Defects such as slow acceleration, loss of engine power, unnecessary fuel economy, heavy engine ignition and difficulty in leaving the car indicate a spark plug failure.
How can we diagnose an unsuitable or faulty spark plug?
Without a spark, it would not be possible to ignite the fuel in the combustion chamber (in the case of gasoline engines also called spark ignition engines). Spark plugs have been a critical component of the internal combustion engine for years.
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The spark plugs are designed to transmit an electrical signal sent by the ignition coil at a predetermined time to create a spark that ignites the fuel mixture inside the combustion chamber.
Each vehicle requires a certain type of spark plug that is made of specific materials and with a gap designated by a mechanic during installation.
Good spark plugs will allow the fuel to burn efficiently, while due to improper spark plugs or defects, the engine may not start at all.
Spark plugs are similar to engine oil, fuel filters and air filters in that they require a number of maintenance services such as those listed to keep the engine in top condition.
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Most vehicles sold require the replacement of spark plugs every 50,000 to 80,000 km. However, some newer cars, trucks and SUVs have advanced ignition systems that obviously make spark plug replacement unnecessary.
Regardless of the warranties or claims made by a vehicle manufacturer, there are situations in which the spark plug burns or shows signs of failure.
Listed below are 3 common problems caused by worn spark plugs or dirty spark plugs that need to be replaced by a qualified mechanic in the shortest possible time.
1. Slow acceleration
Most vehicles have a very common problem, this being caused by the ignition system as a result the car accelerates harder.
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Currently, modern engines have several sensors that inform the on-board computer and ignition system when they need to send electrical impulses to trigger the spark plug, so that the problem could be detected if a sensor is defective.
However, sometimes the problem is much simpler than it seems, being caused by spark plug wear. The spark plug is made of materials that work together to produce a spark hot enough to ignite the air-fuel mixture.
When these materials wear out, the effectiveness of the spark plug is reduced, which can significantly reduce the vehicle’s acceleration.
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If you notice that your car is running slow or does not accelerate as fast as it should, the problem can be attributed to a defective spark plug that needs to be replaced.
However, you should seek the help of a mechanic to examine this problem, as it could be caused by other factors, including a defective fuel filter, dirty or clogged fuel injector, or other problems with oxygen sensors.
2.No fuel economy
A spark plug that is fully functional helps to efficiently burn fuel in the combustion cycle. When this happens, your car can achieve a noticeable better fuel economy than its normal average consumption.
When the plug does not work optimally, the common problem is that the space between the spark plug electrodes is too small or too large.
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In fact, many mechanics will first remove the spark plug, examine it, and adjust the gap from the manufacturer’s factory settings, as opposed to replacing the spark plug with a new one.
If your vehicle has an increase in fuel consumption, it could be attributed to a worn spark plug.
3. The engine is not working properly
If the engine is malfunctioning, it is usually due to a problem with the ignition system. Usually, in the case of modern cars, this is due to a malfunction of the sensor.
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However, a damaged spark plug wire or the spark plug tip that is connected can also cause the motor to malfunction. The ignition of the engine can be observed by listening carefully to the intermittent sounds of the engine.
If the engine is left to continue to malfunction, the exhaust emissions will increase and the engine power will be lower, causing not only no fuel economy, but no economy at all.