Specifications

Q: How can HotWires
®
be so good? They look like conventional ignition wires, except for the ground wire. and the heavy insulation.
A: HotWires
®
are not just ignition wires, theyre more like a complete ignition system. HotWires
®
have a capacitor built into the section
closest to the spark plug. This creates the most powerful spark possible. Look at it like a CD ignition system for each spark plug.
Q: Doesnt a spark that hot, melt a hole in the piston?
A: No. A spark can never be too hot. All the thermal energy (heat) from the spark is absorbed by the fuel/air mixture, where it initiates
combustion. Thermal energy (heat) created by the combustion, is converted to kinetic energy (piston travel). Since the HotWires
®
spark
improves the combustion efficiency, more of the thermal energy is converted to kinetic energy and the exhaust temperature is actually lower.
Q: Why does an engine benefit from a hotter spark?
A: When the spark occurs all the thermal energy (heat) is transferred to the fuel/air mixture, where it initiates combustion. A hotter spark
will transfer more thermal energy and therefore accelerates flame front propagation. The fuel is used more efficiently and engine
performance increases.
Q: Doesnt a spark that hot, melt the spark plug?
A: No. All the thermal energy from the plasma (spark) is absorbed by the fuel/air mixture, and the spark duration too short for a significant
thermal transfer to take place at the spark plug electrodes. Not only is the temperature a factor, but also the time the temperature is present.
Q: Doesnt a spark that powerful, accelerate spark plug wear?
A: No. The spark duration is so short, electrode erosion is decreased. It is not the power of the spark that is primarily responsible for spark
plug wear, but the length of time the spark is present (spark duration). So, a shorter spark duration results in less spark plug erosion (electrode wear).
Q: Can a spark be too powerful and actually push away the fuel/air molecules, preventing ignition?
A: No.This would be like saying, the campfire is so hot it pushes all the wooden logs away. It is not actually the spark that ignites the
fuel/air mixture, but the temperature of the plasma that is generated between the spark plug electrodes. The HotWires
®
spark is so hot
that instantaneous and complete combustion takes place.
Q: Why do I even need a hotter spark? Isnt the spark of my ignition system sufficient to ignite the fuel/air mixture?
A: Yes it is sufficient, if you are satisfied with the performance and efficiency of your engine. But any improvement in flame front
propagation will improve combustion and therefore increase engine performance and efficiency.
Q: A spark, is a spark, is a spark, isnt it?
A: No.The hotter the spark the easier ignition occurs and the sooner combustion is completed. A spark made by a flint, the spark of a
ignition system, a lightning bolt, a spark is a spark is a spark? You decide! A match, a blow torch or a napalm bomb. What will completely
burn, (ignite), a one acre parcel of forest quicker?
Q: What about other plug wires, especially those thick 8mm wires. Which one is the best?
A: The thickness of the wire has absolutely no effect on the power of the spark. Thicker wires only have more insulation, primarily for looks.
The conductor on the inside of the wire is no different from most other wires. If changing to a thick wire would make the spark more
powerful, we would all change the wiring in our house to make the lights brighter.
Q: What about plug wire resistance? Isnt lower better?
A: In general yes. But only if you are talking about using plug wires with 1,000 Ohm resistance instead of 10,000 Ohm resistance. However,
using plug wires with 100 Ohm resistance instead of 1,000 Ohm is not significant enough to increase performance.
Q: Why is a short duration spark better than a long duration spark? If the spark duration is long am I not guaranteed ignition?
A: No, just because the spark duration is long doesnt guarantee ignition. A weak spark will be weak regardless of the duration and if ignition
doesnt take place at the exact time (ignition timing) performance suffers. The ultra powerful, short duration spark of HotWires
®
guarantees
exact ignition timing and complete and efficient combustion, every time.
Q: Why is a long duration spark weaker then the ultra-short-duration spark made by HotWires
®
?
A: Consider a long duration spark that releases 100% of the energy over a long period of time. At any point along this timeline only a
fraction of the energy is available. In other words, the energy is stretched out over a long period of time. Now take the same 100% of
energy and release it all at once. This is the HotWires
®
spark. A good analogy would be if we were to burn 1,000 gallons of gasoline
(100% of the energy) over a long period of time (days), or blow it up, all at once, in a gigantic explosion lasting only 1 second. The energy
released is the same, but the latter is much more powerful.
Q: Isnt there any benefit to a long duration spark?
A: No. A long duration spark is a complete waste of energy. At 7500 rpm the spark of a conventional ignition system, with a duration of 3
milliseconds, will take 135 degrees of crankshaft rotation to finish. That means there is a spark between the spark plug electrodes long
after TDC.A complete waist of energy. However, if ignition has not been initiated 10 or 15 degrees after the optimum ignition timing,
performance suffers greatly. The HotWires
®
spark needs less than one degree of crankshaft rotation to complete. With a spark duration
that short ignition timing is much more precise and spark power is increased substantially. Flame front propagation is much quicker and
combustion more complete, resulting in increased horsepower and a cleaner burn.
HotWires
®
Frequently Asked Questions
© 2004 Nology Engineering, Inc
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