Getting Your Vehicle to Perform Its Best - Without Raising Your Cost at the Pump

BROADVIEW, Ill., June 28, 2007 -- How your car, minivan or SUV performs ultimately depends on the type of vehicle you drive and what it was designed for in the first place. However, new technology in premium spark plugs allows drivers to extract the best performance their vehicles can offer without compromising fuel economy.

"From copper to platinum and iridium - modern spark plugs help motorists get a lot closer to experiencing the highest level of performance and fuel economy their vehicle is capable of producing," said Reid Smith, product manager for spark plugs for Robert Bosch LLC. Bosch is a leading supplier of premium spark plugs to vehicle manufacturers and the aftermarket and a pioneer in the development of spark plug technology.

Within a vehicle's ignition system, the spark plug serves to ignite the air-fuel mixture which, in turn, produces the energy that moves a car. Over time and after thousands of miles, spark plugs may begin to show wear between the electrodes.

According to Smith, this wear increases stress on the ignition system and can prevent the spark plug from igniting the air-fuel mixture efficiently. When this happens, the car's performance and gas mileage both decline.

"Fresh premium spark plugs help extract more energy from the same amount of gas," said Smith. They improve the transfer of energy from the ignition system to the fuel, thus offering improved fuel efficiency and more power.

The Car Care Council, a consumer organization for motorists, states, "a dirty spark causes misfiring; and inefficient combustion caused by worn spark plugs wastes fuel."

To meet the growing demand for performance and efficiency, automotive parts supplier Bosch has upgraded and expanded its entire line of premium spark plugs to suit every driver's taste.

Bosch's new technology-based Platinum Ir Fusion is the industry's only spark plug that combines iridium and platinum in a patented fused fine wire center electrode design, Smith said.

On-road testing by Bosch indicates that the reduced gap wear of the Bosch Platinum Ir Fusion lowers the voltage requirement on the ignition system, yielding better, more consistent performance and longer service life, Smith said. The Fusion is now available for virtually all domestic and imported vehicles.