A closed loop temperature controlled glow-plug has been used to control the incidence of surface pre-ignition of n-pentane, iso-pentane, n-heptane, iso-octane, ethanol, cyclohexane, ethyl-benzene, toluene and xylene, and four representative mixtures of these components. Statistical data on the incidence of pre-ignition compared with spark ignition has been derived from the in-cylinder maximum pressure, and the glow-plug temperature has been characterised on a cycle-by-cycle basis. The alkanes and alcohols were found to be rather susceptible to surface pre-ignition, with the straight chained molecules having a higher pre-ignition tendency than branched chain molecules. The pre-ignition tendency of ring-structured components depends on the length of the attached chain, with shorter side-chain molecules (xylene, toluene) being less susceptible to pre-ignition than longer side-chain molecules like ethyl-benzene; cyclohexane was more susceptible to pre-ignition than any of the aromatic fuels. A higher glow-plug temperature was found to be needed for pre-igniting stoichiometric or rich mixtures, and this was attributed to the weaker mixture having a higher compression index and a lower specific heat capacity.