Spark Plugs: What Are They and Why Are They Important?

What are Spark Plugs?

Spark plugs are insulated plugs that are screwed into an internal combustion engine’s cylinder head to deliver the spark that ignites the mixture of air and fuel in the combustion chamber. In the case of diesel engines, thanks to its high compression ratio and the nature of diesel oil, it ignites without any aid from spark plugs.

Example of a spark plug from BE FORWARD.

Browse BE FORWARD Spark Plugs

Spark plugs also transfer heat away from the combustion chamber. Basically this is what happens: the spark plugs are placed at the top of the cylinder head in most of engine types, the piston first travels down the cylinder, drawing in a mixture of fuel and air. The piston then goes back up toward the spark plug, compressing the mixture. At the very last second, when the piston is at its fullest reach on the top of the cylinder, the spark plug sparks and ignites the mixture.

The piston is forced back down to create power for the vehicle by way of crank shafts and drive shafts to the wheels. At that point, the process of firing the engine ends and starts all over again to continuously give power to the vehicle.

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Taking Care of Your Vehicle’s Brake Pads

So you understand the importance of braking systems, and brake pads, but where does one start with learning the signs of pad wear, managing the life of the brake pad, and actually changing the part? This issue is actually fairly easy to solve! After no time at all, you will be your own personal family mechanic.image1

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Brake Systems 101: Braking Systems in Cars Explained

Brake Systems 101

Brake systems in cars are arguably the most important parts of a vehicle. Imagine you are driving down the road, and are approaching a stop sign; you press your foot on the brake pedal, and nothing happens. How would the vehicle stop, and what would happen? Modern vehicles are full of nearly unimaginable complexity, and thousands of parts are working together to ensure a safe, comfortable ride. But just how complex are the components of a braking system?

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A Quick Look At The 2016 Ferrari 488 Spider

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The architectural guru Ludwig Mies van der Rohe once said, ” God is in the details.” Looking at the 2016 Ferrari 488 Spider, you would think he was gushing about it; but alas, he was talking about architecture. The 488 Spider shares many details with its traditional cousin the 488 GTB, sans the top. Perhaps it looks like many other Italian supercars; however, driving one is like roping the wind and not wanting to let go. Not long ago, buying a Ferrari with an open top meant making significant sacrifices: not just the increased risk of skin cancer and catching a much younger wife, then losing the Ferrari to said younger wife in a divorce. The 2016 Spider has changed all of that, well just the sacrifices in performance…the younger wife scenario is still a very real possibility! While many of us will never see a 488 Spider, let alone drive one, we have reviews to live through. To that end, tallyho!

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Luxury Brands That Passed With The Gilded Age

There is something about a luxury car that tells the world that the driver has arrived. The typical person views brands such as Mercedes-Benz and BMW as the current epitome of obtainable luxury, while Bentley and Buggati seem out of reach to everyone except athletes and the very wealthy. The brands mentioned all seem so permanent, but they are not necessarily so. Permanence in the luxury niche has proven as fleeting as the wealth that drives the  production of the end product. Brands that once inspired envy and lust, such as Issota-Frashchini and Stutz, now produce nothing but blank stares outside of the circles of automotive historians. We thought it would be interesting to bring a few of these former grand marques to the attention of our readers, so forthwith man! 

Issota-Fraschini

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2015 Sub Compact Cars: Rating This Year’s Winners and Cars to Avoid Part 2

Well, here we are. As we said at the end of the first installment of this short series, we have a bit more jaded view o the models in this segment. Don’t misunderstand us, these are solid cars, if all you want is a car to get you from place to place and do not really care about much else. If that is the case, you should consider a bicycle. If not, then one of these cars may fit your needs and budget.

Smart Fortwoimage

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Sub Compact Cars: Rating the Winners from 2015

2015 Subcompact Used Cars

While Kei cars may get made fun of in some areas for their small size, there is a thriving market for subcompact vehicles even in the West, especially in large urban areas. As such, buyers need to be aware of the models that are the best to buy and those that under-perform. To that end, we have reviewed several subcompact models based on quality and owner feedback.

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Honda’s Stranger Side: Concepts That Push The Envelope

Visitors to the Tokyo Motor Show are guaranteed to be wowed by next year’s vehicles, possible production cars for the future, and the unusual sub-automobile concepts that seem to only make waves in Tokyo. Many of these products are amazing. Asimo was introduced in just such a manner, after all. While Asimo makes sense in that robots are seen as a very real future event, some of the concepts are a bit harder to conceive as being practical, fun yes, practical..maybe not. Honda, always a company to bring an odd concept or two to the Tokyo event, has several such concepts that should be known around the world. So, let’s have a look at the U3-X, the UniCub, the WanderStand, and the WanderWalker.

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Borgward: A History And A Revival

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Carl F. W. Borgward marketed his first car in 1924. Dubbed the Blitzkarren(”electric car” and pictured above), it was a simple three-wheeled cart powered by an underwhelming 2 bhp motor. The vehicle was built with the single purpose of being a delivery vehicle for cash strapped German tradesmen after WWI. Despite its small motor and a tendency to tip to the side on its front wheel, it became a huge success, becoming the main delivery unit for the German postal system. By 1929, Borgward had been able to absorb smaller automakers Hansa and Llyod into his Goliath-Werke Borgward & Co, forming the largest business concern in the Bremen, Germany area.

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