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What To Know About Your Car’s Spark Plugs

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One of the most powerful parts inside your vehicle are the spark plugs. They are instrumental in powering up your car. Think of them as little bolts of electricity. Without them, your vehicle simply won’t go. 

If you look up the definition of spark plug in the dictionary, it states:

A device for firing the explosive mixture in an internal combustion engine

When engaged, it ignites a mixture of compressed fuel and air with an electric spark, while containing the combustion pressure within the engine compartment itself. This gives your vehicle what it needs to power up. 

As you can imagine, spark plugs withstand intense heat and pressure. They are built to burn off buildups and other contaminants as it repeats this process every time you start your car. 

If you have an internal combustion vehicle, your car won’t start without spark plugs in place. Their health determines how well your engine will perform as you start your car and drive. Over time, a weak or compromised spark plug can lead to a variety of problems, from issues with starting to misfiring as you drive. Without healthy spark plugs, your vehicle won’t perform well, meaning your fuel economy will be compromised. 

Different types of spark plugs

While there are some models that don’t use spark plugs, most modern-day vehicles need them to produce power. Without a spark, your car won’t go. Engine performance is directly related to how healthy your spark plugs are. 

Your engine needs at least one spark plug per cylinder. So, if you have a four-cylinder car, it will operate using four spark plugs. 

What To Know About Your Car’s Spark Plugs

Different vehicles need different spark plugs. They are not a “one size fits all” part. Certain spark plugs are more efficient, or perform better than others. Your car was built with certain characteristics in mind. That’s why it’s always a good idea to check with your owner’s manual before routine maintenance. 

All spark plugs have a small central and side electrode to generate the necessary voltage. Overall, there are four main types of spark plugs:

  • Copper
  • Iridium
  • Platinum
  • Double platinum

Copper spark plugs use a nickel alloy electrode that is soft and not very durable. They don’t last very long, require more voltage, and are better suited for older vehicles built before 1980. 

Iridium spark plugs tend to last the longest. They have a small center electrode which means it needs the least amount of voltage to produce results. If your vehicle currently uses iridium spark plugs, never downgrade to other materials as it will diminish performance. They are the most expensive of the four types of spark plugs. 

Platinum spark plugs are similar to copper, except with a platinum disk in place of the nickel alloy electrode. This makes them more durable than copper spark plugs. While not the strongest on the market, they are often recommended for newer cars that use an electronic distributor ignition. 

Double platinum spark plugs are reliable if your distributor ignition system is a waste spark system. This causes the spark plug to fire twice, once for the compression cylinder, the other in the exhaust cylinder. This produces more reliability in rainy or damp environments. 

How spark plugs wear out

Spark plugs aren’t something that wears out quickly. You won’t be replacing them frequently, like you do an air filter during an oil change. 

By the time spark plugs reach end-of-life, they’ve been through thousands of starts and stops, withstanding extreme temperatures and a wide variety of conditions. When your vehicle was designed, manufacturers installed specific spark plugs with duration in mind. When it’s time to replace your current spark plugs, sticking to the guidelines will continue durability for years to come. 

Spark plugs won’t last forever. Over time, it can cause:

Deposit buildup – every time spark plugs ignite, the air-fuel mixture can leave behind trace materials. This continues to build, which can lead to pre-ignition of the fuel. If you ever find your vehicle jerking, it could be an unreliable air-fuel mixture. 

Expanding gap – as a spark plug ignites, it travels over a gap of space to provide the correct level of combustion. As the spark plug ages, this gap can widen. When it’s too far apart for proper combustion, starting will be ineffective. 

What will new spark plugs do for your vehicle?

Your vehicle won’t start without working spark plugs in place. When you start to notice problems with the starting process, a mechanic can inspect your vehicle and pinpoint the issue. If the spark plugs are worn, replacing them will give you:

  • Better performance – fully functioning spark plugs provide better combustion. If you are having any performance issues, it may be your spark plugs. 
  • Better fuel economy – every time spark plugs misfire, it can impact fuel efficiency. 
  • Smoother starts – it’s sometimes difficult to realize just how worn down your vehicle’s spark plugs are. When you replace them and experience the instantaneous start, you can recognize just how jerky bad spark plugs can make the ignition process. Replacing them on schedule can give you a smoother ride longer. 
  • Lower emissions – regular tune ups and spark plug replacement can reduce the amount of emissions your vehicle releases into the environment. 

When spark plugs need replacing

Like any part on your vehicle, spark plugs give off signs to warn you it’s time for replacement. You may notice:

  • Rattling or knocking noises – when pistons and combustion aren’t working properly, you’ll hear it in the interaction. If the spark plug fires and the piston doesn’t move accordingly, you’ll hear rattling or knocking noises. 
  • Hard start – when you turn the key and your car doesn’t pop right off, you may feel jerkiness or erratic performance. Those misfires are your warning sign. 
  • Low performance – spark plugs continue to fire as you accelerate and change gears. If it feels sluggish throughout this process, it could be a sign of needing new spark plugs. 
  • Poor fuel economy – pay attention at the pump. If your gas mileage decreases, it’s a sign something is wrong with performance. Old spark plugs reduce economy as the vehicle fails to receive the right spark, meaning it works harder to produce the same results. 

If you’ve noticed any of these symptoms, your first line of defense is to stop by for a full inspection. We can find the issue, and provide you with choices to prevent future problems while giving your better performance at the same time. 

What You Should Know About Spark Plugs

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Spark plugs; if you’ve ever seen them, you know they’re tiny little parts that somehow connect together underneath the hood, and help your car run.

You might not think twice about them, but they play an important role in how your car functions. Without them, your car wouldn’t stay running at all.

What should you know about these tiny little parts?

What do spark plugs do?

Your car’s engine is what makes your car operate. Without an engine, your car wouldn’t go.

What makes an engine run is through kinetic energy. But without the process of internal combustion, an engine wouldn’t be able to pull the kind of power needed to move you from place to place.

Every time you turn the key, (or press the button,) your engine goes through a cycle to make this entire process happen. Valves fill a cylinder with a mixture of air and gasoline. A piston in the engine pushes upward, compressing this highly explosive fuel-source into a tiny space. At its peak, the engine ignites this mixture with a small spark, forcing the piston back down into position. This turns the crankshaft in the engine, and creates enough power to move you forward.

This is where your spark plugs come into play. As the name implies, spark plugs create the spark to ignite the mixture of air and fuel. They do this over and over again, being able to sustain millions of tiny outbursts over their lifetime.

That’s why spark plugs are made from an extremely durable material. Spark plugs aren’t something that need to be replaced on a frequent basis. Still, these tiny explosions do make their impact, and  eventually, like every part of your vehicle, the force behind the process will eventually weaken the material, and cause the spark plug to decrease its power. Weaker sparks can cause things like misfiring to happen. And eventually, failure.

Are there different types of spark plugs?

What You Should Know About Spark PlugsIf you’ve started noticing your car misfires when you turn it on, it’s just one of the signals your vehicle gives you to let you know your spark plugs are wearing out. When it comes time to replace them, there are several different variations of spark plugs available.

The best spark plug for your vehicle is the one recommended by the manufacturer, which you can find by referring to your owner’s manual. There are several main types of spark plugs that include:

Copper spark plugs – the center electrode is made with a copper core surrounded by nickel alloy. It’s inexpensive and works well in vehicles built before 1980. They also have a shorter lifespan and require more voltage to operate.

Iridium spark plugs – these are the longest lasting spark plugs, as they require less voltage to generate a spark. They also come with a higher price tag because of it.

Silver platinum spark plugs – this is similar to a copper spark plug, only with a platinum disc welded to the tip. It lasts longer than nickel alloy, meaning it also has a longer lifespan.

Double platinum spark plugs – they have a platinum coating on both center and ground electrodes, making these efficient and long-lasting too.

Silver spark plugs – while they aren’t as common as other types of spark plugs, they feature silver coated electrode tips, and are often used on older European performance cars and motorcycles.

When is it time to change my spark plugs?

Today’s vehicles are more efficient than ever before. Depending on your vehicle, many manufacturers now install “extended life” spark plugs at the factory, giving you a long life before you start to notice problems. In many cases, these spark plugs will be rated at a lifespan of up to 100,000 miles. Of course, this is a suggested timeframe, and the closer you get to end-of-life, the more you should pay attention to how well your car runs.

As they wear down, the gap between the two loads widens. This is where efficiency decreases, and misfiring starts to happen. If you allow your spark plugs to wear down enough so that corrosion sets in, they have the potential of breaking, which can lead to serious damage to the interior of your engine cylinder. This can be an expensive repair to fix.

It’s much easier to follow manufacturers’ guidelines, be aware of any sounds or changes in the way your car operates, and replace parts before they wear down.

What happens as a spark plug ages?

Spark plugs move into action every single time you take your car out for a drive. They fire again and again, keeping your engine working at its best.

It undergoes thousands of miles in extreme temperatures. That’s one reason it’s important to focus on quality rather than price. The stronger the material, the more durable the spark plug will be.

Still, a spark plug won’t last forever.

Over time, deposits form on the spark plugs as it interacts with the air-fuel mixture.

As it continues performing this process, a tiny gap can form due to extreme temperatures, debris, and normal wear and tear.

And that’s when trouble begins.

But it doesn’t have to. Not if you replace your spark plugs regularly.

What are the benefits of replacing my spark plugs?

The biggest benefit of replacing your spark plugs at recommended times is to ensure your car starts without problem. Of course, there are other reasons too.

Better performance – when a spark plug is doing its job, it means the entire combustion system is happening without a hitch. That means your engine is performing at its best.

Better fuel efficiency – The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence states that a misfiring spark plug can reduce fuel efficiency by as much as 30 percent. Replacing your spark plugs before they wear down will help you save at the pump.

Better starting – have you noticed your car jumping and jerking when it starts? It could be a sign of a failing spark plug.

Better emissions – if you keep your engine running well, it will emit less emissions into the air. That means cleaner air for me and you to breathe.

When was the last time you had your spark plugs changed?

Spark Plugs

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Good news!  The days when drivers had to change their spark plugs every couple of years has ended.  Back in the day, spark plugs really did wear out that often.  Now, a couple of things are different…

First, spark plugs have a better design and are made of better materials that last longer for drivers.  The second reason spark plugs used to have to be changed more often is because carbon deposits would build up in them when fuel wasn’t burned completely and foul them up.  But with modern engine management controls that doesn’t happen as often.

Engine control computers precisely time when fuel is injected into the engine and when the spark plugs fire.  Unless something is wrong, spark plugs just don’t misfire as often now.

Electricity from the battery goes into a coil that allows power to build up to anywhere from 12,000 to 45,000 volts, depending on the vehicle.  The engine management computer tells the coil when to release the power to the spark plug.  The electricity travels through a wire from the coil to the spark plug.  At the tip of the plug, a spark jumps between two electrodes and ignites the gas in the combustion chamber.

Some engines have more than one coil.  Coils wear out and need to be replaced occasionally.  Also, spark plug wires can wear out and need to be replaced.  Modern engines in vehicles are delivering more power and better fuel economy all the time.  That’s largely credited to fast engine control computers, advanced sensors, electronic ignition and improvements to the lowly spark plug.  It will be interesting to see where future developments take us.

One last thought…it’s important to have the right kind of spark plug for your vehicle.  Because engines are designed to run with different internal temperatures, spark plugs have different designs that work properly within those temperatures.  Your service adviser at Express Car Care will be able to get the right plugs for your vehicle and be able to advise you as to when you should replace your spark plugs as well.

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