs are suitable for a wide range of vehicles, including:

Cars: Enhances fuel efficiency and engine power.
Motorcycles: Provides better throttle response and acceleration.
Boats: Improves ignition reliability in wet environments.

FAQs

1. What Are the Other Types of Spark Plugs Available?

Here are some different types of spark plugs, other than those with ruthenium electrodes:

Copper Spark Plugs: A more affordable and common type of plug that uses a copper and nickel alloy electrode (also known as conventional spark plugs).

Platinum Spark Plugs: Has a platinum center electrode and copper ground electrode, which increases its lifespan (compared to a copper plug).

Double Platinum Spark Plugs: Both the center and ground electrodes are made of platinum, which makes it more expensive but has better longevity.

Iridium Spark Plugs: Has an iridium ‘fine wire’ center and small ground electrodes that help lower the ignition voltage but still produce high performance.

Silver Spark Plugs: Has a silver-plated ground electrode and has better thermal stability but a shorter lifespan.

2. When Should I Change My Spark Plugs?

Most manufacturers recommend changing your spark plug every 30,000 miles.

However, if you’re unsure whether it’s time to replace your spark plugs, here’s a list of signs that point to a faulty spark plug:

Difficulty starting your vehicle
Rough idling due to misfiring
Loss of power
Poor fuel economy
Illuminated Check Engine Light
Increased emissions

3. How Can I Replace My Spark Plug?

Replacing your car’s plug can seem daunting at first glance, but it’s not as complicated as it seems.

However, you wouldn’t want to cause more damage because you’re trying to save money on repairs. So if you’re not comfortable dealing with car parts, always get a mechanic’s help.

Here’s what a mechanic would do when replacing one:

Park the car on a flat surface and disable the ignition.
Remove the engine cover and locate the spark plugs.
Unscrew the spark plugs from the cylinder heads according to their position.
Install the new plugs in reverse order (when removing them) and ensure they’re screwed tight.
Reattach the engine cover and attempt to start the vehicle.

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