Spark plugs flashing blue at night

[BigJimZ16]

A faint blue glow--as opposed to big blue sparks arching from the plug to the surrounding cylinder head material--around spark pugs is called corona discharge and is normal.

Also, the Junkster's comments about having one more Corona then piss on it, is unnecessary work. Corona is such lousy beer, you might as well just pour it on your spark plugs then go buy something good to drink.

yup, I'm with Hib on this one... Corona sux... Dos XX or better!

 

[joshwilson3]

A faint blue glow--as opposed to big blue sparks arching from the plug to the surrounding cylinder head material--around spark pugs is called corona discharge and is normal.

Also, the Junkster's comments about having one more Corona then piss on it, is unnecessary work. Corona is such lousy beer, you might as well just pour it on your spark plugs then go buy something good to drink.

Thats what it looks like. A blue glow that flickers and flashes. No spark arch.

 

[TedC]

So let me understand this better. If I find the same corona "glow" with my AC Delcos, I need to buy Corona beer and coat the plugs and top shelf beer to drink while doing so. Vette ownership is getting better. Need to listen more often to the experts. Hey, my cat is going to like this.

 

[LLC5]

Almost makes me want to put a couple in my own vehicle and see for myself.

 

[boomdriver]

So let me understand this better. If I find the same corona "glow" with my AC Delcos, I need to buy Corona beer and coat the plugs and top shelf beer to drink while doing so. Vette ownership is getting better. Need to listen more often to the experts. Hey, my cat is going to like this.

Your cat runs on AC Delcos?



Pretty trick cat!

 

[boomdriver]

Is NGK wrong then?

I called their tech line and their tech said what I was seeing was normal. At least with their plugs. I guess all plugs may not do it. The tech said they get calls like that all the time. And told me you see it at the air gap where the insulator meets the metal case where that nut is. That is exactly where I'm seeing it at. The tech called it a corona discharge.

Thats believable. Since we know that ALL electrical fields have an aura, a high voltage discharge in rapid succession might create a visable field, much like the arora borealis. Its probably the air-gap that makes it possible. Most plugs have a sealed insulator that fills the metal body to prevent shorts and to help with heat discharge. If it were a short or an arc, you would hear the very distinct 'clicking' or ticking noise.

Might want to figure a way to patent the 'glow' and get rich selling it to kid-car racers...They'd all love to have their accords do that !

 

[vetteoz]

Might want to figure a way to patent the 'glow' and get rich selling it to kid-car racers...They'd all love to have their accords do that !

I was thinking that right from the start; could be big seller with the Ricer crowd

 

[Kenny]

Also, the Junkster's comments about having one more Corona then piss on it, is unnecessary work. Corona is such lousy beer, you might as well just pour it on your spark plugs then go buy something good to drink.

Yup that's about right. If a beer needs a lime in it to give it flavor well that's just not beer in my book.

 

[vetteoz]

If a beer needs a lime in it to give it flavor well that's just not beer in my book.

That was started by the trendy drinkers.The Mexicans wipe a lime around the top to sterilize the bottle after it has been transported under a crate of chickens.

 

[Schrade]

Is NGK wrong then?

I called their tech line and their tech said what I was seeing was normal. At least with their plugs. I guess all plugs may not do it. The tech said they get calls like that all the time. And told me you see it at the air gap where the insulator meets the metal case where that nut is. That is exactly where I'm seeing it at. The tech called it a corona discharge.

said? Words go away when the sound stops. Or the phone hangs up, whichever is first.

Corona discharge? That tells us what language they speak...

I got $5 that says they WON'T put that [it's normal] into writing.

 

[vetteoz]

Corona discharge?

Corona discharge - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[LLC5]

Might want to figure a way to patent the 'glow' and get rich selling it to kid-car racers...They'd all love to have their accords do that !

Except that their spark plugs are buried in between the valve covers and aren't visible. They may not be smart enough to realize it though.

 

[Schrade]

I know what coronal discharge is - I've written about Kirlian Photography and phantom-limb effect.

 

[joshwilson3]

said? Words go away when the sound stops. Or the phone hangs up, whichever is first.

Corona discharge? That tells us what language they speak...

I got $5 that says they WON'T put that [it's normal] into writing.

You owe me $5 then. How would you like to pay me?

NGK in writing about corona discharge and their spark plugs:

www.ngk-sparkplugs.jp/english/techinfo/qa/q17/index.html

NGK even put it in video form. Is that good enough? Spoken word, written word, and now spoken word in video form with pictures:

www.ngk-sparkplugs.jp/english/techinfo/movie/12/12.html

 

[Vettehead Mikey]

"Corona stain?" I got your Corona stain right here. Musta been that burrito.

 

[Schrade]

You owe me $5 then. How would you like to pay me?

NGK in writing about corona discharge and their spark plugs:

www.ngk-sparkplugs.jp/english/techinfo/qa/q17/index.html

NGK even put it in video form. Is that good enough? Spoken word, written word, and now spoken word in video form with pictures:

www.ngk-sparkplugs.jp/english/techinfo/movie/12/12.html

Well, I lost that one, and I don't welch. PM me.

Looks like the site has been up for 4 years, and no one has called them on it.

 

[joshwilson3]

Well, I lost that one, and I don't welch. PM me.

Looks like the site has been up for 4 years, and no one has called them on it.

I'm not gonna bother replacing the spark plugs since NGK says they are working properly. They have been in for 6 months now with no problems.

Plus, alot of guys like to use NGK for their LT1 engines as AC Delco have been known to loose pucks. I think I'd much rather have NGK with the corona discharge than an AC Delco loosing a puck inside the engine. Though mine is an L98 so I got the regular type of plugs.

 

[Schrade]

I'm not gonna bother replacing the spark plugs since NGK says they are working properly. They have been in for 6 months now with no problems.

Plus, alot of guys like to use NGK for their LT1 engines as AC Delco have been known to loose pucks. I think I'd much rather have NGK with the corona discharge than an AC Delco loosing a puck inside the engine. Though mine is an L98 so I got the regular type of plugs.

I'll still make good tho'...

And I DO believe it's a design flaw, with an attempt to light a hotter spark. I think it could work, but the plug body would have to be shorter, with retained (edit: increased) insulator capacity. The longer the [tapered] body, the higher the impedance increase. When that happens, you get spark discharge in the wrong place - corona, as they call it.

Double or nothin'; put a multimeter on any other plug, and the impedance will be lower than with this NGK??? I'd really like to know the answer to that...



edit:
It IS an insulator issue (looks like that's what they admitted to you too):

And told me you see it at the air gap where the insulator meets the metal case where that nut is.

 

[joshwilson3]

I'll still make good tho'...

And I DO believe it's a design flaw, with an attempt to light a hotter spark. I think it could work, but the plug body would have to be shorter, with retained (edit: increased) insulator capacity. The longer the [tapered] body, the higher the impedance increase. When that happens, you get spark discharge in the wrong place - corona, as they call it.

Double or nothin'; put a multimeter on any other plug, and the impedance will be lower than with this NGK??? I'd really like to know the answer to that...



edit:
It IS an insulator issue (looks like that's what they admitted to you too):

Haha, I'm not worried about the money.

From the way I understand it, there is nothing leaking out of the spark plug. What is happening is the air outside the spark plug gets energized or something which causes the corona discharge.

Though, I'm thinking it isn't a big deal as tons of people use this plug. And lots who have the LT1 prefer the plug over AC Delco. At the time I saw the blue flickering lights though, I thought there was something wrong with the plugs or my electrical system.

 

[motorman]

i saw this effect back in the 50s on my flat head ford when opening the hood in the dark.