Teamwork Talking Points: Ignition and Emissions Systems

Few systems on a vehicle have undergone as dramatic a change over the last decade as the fuel and ignition system. In fact, we don’t even talk about it that way any more; engine management and emissions systems is the more common term today.

Yet spark plugs are still a key component that appear from the outside to have changed little. This can be deceiving.

The advent of a proliferation of special alloys has created some degree of confusion in the marketplace, but it can be overcome.

Jeff Desveaux, product manager, NGK Spark Plugs Canada, says that any lingering doubts about the veracity of the arguments for platinum, double platinum, and now iridium are secondary to the OE connection in the mind of a technician.

“The most important thing that most service providers have to know is understanding who is actually the OE on vehicles. A lot of consumers, and technicians themselves, think that you always use a specific brand for a specific vehicle brand, which is not always the case,” says Desveaux. The skilled DIYer and professional technician may have different levels of expertise, but both can be guilty of operating on old assumptions.

“The biggest problem is that many service providers put in what they think might have been the original equipment plug, but it may not be the case.” Desveaux says that although certain brands were closely aligned with specific automakers in the past, this is no longer the case. Virtually every spark plug manufacturer provides virtually every vehicle manufacturer with spark plugs and other ignition and emissions products.

Once that point is made effectively, a counterperson or outside salesperson can move on to talking about inventory issues and other factors.

For the consumer, there may still be some issues at both the counter and the service provider level. Some of the precious metal plugs may be more expensive than a consumer is used to. While non-precious metal options should not be offered in applications they weren’t intended for, knowing how to talk about various spark plug designs may help to quell their concerns, or at least convince them that there is no alternative.

“When people are relying on the service provider, it is important not to nickel-and-dime them,” says Megan Currie, marketing manager, Honeywell Consumer Products Group, which supplies the Autolite brand of ignition products in addition to Fram and Prestone brands. “If they have the option, explain the difference and explain the front-end expenditure.”

Currie suggests that service providers and counterpeople take a more active role, by using material such as pamphlets supplied by manufacturers to help them explain the differences, rather than just leaving these sales aids out for the customer.

“There is a lot of clutter in the world today, so making it personable is important. Dealerships are having huge success with that. They are very much up-front about everything; what they put in the car, why they recommend it. That instils confidence.”

It is an important step in a market that can confuse even the most seasoned veteran. Four main categories of spark plugs, different electrode designs, and a number of brands all promising superior performance can lead to a DIYer opting for the cheapest on the shelf.

“Every SKU is cluttered and people don’t know why,” says Currie. “The light DIYer in particular is where you get into trouble. They don’t realize that today’s sophisticated engines require these parts.”

Getting well-practised approaches at the counter is an important component in successful consumer communication.

“Placing emphasis on the brand and the investment that people are making in their vehicles and translating that to these products is key.”

For the service provider and his technicians, the spark plug is just one part of a system that is becoming more and more sophisticated. It is taxing their capacity to perform repairs and requires more from the jobber than just parts. It is training, and being able to offer or coordinate it, which can provide some real value to a sales approach.

“There is obviously some importance there,” says Kevin Fletcher, product manager, Blue Streak-Hygrade Motor Products. “It is not something that you can put a dollar value on easily, though,” he adds.

As important as training is, Fletcher says that the quality of the training, whether it is offered at the jobber store in a clinic format or in a training centre, is paramount. Poor training that is perceived to be self-serving on the part of the jobber or the manufacturer can do more harm than good.

Do it the right way, and everybody earns the respect of the service provider.

“By going out and helping the technician do his job with less hassle, he gets respect. It is a soft sell.”

While putting a specific dollar value on training may be difficult, there is no doubt in his mind that it is of critical importance. “If we can’t help make technicians better at what they do, we have less of a market.”

NASCAR’s Technology Connection

NASCAR Nextel Cup cars are fast, strong, and generally considered low-tech. The truth is, though, that teams use a great deal of modern technology to get those carburettor-equipped 200 mph beasts to run fast and reliably.

“Many NASCAR teams, which of course run carburettors and not fuel injection on the banked ovals, keep O2 sensors hard at work, primarily in testing. Oxygen sensors are used on the dynamometer to calculate the best air-to-fuel ratio to achieve maximum torque,” says Wolfgang Hustedt, motorsports manager for Robert Bosch Corporation.

Hustedt says the fuel mixture balancing is particularly difficult on high-banked tracks, where G-forces push fuel from the left side of the carb, causing fuel starvation, while almost flooding the right side. The sensors help develop fuel curves for each track and help the race teams fine-tune the jetting in each of four carburettor barrels, and possibly even adjust the manifold runners to compensate.

Chip Ganassi’s NASCAR team, for instance, uses eight wide-band sensors, mounted in the exhaust stream, four on each side close to the V-8 engine, to achieve the best fuel/air mixtures for each track they run.

“Each combination of carburettor and manifold and camshaft offers a different dynamic we have to deal with, depending on the track and the anticipated weather and temperature,” says Les Meares, race engineer for the Chip Ganassi with Felix Sabates team.

“We take the readings with Bosch Motorsports’ Electronic Sensor Interface Box. The ESIB is designed to measure and log the signals from multiple sensors. This allows us to factor in measurements from eight sensors, and records the vehicle’s speed, engine RPM, throttle position, and lateral acceleration. This device, in conjunction with the oxygen sensors, is very helpful in extracting the maximum from the engines at every track.”

It has, he says, become an integral part of the team’s preparation for every race. The difference from many other forms of racing is, however, that they can’t actually use the technology when they’re racing. While Formula One and Champ Car control but still allow telemetry, which allows engineers in the pits to see what is happening to the vehicle systems during a race, NASCAR does not allow any electronics of this type during competition.

“But we do use it in testing,” says team owner Ray Evernham. “I think that people would be pretty surprised at the level of software being used. We are on the same computer design platform as McLaren. We have several hundred thousands of dollars invested in simulation software. I have two people employed full time who do nothing but write software for our simulation programs.

“It might look like we do it all with a tape measure and an air gauge, but it’s not really like that anymore.”

Top Training Tips

Service providers are faced with a variety of changes in the marketplace. Here is a short list of potential training topics you may want to discuss with them. Your ignition and emissions parts suppliers should be able to assist you in providing a clinic on these topics.

Fuel and ignition system types and components on all vehicles.

Safe fuel system service.

Precious metal spark plugs and new engine designs.

The effect of gasoline blends on today’s sophisticated systems and spark plug performance.

Scan tool and lab scope reading; diagnosing patterns on different system types.

OBD II diagnosis using typical aftermarket scan tools; OBD II diagnosis using manufacturer-specific scan tools.

Emissions system component troubleshooting–O2, EGR, catalytic converter, etc.–and repair.

Diagnosing problems using gas analysis/emissions readings.

Practicing correct safety procedures for fuel exposure and ignition systems diagnosis.