Glow Plugs

Reliability diesel engine drivers can count on

From the worlds No.1 spark plug manufacturer you’d expect nothing but the best from their glow plugs too; and you’d be right. Niterra have been relentlessly developing engine pre-heating technology since the early 1960s and the inbuilt advanced technology ensures that automotive engineers can get the most out of their engine designs and help them meet the increasing emission targets necessary to improve our environment.

Many years of glow plug experience

> 260 part numbers available for European markets

86% coverage of vehicles in operation in Europe (source: TecDoc)

Technology that delivers

Glow plugs are essential to ensure a perfect engine start, especially in cold conditions. The trouble with colder weather is that more energy is required to help initiate ignition because both the intake air and the engine itself are colder and compression and pumping losses are higher too. That's why fully functioning glow plugs are a key factor for every cold start and why their failure becomes more apparent when freezing weather sets in.

The perfect match for diesel engines - old and new.

Diesel engine glow plugs are basically differentiated between metal rod glow plugs and ceramic glow plugs. The two technologies have special characteristics in regard to thermal behavior. As many car manufacturers are not prepared to compromise on the quality and performance of their diesel glow plugs, they choose the proven NGK technology.

Safe start-up from low ambient temperatures
Low emissions during warm-up phase
Stable idling running before engine reaches operating temperature
High-quality coating on shell for high resistance to corrosion
Unique shell design for excellent heat transfer, perfect gas-tight sealing, high shear torque, and high resistance to deformation and security of the heating coils

Reliable cold starts
Fast engine start-up
Long service life

How they work

In order to guarantee that the temperature necessary for self-ignition is reached even in harsh conditions, such as frost or cold-starting, additional heat must be introduced to the combustion chamber. Known as pre-glowing, this process is mastered perfectly by a glow plug. In that sense, the glow plug functions like an immersion heater, introducing electrical energy and heating it up to extremely high temperatures of up to 1350°C.