Spark plugs are an important part of a car or engine, and it is important to have them in good working order. If your engine starts knocking in a way that sounds like a helicopter in the distance, you may need new spark plugs.
In this post, we’ll look at how to identify when you need new spark plugs.
If your vehicle sounds like it is out of tune with its own engine, it could be an indication that your spark plugs needs replacing. Thankfully, they do not need to be changed frequently. This is a key part of vehicle maintenance that you need to be constantly aware of.
If your vehicle or engine has developed a knocking or clicking noise, that may indicate that your spark plugs need changing as well. This is because when they wear down, they become damaged and they start to make a snapping sound when they ignite the fuel in the engine.
There are several signs that it’s time to change your spark plugs if you’re not hearing any unusual sounds from them at all.
Usually, spark plugs will last around 20,000 miles, unless you drive your vehicle in an area where you rarely leave the city. This is because the air inside the city is polluted and there are other factors that can be an unnecessary burden on your spark plugs.
It is recommended to change spark plugs every 24,000 miles. If you use your car on highways more than on smaller roads, you will tend to need new spark plugs sooner.
In this post, we will we looking at how to tell when you need new spark plugs. Let’s jump right into it!
Jump Ahead To:
Signs Your Spark Plugs Need to Be Replaced.
1. The Check Engine Light is On
The check engine light is a good indicator of your engine’s health. This light will illuminate when there is a malfunction with some aspect of your engine.
If you are seeing the check engine light, you should get it checked out as early as possible to avoid more costly repairs in the future.
Most of the time, this is caused by faulty spark plugs or some other part of the ignition system. Use the best ODB2 reader you can afford to see what the check engine light is trying to tell you.
2. Your Car Feels Rough When it Accelerates
When your car feels rough when you accelerate, that could be an indicator that your spark plugs are not in good condition anymore.
When the spark plugs in your engine are in good condition, they will ignite the fuel when your car accelerates in a way that feels smooth.
If your car only runs smoothly when you accelerate very slowly, it is an indication that your spark plugs need to be replaced.
3. There is a Knocking or Clicking Noise When You Drive
If you hear knocking or clicking sounds when you drive, this could be an indication that there is something damaged inside of your engine.
This could be caused by faulty spark plugs or some other part of the ignition system.
Engine knocking is a result of the engine trying to compensate for the faulty spark plug. This should be the first thing you check when you hear a knocking sound inside of your engine.
4. There is a Burning Smell When You Drive
If you start to notice a burning smell when you drive, this is an indicator that your oil is burning on the cylinder walls. Look for white smoke from the exhaust as well, another indication your engine is burning oil.
If this happens on regular basis, it could be due to faulty spark plugs or some other part of the ignition system.
The oil burns on the cylinder walls and causes carbon deposits on them, which reduces the amount of heat that they can conduct away from the combustion chamber.
5. Hard Starting
When the car has difficulty starting, it could be caused by faulty spark plugs or some other part of the ignition system.
The engine should be able to start without much effort. At this point, the first thing to do should be to check the spark plugs.
Checking spark plugs is an easy way to find out if the engine is working safely. It’s also easy to replace spark plugs with no expensive equipment, through a set of hand tools.
6. Excessive Idle
If your car is idling for a long time, it could be caused by faulty spark plugs or some other part of the ignition system.
In this situation, you should keep an eye on how your car idles to know how it performs over time so you can decide if you need new spark plugs or not.
7. Low Power
This is an indication that there is some sort of blockage in the fuel passage, which can’t allow the fuel to flow properly.
This could be caused by faulty spark plugs or some other part of the ignition system.
Often, this will cause your car to pull harder when you accelerate, which doesn’t feel good for the engine or your gas mileage.
Leave a Reply