marco <marco@no.spam> wrote in news:13f78tabg77tj93@news.supernews.com:


>
> Platinum plugs are meant to be used for like 3% or 4% of your car's
> life. They are good for cleaning the carbon out of cylinders.
>
> If the engine is already clean of carbon, then the platinum will cause
> pre-detonation.
>
> Platinum is a catalyst. In effect, it accelerates the burning of
> hydrocarbons. Carbon deposits on pistons and valves in the cylinder
> will be burned off by the platinum on Platinum plugs.
>
> When the engine is clean, the platinum becomes a demon.
>
> I learned this the hard way. Extra platinum leads to piston holes.
>



I have no idea where you got all this from, but it's all nonsense.

Platinum is used on spark plug electrodes primarily because it resists
erosion, thus leading to longer electrode life.

It is NOT used on plugs for the purposes of combusting hydrocarbons.

You are confusing the functions of platinum on spark plugs with the
platinum used in catalytic converters. Same metal, different operating
environment and different effects.

If you put holes in your pistons at some point, you had /major/
detonation problems that were due to excessively advanced ignition
timing, or a very lean mixture. The plugs had zero to do with it.

--
Tegger

The Unofficial Honda/Acura FAQ
www.tegger.com/hondafaq/