TSXEd05

One of my coworkers sent me this link to a new Sprkplug or should I say Pulse Plug.

http://www.pulstarplug.com/index.html

From looking at the website they seem to be pretty nice. Has anyone here heard of these?

TodaSi

Snake oil.
Reminds me of the old Nology wires...must have a capacitor built in or something.

fast1

sounds interesting... curious to see someone try this for $100.

PJS

Done, or will be in a couple of weeks time once received and tested.

JTso

iTrader: (2)

How do you plan on conducting the test?

PJS

As scientific as possible.
I may throw it on a rolling road and see if there's any difference in hp - 80K mile car, maybe not!
I know what I average from a tankful of fuel - and my journeys and driving style are pretty much a constant, so I can gauge whether there's more mpg as claimed.

Since replacing the OEM spark plugs (75K service @ 78K) with Denso Iridium Power ones, the engine is harder to turnover, takes a bit more time than before - so it'll be interesting to see if these are any better/different.
Have been thinking about swapping to the Silver spark plugs Nology resell - made by a Czech company, IIRC, to see if they were as claimed - might still do if these are no different.

Why? Have you (a) suggestion(s) or just trying to see if I'm on the company payroll after blagging a good deal to be the official guinea pig for Honda/Acura owners?

JTso

iTrader: (2)

Since they claim hp and tq gains, I think a before and after dyno run with a/f monitoring on a Dynapack will provide the necessary info for comparison.

TodaSi

You should dyno NEW stock plugs then switch in the new Pulsar overpriced super duper hp makin plugs

PJS

I agree TodaSi - that would be the fairest assessment.
I believe though that the figures given are based on swapping the existing plugs with theirs.
Strictly speaking though, an existing plug that hasn't changed the gap over it's time installed, shouldn't be any less than a brand new one - if we presume the engine is running correctly, and the plug isn't fouled, etc.

Let's give it a try and see what the outcome is.

Mskierki

There is no current flowing through the system until the spark actually bridges the gap. Therefore their argument that the spark plug heats up before the spark occurs is bogus. Now what it could be doing is using a small piezo-electric circuit (similar to what your home grill ignitor has) to generate a higher voltage potential across the plug. However these usually require a high freq source and I don't know if I would want that in my DC electical system.

Also there is alot more heat being delivered to all parts of the plug from the combustion cycle than would be generated by the current.

But, lets see how the test goes.

kennungesser

Good luck, PJS.

Funny thing, I tried all the "best " spark plugs on my truck, and the best ones I found were autolite...little over a buck for each. I know there is a huge diff between my Dodge 4.7 and my TSX, but still makes you wonder.

clee109

wow, I think that is the lamest thing I've ever seen. So they have some nice images and animation on the page looks to me like a real gimmick. I agree with kennugesser, you'll find the best spark plugs are those that don't have fancy labeling and gimmicks like platinum or what not. Platinum is for jewelry not for plugs. This "pulse" technology to me just sounds plain out bogus

PJS

Well, after a lengthy delay in receiving them, they finally arrived.
Of course, finding the time to get them put in has been a delay on my end.
Not able to report much as yet, only been in a couple of days, and I haven't had much chance to drive any distance or long enough to bring temps up and see how it fairs across the rev range, but initial reaction is positive.
Easier to crank - and that's still with the same duff battery I'm planning on changing to Odyssey or Braille.
Smoother driving at low rpm for some reason - my clutch control is no different, so it isn't that.
I'm trying not to fall into any placebo effect, but I have to say there's something there that wasn't with the Densos.
They even include a gapper - with a multitude of thicknesses, the best I've managed to figure out was 1.097 as opposed to 1.1
I'll check the Densos and see if they are the same - if not, then that could explain things.

If I get the chance to put it on some rollers, I'll do so and swap in the Densos and see what the results are.
For now, all I can say is I'm surprisingly pleased with the initial feedback I'm getting.

hunterk1

Their energies are realistic - not that this means that they will do anything for you:

Original: 50W*30e-6sec = 15mJ

"Pulse" : 1e6W*2e-9sec = 20mJ

So their claim is that these plugs provide 33% more energy in the spark. Whether or not that is needed or will make a difference... you tell us if you please, since you bought them.

Probably could have gotten the same effect with an MSD - if such things exist for electronic ignition cars.

aaronng

These plugs work better for cars still using dizzys as they have long cables which can heat up (and thus losing energy which is meant to generate the spark) as the voltage is supplied across the plug gap. In the case of the TSX, we have direct ignition with the coil pack directly above the plug, so the Pulstar won't make a big difference other than weight reduction for your wallet.

chhimp

questionable, only last 50,000 miles compared to iridium that last about 100,000 miles.

aaronng

Pulstar plugs are not meant to last as long as iridium plugs.

whitson01

iTrader: (2)

a plug is a plug, its only going to spark as "strong" as what is being put into it.. if you really wanted a "stronger" spark then look into some sort of performance ignition system. i really wouldnt buy into these.. i would just replace with stock.. the only time i would change which plug i was using is if i was boosted and/or running nitrous, then i would go a stage or 2 colder.. thats it.. i would say this stuff (like a lot of crap on the market) is just hype.. just my .02

hunterk1

I agree with this. There are inherent inefficiencies in the circuit, but if what aaronng said is true (and I have no reason to doubt him) I bet your dyno results aren't going to be different.

Are most modern electronic ignition systems already MSDs, i.e. multiple spark discharge (type)? I remember putting an MSD on my brother's 1969 Mach 1 (351 Windsor) and it making somewhat of a difference but I would hope that Honda has already optimized this part of the motor.

JTso

iTrader: (2)

Honda does not have MSD type ignition. However, it's hard to find anything that actually works better or more reliable than the stock system even for FI applications. That includes models that use plug wires, distributor cap and rotor. The oem ignition system is one area that does not need to be touched. The most you need to do for FI application is to use colder plugs.

whitson01

iTrader: (2)

agree

TSXRudebwoy

True I seen a LS vtec on boost swapped the MSD wires to stock wires and still made othe same power

aaronng

On Pulstar's website, there are dyno and fuel consumption data. If you see the data for a direct ignition car like the Corolla, the gains are very minimal, within the margin of error. For older cars with a dizzy, the gains are larger. So even Pulstar themselves don't claim a large gain with moden engines.

whitson01

iTrader: (2)

you can only take dyno's for a grain of salt.. coming from the STi world, that is all these companies show you.. DYNO's this and that all the time.. there are sooooo many factors in a dyno that only makes them so accurate.. like temp, humidity, tire pressure, good/bad gas, and soo much more.. i say stick with a company that has a good rep and go to forums to people that have good rep's (another words, someone that is honest and not someone who just says its awesome! just cause then spent big bucks on somthing that really didnt make a diffirence) and read their reviews..

rmpage

If their site is to be believed, these things give you more power by igniting the mixture faster, meaning that the fuel is more completely combusted by the time the piston passes TDC and begins its power stroke. The same effect is achieved when ignition timing is advanced. This makes me wonder if these plugs would increase the knock retard rate in an engine that is already runing its timing tables at the knife's edge.

Most likely it is just hype though. I'd like to know if the before/after comparisons were done with brand new "other" plugs, or damaged/fouled plugs. That was the story with the old Splitfire plugs - they'd cite studies that proved they worked better than stock plugs, but failed to tell the consumer that the stock plugs were ready to be replaced anyway.

this too.

ATsxMan8305

Let me point out that in terms of "performace claims, no spark plug creates horsepower out of thin air. A special electrode configuration can reduce misfiring and the voltage needed to fire the plugs. But the spark only ignites what is already in the combustion chamber. If there are any power gains to be had, they will be the result of reduced misfires and nothing else." So buyer beware.

http://www.aa1car.com/library/2004/us30428.htm

925tsx

Q: Will the installation of Pulstar™ affect the warranty on my car?

A: No. The 1975 Magnuson Moss Act prevents a manufacturer from voiding a warranty based on a customer's selection of parts that the dealer does not offer.




Does this mean we can mod our cars with no consequences from dealer?
lol

clee109

the magnuson act means that if the dealer cannot directly point out that your aftermarket part damaged the affected part of the car then they cannot void your warranty.

Example:
You have a CAI and your tranny goes out
Under the magnuson act the dealer can't void your transmission warranty based off an aftermarket CAI

however; if you are running a CAI and hydrolock your warranty is void because it directly relates to the CAI

925tsx

Thank you for the clarification.

pearlbluesoul

hey, any follow up to this post? Seems like it left everybody hanging!

c1souk

I have recently seen a dyno testing done by Import Tuner Magazine on these Pulstar Plugs... Their verdict was that it does actually make a difference in driving experience. If the information is not true, then this reputable magazine is lying to so many of its readers throughout the nation...

mxmattd

i just saw an ad for these things in road & track. sounds way too easy. i'd have to see a LOT more independent, objective testing before dropping a hundred bucks on spark plugs

thunder04

iTrader: (1)

Any word on the Pulstar plugs? I came across them and I am curious if they really do make a difference as well.

godfather2

one of the tuner mags recently installed these plugs on the latest model civic si and it DID provide dyno proven gains over oem plugs

dparker1947

Hi guys. I am the CEO (and Acura owner) of Enerpulse, the maker of Pulstar pulse plugs. I have been reading this thread with great interest. There seems to be some confusion over how Pulstar works. Let me clarify.

Pulstar’s capacitor energizes the spark much the way a camera flash energizes light. The visibly larger spark has a much higher power density than spark plugs and ignites fuel more precisely resulting in better combustion efficiency. It is sort of like putting a flash bulb in your engine. Like a camera flash Pulstar generates the additional instantaneous power without utilizing more supply power.

And if you want to see how Pulstar works (the concept of power compression) just visit Sandia National Lab's Z Machine http://zpinch.sandia.gov Sandia assisted in the development of Pulstar.


I would be happy to answer any questions you might have.

Cheers

feuss2

iTrader: (1)

The concept of discharging a capacitor is understood.

Please explain how this helps produce more power and what you mean by "ignites fuel more precisely". How is this quantified?

dparker1947

It generates more power by creating a larger spark kernel that produces a larger ignition zone. The fuel charge is then burned faster liberating more energy from the fuel generating more cylinder pressure.

A test performed at Chrysler 20 years ago demonstrated that a capacitor mounted onto a spark plug could reduce ignition cycle-to-cycle variation by as much as 50% making ignition much more precise.

CarbonGray Earl

http://www.importtuner.com/powerpage...lse_plugs.html - that's probably the article godfather was referencing.

looks like +3hp and +3tq on a dyno, all for 49 bucks on a civic SI. I might bite; it might make a noticable difference on my 75k mile motor.

Having similar bang for the buck, the Hondata heatshield gasket is ~$60 I believe, and it makes 3-5 hp, IIRC. It has a little bit more involving install.

godfather2

^ give it a shot earl! if it works, per your recommendation, i'll get a set for myself

Huneycutt

Hey, I actually tested a set of the Pulstar Plugs on an engine dyno and shot video of the whole thing. The dyno mule was a Chevy small block and not a Honda/Acura engine, but I think the results are pretty representative. If you are interested, the video is at streetmuscleaction.com, or here's a direct link.
Thanks
Jeff