A spark plug is an electrical part installed in a car engine, which, due to an electrical discharge and a spark between the electrodes, causes the combustible mixture to ignite, which provides the engine with the necessary energy to operate.
Stable engine operation, fuel consumption and overall vehicle performance depend on the operation of spark plugs. Depending on the type of engine, operating conditions and manufacturer's requirements, different types of spark plugs are used, which have different designs and operating parameters.
The main symptoms of a broken spark plug
- Poor starting of a cold engine.
- Uneven operation at idle.
- Loss of power.
- Deterioration of acceleration.
- Increased fuel consumption.
If you find any of these symptoms in your car, we recommend that you contact a car service for diagnostics and identification of a non-functioning spark plug. In this case, it is possible to replace only one problematic spark plug.
When replacing one spark plug, it is necessary that the replaced spark plug matches the spark plugs that are in other cylinders (type, design, manufacturer).
Basic rules for replacing a spark plug
- Cleanliness in the well where the candle stands.
- The spark plug is tightened with a certain force.
- If, as a result of unscrewing the old spark plug, it collapses and its parts fall into the engine cylinder, you must use a vacuum cleaner with a fine nozzle to remove foreign particles.
Depending on the engine and the manufacturer’s recommendations, to ensure high-quality engine operation, it is necessary to regularly replace a complete set of spark plugs.
Don't throw away old spark plugs.
By the appearance of the spark plug, you can determine the condition of your car's engine:
- A well-functioning spark plug has a heat cone insulator color that is either light gray or light brown.
- If the spark plug insulator and electrodes are covered with wet carbon and smell of fuel, this indicates a malfunction of the oxygen sensor, injectors or other components of the fuel injection system.
- If the electrodes and insulator of the spark plug are covered with coke deposits, then there may be a problem with valve stem seals, valve guides or oil piston rings, and transmission fluid may leak into the intake manifold through a damaged diaphragm of the vacuum brake booster.
- If the spark plug insulator is pure white, this indicates glow ignition; in this case, the spark plug is incorrectly selected for the engine or there is air leakage into the intake manifold or the valves are clamped.
- There may be dark gray carbon deposits, this indicates low-quality fuel or there is a malfunction in the ignition system.
In any case, replace the faulty spark plug.
If a problem with the spark plugs occurs while driving, in an older car, where access to the spark plug is quite easy, you can replace it.
On new cars, replacing a spark plug is a rather complicated process; you will need certain knowledge, a special tool for removing protection elements, ignition coils, and here we recommend contacting an emergency service to tow the car to a car service center. In addition, a certified car service center will carry out additional diagnostics, check engine error codes and test other vehicle systems, this is very important since in most cases the cause of spark plug failure is a vehicle malfunction.
