How Often Should I Have my Spark Plugs Replaced

Spark plugs are engine components that are vital to how engines operate. Spark plugs, however, are only used in gasoline engines. As a driver drives their vehicle, the spark plugs that are in the vehicle’s engine will begin to age and become less effective for the engine. Therefore, drivers need to routinely change the spark plugs of their vehicles so that the vehicles can perform optimally. There are several things that a driver will experience when the spark plugs of their vehicle need to be changed.

How Spark Plugs Work

Spark plugs are located in each of the cylinders of a vehicle’s engine. In fact, many high performance vehicles have two spark plugs for each of their engines’ cylinders. When an engine is running, a mixture of fuel and air is injected into each of the engine’s cylinders. This mixture, known as the air-fuel mixture, is ignited by the spark plugs of the engine. The resulting explosion forces the pistons of each cylinder to move downward, ultimately rotating the crankshaft of the engine. The rotation of the engine’s crankshaft is the predecessor to the rotation of the vehicle’s wheels.

Faulty Spark Plug Symptoms

When the spark plugs of a vehicle’s engine are worn out, the engine will eventually begin to misfire. An engine’s combustion cycle is timed accordingly, and the parts of the engine work in conjunction with one another. As alluded to by the term, misfiring is when the spark plugs of an engine either don’t fire or fire at the wrong times. A driver may hear their vehicle’s engine misfiring, through pinging and rattling noises, or may feel the engine of their vehicle running roughly. There are several engine problems that can cause the engine to misfire, however, but a driver should check the condition of their vehicle’s spark plugs first when diagnosing a misfiring problem.

The fuel economy of your vehicle will suffer if the spark plugs of the vehicle’s engine are worn out and need to be changed. Your vehicle’s engine is designed to use a specific amount of air and fuel during its combustion cycle, but the engine may need to use more fuel to compensate for unignited air-fuel mixtures that are being injected into its cylinders. This can ultimately lead to further problems, as unburned fuel leaves deposits on the various internal components of a vehicle’s engine and exhaust system.

If the spark plugs in your vehicle’s engine need to be changed, you may notice that the vehicle accelerates slower. The reason for this is due to the fact that the engine is unable to produce its normal amount of power. Without adequate spark, an engine cannot complete its combustion cycle efficiently, and this inefficiency translates to power loss.

Vehicles, especially modern vehicles, are very efficient at detecting issues with their systems. Therefore, your vehicle may illuminate its check engine light if the spark plugs of its engine need to be changed. If a check engine light appears on your vehicle’s dashboard, then you will need to scan the vehicle’s computer with a scanning tool so that you can read the code that the engine is producing. Once you have identified the check engine code, you will then be able to decipher what problems your vehicle is having.

Spark Plug Maintenance Schedule

It is recommended by most manufacturers that drivers have the spark plugs of their engines replaced every 30,000 miles. This is generally good guidance for most drivers due to the amount of engine designs and spark plug products that are available on the market. However, it is important for you to follow the guidelines that are recommended by your vehicle’s manufacturer for your specific vehicle. Therefore, you should refer to your vehicle’s owner’s manual to identify what the manufacturer recommends for the specific model.

Conclusion

The spark plugs that are in your vehicle’s engine are components that can be easily forgotten. However, there are major issues that your vehicle may suffer if you do not change its spark plugs when they are worn out. Therefore, following a routine maintenance schedule will allow you to change the spark plugs of your vehicle’s engine in a timely manner. If you would like to learn more about spark plug maintenance and the things that you can do to keep your vehicle in good running condition, then visit us at Jessup Cadillac. Our dealership’s team members will be glad to provide you with the information that will help you keep your vehicle in great shape.

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