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How Platinum And Iridium Make Spark Plugs Great
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By Counterman
The Auto Care Association announced it has been
link hidden, please login to view. “This prestigious award is a testament to the association’s commitment to creating an inclusive, supportive and dynamic work environment for its employees,” Auto Care said in a news release.
With a remarkable 95% of employees affirming that the Auto Care Association is a great place to work, the organization stands out significantly above the national average. This recognition is based on direct feedback from employees, provided as part of the Great Place to Work’s rigorous, data-driven methodology.
The survey highlighted several areas where the Auto Care Association excels, including management’s approachability, effective coordination and assignment of tasks and the provision of necessary resources and equipment to employees.
Headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, the Auto Care Association employs more than 40 U.S.-based workers and is renowned for its advocacy, educational, networking, technology and market-intelligence resources. It plays a pivotal role in the automotive aftermarket, driving innovation and competitiveness through its evaluation of market trends and development of new tools to adapt to evolving patterns.
“This certification is not just a milestone for our association but a reflection of the hard work, dedication, and passion of our team,” said Bill Hanvey, president and CEO of the Auto Care Association. “We are deeply committed to ensuring our workplace is not only rewarding and supportive but also fosters the growth and development of all our employees.”
The Auto Care Association added that its “culture is built on a foundation of mutual respect, collaboration and a shared vision for the future of the automotive aftermarket.”
Auto Care uses the acronym TCIF to summarize its corporate values. It stands for Teamwork, Curiosity, Integrity and Fun. These values “have cultivated a workplace where 97% of employees feel management is approachable and hires people who fit well within the organization,” according to Auto Care.
“Great member service starts with a strong internal foundation,” said Lea Diamond, vice president, people operations, for the Auto Care Association. “Our strengths internally are reflected in the level of service and care we provide to our members and the industry.”
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By NAPA
A resilient effort by Christian Eckes and the
link hidden, please login to view team salvaged a top-10 finish in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series (NCTS) opener at Daytona International Speedway on Friday night. The driver of the No. 19 NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet Silverado RST finished 10th despite being involved in three multi-truck accidents in the second half of the event. His 10th-place result earned him 39 points and places him third in the NCTS championship standings.
Eckes was buried deep in the field after qualifying 25th, but he instantly darted toward the front once the green flag flew. Eckes’ aggression was immediately evident as he made three-wide moves on the opening lap. He narrowly avoided a multi-truck accident on lap six and joined the top-10 on lap 13. A one-lap dash to close Stage 1 saw Eckes grab three points in eighth position on lap 20.
Crew chief Charles Denike kept Eckes on track during the caution to inherit track position and found themselves in the mix for the race lead when Stage 2 went green at lap 27. Eckes was in the thick of the battle for the race lead and pushed his new MHR teammate Tyler Ankrum to the Stage 2 win. Eckes pocketed another nine points by running second at the end of the segment on lap 40.
Under the second-stage caution, Eckes pitted for four tires and fuel and restarted 12th on lap 45. A caution on lap 57 allowed him, and several other competitors, to make their final stop for fuel. Eckes restarted 16th on lap 62 and rocketed to the front with some aggressive drafting. He briefly took the lead on lap 72 but was involved in an accident on lap 79 while running second. Despite losing a lap, the NAPA Auto Care team made ample repairs and allowed Eckes to regain his lap on lap 86. With five laps to go, he suffered minor damage in an incident which set up an overtime restart. After restarting 24th with two laps remaining, Eckes drove halfway back through the field but was swept into a track-blocking accident on the final lap and suffered significant damage.
Eckes was able to refire his Chevrolet Silverado RST and drove back around to the checkered flag to finish 10th and start the season just four points out of the championship lead.
“Tonight was a wild night, for sure,” Eckes said. “We were able to drive our NAPA Auto Care Chevrolet up to the front a couple times and were going to be one of the trucks to beat. I was able to work well with our teammates for a while tonight until we got turned off Turn 4 there with 20-to-go or so. I’m proud of the guys on our NAPA team to get it fixed and got our lap back. We never gave up tonight and we saved a ton of points because of it.”
Start / Finish: 25 / 10
Points Standing / Total: 3rd / 39 pts. (-4)
Next Race: Saturday, Feb. 24, Atlanta Motor Speedway
How to Watch or Listen: 2:00 p.m. ET on FS1, MRN or SiriusXM
NAPA:
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Bill McAnally Racing / McAnally-Hilgemann Racing: link hidden, please login to view The post
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By Counterman
Spark plugs are the “canary in the coal mine” of the combustion chamber. The electrodes and porcelain can reveal short- and long-term problems if you know where to look.
Most OE spark plugs have a life of more than 50,000 miles, thanks to electrodes that contain precious metals like platinum and iridium. OEMs consider the spark plugs a part of the emissions system on most modern vehicles.
If the plugs fail sooner than the recommended interval, it’s important to solve the problem before installing new plugs. If you’re replacing spark plugs to solve a misfire problem, the car will be back.
But first, what causes spark plugs to foul quickly? What does a fouled spark plug look like, and what is spark plug fouling?
Carbon Fouling
If the spark plugs have a matte black or grey appearance, it could be carbon fouling – something typically caused by a fuel mixture that’s too rich.
During normal combustion, most of the fuel oxidizes and changes into carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide gas. When there is more fuel than oxygen, the carbon in the unburned fuel polymerizes into carbon deposits. These molecules like to stick to the hot spots in the combustion chamber, and this includes the spark plug’s tip and insulator.
Curing the problem will typically point to the fuel system and how the engine is breathing. If a fuel injector is clogged or sticking open, extra fuel can cause carbon problems.
If the mass airflow sensor or oxygen sensors aren‘t accurately reporting the air that’s coming into the engine or the oxygen content in the exhaust stream, it could cause a rich-running condition that can cause carbon to foul the spark plugs.
Another factor is how the air flows past the valves. If the air is restricted or has to flow past carbon deposits on the intake valves, it will be turbulent and disturb the flame front and fuel-droplet size in the combustion chamber. This means that the fuel injected into the intake port or combustion chamber won’t entirely burn.
Oil Fouling
Oil fouling of a spark plug typically results in a shiny, black appearance. If enough oil is in the combustion chamber, the deposits can build up on the tip, porcelain or shell.
If you can’t determine if it’s carbon or oil fouling, smell the plug; it will smell like engine oil. The oil can come from the piston rings, valve stem seals or the positive crankcase ventilation (PCV) system. Leaking piston rings can be diagnosed with a leak-down test. If one cylinder has oil fouling, a relative compression check can help to assess mechanical issues with that cylinder.
Malfunctioning PCV systems are becoming a leading cause of oil fouling in modern engines. These systems have become more than just a spring-loaded check valve. Modern systems can separate oil from the crankcase vapors and electronically regulate when the engine ingests the vapors.
Some PCV systems have a heater to ensure that the valve doesn’t freeze under certain conditions when condensation is present. If the valve does freeze, it can cause higher-than-normal crankcase pressure. This can cause oil to be forced past the valve seals.
If the PCV valve is stuck open, the excess vapors and oil droplets can quickly foul the spark plugs.
A failed turbocharger can be another source of spark plug oil fouling. The seals on the turbine shaft are robust, but they can be victims of heat and poor oil quality. The oil that lubricates the shaft can enter into the pressurized intake and eventually the combustion chamber.
OEMs have issued technical service bulletins concerning excessive oil consumption. Most of these problems relate to cylinder deactivation and variable valve timing (VVT).
The main culprit in these problems is vacuum generated in the cylinders that sucks engine oil past the rings and into the combustion chamber. On vehicles with cylinder deactivation, the deactivated cylinder has negative pressure and draws oil droplets in the crankcase past the ring and eventually into the converter. This has happened on some GM and Honda engines.
On some vehicles with VVT (typically on the exhaust and intake cams), the valve timing could produce higher-than-normal vacuum pressures that could suck oil past the rings. This was the case for some recent Toyota, Honda and GM models. The customer would report increased oil consumption that exceeded one quart every1,000 miles.
Beyond the oil getting past the rings, the oil trapped in the rings can become carbonized and cause damage to the cylinder walls. This can lead to even more damage and more oil consumption. In some cases, the oil consumption results in a low-oil condition that would cause damage to the bearing surfaces.
Coolant Problems
Internal coolant leaks can foul a spark plug and cause a misfire. The problem could be a leaking intake manifold or a head gasket, and the fouled plug might be localized to one or two adjacent cylinders. The burned coolant leaves ashy, white deposits on the electrodes and insulator, creating hot spots that could cause pre-ignition and a misfire code to be set.
When the plug is pulled, it might have a chalky appearance on the ground strap and center electrode. Modern coolants don’t cause this type of buildup quickly, due to the reduction of phosphate, zinc and other additives that can contaminate the catalytic converters.
In the past, the converter would become clogged and stop the engine before significant damage occurred.
Unfortunately, formulations mean that drivers can run a vehicle with a coolant leak for several thousand miles, while the plug becomes slowly fouled.
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