Is anyone familiar with the Pulstar plugs? I found these on Car ID and considering using them in my 2003 Jaguar X-Type and possibly my 2000 Jaguar S-Type. Any reasons why I shouldn't consider these and just go with the Bosch Platinums? Thanks in advance.

Rod

 

Stick with stock.


Looking at the theory behind these, the manufacturer has missed some simple physics.


Capacitors take some time to charge...perhaps only on the order of a few thousandths of a second, but that is an eternity when your engine is rotating 50 times a second. Even if they did deliver a big, nasty, gnarly spark, it will be several degrees too late, and I'll bet that the discharge is a nice, filthy square wave.


Also, energy will take the easiest path...if it can find a route to discharge through easier than the spark gap, it will take it; the higher the potential, the harder it will be looking. Use these, and I see 3xx codes in your future.


YMMV.

 

At 50 revolutions a second, one one-thousandth of a second would then only be 0.05 of one revolution. Each cylinder fires once each revolution, so there's quite a bit of room for play even at the thousandth of a second level. There's probably that much variance (or more) in an ignition coil.

The advertising suggests microseconds (one millionth of a second) to charge, with a nanosecond discharge. Even if that's wishful thinking, building some sort of a basic/weak ignition coil into the plug to boost the voltage further wouldn't delay the spark enough to matter. It doesn't seem that far fetched.

Still doesn't mean I'll buy them tho.

 

Using their numbers, the spark will happen a few degrees early, rather than the degree or two late that I'd expect (bearing in mind that our 'coil on plug' is actually a capacitive discharge system on the output side, rather than inductive).

Adding 2 degrees of advance to a 10.5:1 motor WILL make more power, but will also increase detonation significantly.

I suspect the REAL results are in between the theoretical delay and the claimed attack, which would make the actual results a draw...which makes the $6 copper plugs the best option.

In our engines, 2 or 3 degrees on either side of the design curve will be more than enough to make the computer say "Unh-uh!"

I'm just considering the trigger signal, the attack time of our coils, and the actual construction of our coils, and it seems that they'll be outside of the allowable window.

Effectively, it's like putting the next hotter plug in, and our AJV6 will reject even that much of the time.

If someone wants to try them, by all means, go ahead...but it won't be me!

I WOULD be interested in the results!

 

Thank you everyone for the details!!! I made the decision to go stock as not to test physics at the expense of my car. New to the forum and I appreciate just how awesome it is!!!

 

The heat range of a plug has nothing to do with timing or how soon it fires.

Even though these plugs (in theory) would delay the spark, presuming that an advanced spark will give more power would only be correct if it were not already at it's optimum setting. Advancing the timing even more would be counterproductive even if detonation is not encountered.

A hotter spark does not increase performance. The fuel/air mixture either ignites or it doesn't. The stock system is more than capable of igniting it consistently and reliably.

 

I have a few on order, I'll run them through the lab when I get them.


The manufacturer claims that the spark is 'hotter' (and faster), which is where the hotter plug reference comes from, not the timing.


Frankly, it looks like snake oil, but I'll let the actual results be the guide.