Nobody wants their car to break down. To keep your vehicle running well, you need to provide it with regular service. Have the oil changed a few times per year, rotate the tires, and check and replace the brakes as needed. A good auto care service will take care of all these maintenance tasks for you. However, you may still want to know more about the processes they follow, when service is needed, and what other types of services may help your car last longer. We've build this website for people like you — responsible car owners who just want to learn more. Enjoy!
Having good spark plugs in your vehicle helps your engine be more reliable because they are what provide the spark that helps ignite the mixture of air and fuel for it to run. Here are some signs that those spark plugs are in need of repair or replacement.
Rough Idling
Pay attention to how your car behaves when the vehicle has started and you are at a complete standstill. If your vehicle's RPM meter is going up and down, this is a sign that your engine is misfiring and could be due to bad spark plugs. A tiny amount of movement when idling is normal, but there should not be significant changes in RPMs while idling.
Engine Misfiring
There are many signs of engine misfiring that could be due to bad spark plugs. Look out for symptoms like having an excessive amount of smoke coming out of your exhaust, weird odors or sounds coming from your vehicle, or moments where it feels like your vehicle is losing power. While these are not always due to the spark plugs going bad, it is a reason to have your vehicle inspected for a potential problem since changing the spark plugs can be a simple fix.
Increased Fuel Consumption
Have you noticed that your vehicle is now consuming more fuel, even though you haven't changed your driving style? This is a big reason to be concerned. Confirm your suspicions by tracking how many miles you get per gallon on a full tank of gas, and comparing that to what it was in the past. Some vehicles even track your average miles per gallon, and you can easily reset that meter and see what your vehicle now gets in comparison.
Slow Acceleration
You know how your vehicle should feel when you accelerate, including how quickly it gets up to your desired speed when starting from a standstill or going onto the freeway. If the vehicle now feels like it is accelerating much slower, this is a sign that the spark plugs have gone bad.
Unsure if your vehicle's problems are spark plug-related? Have a mechanic check out your engine and let you know what is going on under the hood. If the spark plugs are bad, consider swapping out all of the spark plugs at once, since the cost to do so is low and can prevent these problems from happening in the future.
For more information on all types of car repair, including European car repair and spark plug issues, contact a local mechanic.
Share30 March 2021