Regarding the spark plug replacement timing

The electrode progressively wears, causing the spark gap to increase, along with the increasing number of spark
discharges. When the gap exceeds a certain limit, the sparking performance deteriorates, which may prevent
stable ignition of the gas mixture. When this happens, the horsepower of the engine falls, the fuel economy
deteriorates and also the quality of the exhaust gas is adversely affected, so it is necssary to replace the plugs.
The table below shows our recommended plug replacement timing as a rough guide to the economic life of the
plugs. The economic life may be reduced depending upon the vehicle running condition* and the sparking
characteristics*.

Rough guide to the recommended replacement interval Rough guide to the recommended replacement interval
(economic life) for conventional spark plugs (economic life) for platinum plugs, Iridium Tough and Iridium Plus plugs

Automobile 15,000 to 20,000km Automobile up to100,000km *1

Motorcycle 3,000 to 5,000km Motorcycle There are no settings.

*1: The small engine vehicle, a tuned vehicle or a vehicle that uses a
simultaneous ignition coil is often used at high speed. This may cause the
life of the plugs to be reduced.

Rough guide to the recommended replacement interval

(economic life) of Ni-TT plugs

Automobile 15,000 to 20,000km

Motorcycle There are no settings.

*Factors which shorten life

●Running condition: High-speed running, high-load running, hill climbing, extended idling (taxi), etc.
●Ignition characteristics: Simultaneous ignition, positive discharge, use of high-energy coil, etc.

Simultaneous ignition system

A simultaneous ignition system is an ignition system in which two plug cords are connected to one coil, as shown in
the figure. A normal coil consists of a single coil which provides a high voltage to one plug. Generally, it employs a
negative discharge that results in relatively low wear. In contrast, a simultaneous ignition system uses a single coil
which must be capable of supplying high voltage to two plugs. A negative discharge occurs at one plug and a
positive discharge occurs at the other plug, resulting in the generation of wasteful fire that is unrelated to
combustion. For this reason, the electrode at which a positive discharge occurs tends to wear markedly.

Adjustment of the plug gap

●If the center electrode becomes rounded or the grounding electrode wears unevenly, replace the plug with a new one.
●Do not adjust the gap of a plug that has a thin electrode, such as a platinum plug or an iridium plug, because this may
result in damage to the center electrode.