Vielhaber’s Garage advises that the best way to know when it is time to replace the spark plugs is to consult your vehicle’s owner’s manual. The manual will give the mileage milestone at which the plugs should be replaced. This milestone can be anywhere from 30,000 miles to 100,000 miles. If your spark plugs are wearing out, you will start to have the following problems with your automobile.
Hard Starts
It can be difficult to start the engine in an automobile that has worn spark plugs. Ideally, each cylinder will have a mixture of air and fuel in it that will be ignited by a spark generated from a spark plug. In other words, you have a spark plug for each cylinder. If one or more of the plugs are unable to generate a spark, your engine will have a difficult time producing the combustion it needs to start.
Rough Idle
Your engine will also idle roughly and the acceleration will lag if the spark plugs are having problems. Combustion does not stop once the engine has started. Rather it continues until you turn off the engine to produce power. As such, each spark plug needs to generate a spark in each cylinder continually. Failure to do this will make the engine idle roughly and the acceleration lag.
Misfiring
In fact, you will hear the engine misfiring if one or more of the plugs is not firing itself. This can make it sound as if your engine is stuttering or sputtering. In addition to the noise, your vehicle will jerk with each misfire. In severe cases, the engine may stall. If your engine has had a problem with stalling lately, this is definitely a sign that you need to have new spark plugs installed.
Surging
The misfiring can also make your engine surge. In other words, your vehicle will jerk forward unexpectedly. This can make you feel as if you are driving a bucking bronco. Naturally, it is difficult to drive your automobile if it is surging forward by itself.
Poor Economy
As you can tell, worn spark plugs directly affect how efficiently your engine runs. Consequently, you will see a reduction in your automobile’s fuel efficiency until you have the plugs replaced. Worn spark plugs make the engine run inefficiently and, consequently, it will burn more fuel.
Vielhaber’s Garage in Findlay, OH, is here for all of your automotive service and repair needs, so call us today for an appointment.
