ama-spark plugs, ngokuvamile aziwa ngokuthi ama-fire plugs, azosebenza njenge-pulse of high-voltage piezoelectric discharge esuka kumthofu onamandla kagesi (ipulaki lomlilo), elizodiliza umoya phakathi kwama-electrode ama-spark plug, akhiqize izinhlansi zikagesi ukuze kuthungele ingxube yegesi kusilinda. Izimo eziyisisekelo zenjini yokusebenza okuphezulu: inhlansi yamandla aphezulu, ingxube efanayo, isilinganiso sokucindezela okuphezulu. Izimoto ezinezinjini ezivuthayo zangaphakathi ngokuvamile zisebenzisa uphethiloli nodizili. Emakethe yezimoto yaseChina, izimoto zikaphethiloli zithatha ingxenye enkulu. Izinjini zikaphethiloli zihlukile ezinjinini zikadizili ngoba uphethiloli unendawo yokuthungela ephakeme (cishe amadigri angu-400), okudinga ukuthungela ngenkani ukuze kuthungele ingxube. Ngokusebenzisa khulula phakathi electrode ukukhiqiza izinhlansi, uphethiloli injini ngokusebenzisa uphethiloli negesi ingxube ukusha okufika ngesikhathi ukuze ukhiqize amandla, kodwa njengoba uphethiloli uphethiloli ngisho endaweni yokushisa ophakeme kunzima ukuvutha okuzenzakalelayo, ukuze wenze ukuvutha kwawo okufika ngesikhathi kuyadingeka ukusebenzisa "umlilo" ukuze okhele. Lapha ukudubula kwenhlansi kuwumsebenzi we-"spark plug".
