But with dozens of brands and types, which plugs are best for your car? According to mechanics replacing dozens of spark plugs daily, the short answer is NGK. This is the industry leader, in both OE and aftermarket applications, with over 1000 different types for almost every engine type.
NGK: Your Spark Plug And Sensor Specialist
As a specialist automotive brand dedicated to getting engines going, Japanese giant NGK has cornered the spark plug sector. It provides spark plugs, wires, and coils for 95% of imported and domestically produced vehicles.
Founded in Nagoya in the early 1900s as an insulator manufacturer, NGK branched out into automotive manufacturing by introducing its first spark plugs in 1936. Since then, the company has expanded into automotive electronics, with its first Lambda (O2) sensors hitting shelves in the 1980s.
A series of acquisitions and global expansion means the brand is now the preferred spark plug and ignition parts manufacturer in OE and aftermarket applications, with its comprehensive sensor lineup also taking the game to major rivals, particularly local Denso and Europe’s Bosch.
Product Range
Decades of innovation, commitment to quality, and considerable investment in research and technological development have led to plugs with unique designs for the best possible performance, plugs in different heat ranges to suit production and racing applications, and high-performance spark plugs for today’s demanding and power-hungry engines.
NGK produces an extensive lineup for car and truck engines but also covers motorcycle, marine, powersports and other vehicles. Key products include:
- Ruthenium HX™ – get more power while using less fuel with NGK’s newest Ruthenium HX™ spark plugs. These surpass iridium and platinum plugs, ensuring longer use and maximum durability in today’s demanding automotive engines. The plugs use NGK’s patented ruthenium technology, and come in double-fine electrode (DFE) for the highest ignitability, while also reducing emissions. Or for turbo and supercharged engines, go with the company’s projected square platinum electrode (PSPE®) and ensure longer series life for high-heat engines. Both prevent cold starts, last longer in extreme engine temperatures and offer more stable performance with less dispersion than standard spark plugs.
- Iridium IX® – for improved throttle response, superior anti-fouling and high ignitability, choose NGK’s Iridium IX® plugs. Distinct design and material choices, including laser-welded fine wire iridium center electrodes and the trivalent metal plating, ensure faster starts, quicker acceleration and no seizing.
- Platinum G-Power® and Laser spark plugs – with a single platinum tip, 98% pure copper core, a fine wire center electrode and a trapezoidal ground electrode for reduced quenching and ignition failure, NGK’s G-Power® are the best platinum plugs on the market with consistent output, long lifespan and optimal combustion. The Laser Platinum range is OE-approved to meet demanding quality and durability standards, features the same laser-welded fine-wire electrodes, and is paired with high-grade silica ceramic for improved insulation.
- Nickel spark plugs with V-groove in the center electrode – V-grooved center electrodes ensure the spark occurs at the outer edge for improved ignitability, with reduced voltage. Choose these. Durability and longevity are further enhanced with cold-rolled threads and high-grade silica ceramic.
- OE-style spark plugs – more vehicles in North America have standard-fit NGK plugs than any other brand. Choose OE-replacement NGK spark plugs for consistent performance, long lifespans and durability to meet or exceed OE requirements.
Spark Plug Variations for Your Needs
With over 1000 varied designs, NGK supplies spark plugs to meet all customer needs. Popular ranges are the plugs with multiple ground electrodes for longer service life; those with a supplementary spark gap for reduce fouling; semi-surface ignition type spark plugs when dealing with cold starts and clearing carbon deposits; racing types with ring-shaped ground electrodes to deal with the stresses of extreme temperatures, pressure and engine speeds, or LPG/CNG variants adapted for higher voltage ranges and lifespans of 40,000+ miles.
Coils, Wire Sets and More
To produce high-voltage sparks, gas engines rely on ignition coils. These boost the 12v battery power to tens of thousands of volts for efficient ignition and combustion. NGK produces coils of all types, ranging from distributor-based coils found in older cars, distributorless coils with separate units for each cylinder, coil-on-plug or pencil types in most new production cars, and rail coils commonly seen in smaller displacement engines.
For tuning and racing applications, the company also boasts its MOD™ performance coils, designed to work with high-energy and high-temperature settings. All 277 NGK coil designs are lab-certified to ISO17025 to maintain calibration standards, including electromagnetic interference, mechanical vibration and high-voltage tests to ensure each coil performs and lasts. Lastly, choose the company’s ignition wire sets for consistent performance, superior firing and fuel savings.
NTK: A Comprehensive Sensor Line for Today’s Vehicles
The company’s vehicle electronics arm, NTK, is the biggest global producer of OE oxygen (O2) sensors and supplies manufacturers with a vast lineup of over 6800 sensors for automotive and non-automotive applications. O2 sensors help regulate air and fuel mixtures for optimal engine performance and increased longevity.
NTK’s precision-manufactured oxygen sensors have a dual-coated platinum element for increased lifespans, a 3-stage element overcoat to prevent contamination, fast light-off times for improved fuel consumption and lower emissions, and alumina ceramic to filter exhaust gases.
The huge line of NTK position sensors feeds the ECU and car computers vital position data of various vehicle components. This includes:
- Camshaft position sensors – for precise ignition timing and combustion efficiency.
- Throttle position sensors – to regulate airflow to the intake manifold and ensure power consistent with the engine load.
- Accelerator pedal position – measure how far the accelerator pedal is pressed and allow the ECU to make changes to the throttle.
- Brake pedal position sensor – to monitor brake pedal movement and ensure safe and timely braking.
- EGR valve position sensors – to monitor recirculated exhaust gases to ensure reduced emissions and lower fuel consumption.
NTK additionally supplies steering wheels, top dead center (TDC), memory seat, brake master cylinder diaphragm, turbo vane and auto door lock position sensors for all major car and truck brands. This is complemented with the full array of pressure sensors (fuel injection, power steering, brake fluid, exhaust back pressure, etc.); speed sensors (manual transmission, steering wheel motion, engine RPM speed sensors); temperature, fluid level and speciality sensors; and air-fuel ratio monitoring kits for cleaner burns and optimizing engine performance.
