When to change the spark plugs?

When to change the spark plugs?

Cars with combustion engines have something identical. They need fuel, air, and heat (or an ignition source) for their proper functioning. This ignition source comes from a spark plug.

The difference lies in the car’s engine type: gasoline engines use glow plugs, while diesel ones use spark plugs.

Spark plugs are a small component that helps start a car engine. While spark plugs create sparks as a heat source, they heat up.

When they reach a high temperature, the plugs begin to spark, hence the name.

To understand how these components work, we need to make the same comparison between the different plugs.

While glow plugs constantly work during the car’s functioning, spark plugs only work when starting the engine. So it’s natural that you need to change them regularly.

As a reference, you should replace spark plugs every 100,000 to 120,000 kilometers (in diesel cars) — though you should not replace them just based on this figure.

So be sure to ask your mechanic for advice while checking the manufacturer’s manual.

And now it’s time to know the 5 signs that show when to change the spark plugs,

1. Start-up difficulties

When the car starts to hiccup and has trouble “starting” whenever you try it. It’s the main sign that something’s wrong because it shows the spark plugs’ wear.

2. Ongoing Failures

When you are you driving and feeling the car jerking, that means the engine’s not working continuously, which shows that the spark plugs are worn and not burning the fuel as they should 

3. Performance loss

Over time, and with wear on the spark plugs, the car’s response to throttle pressure is slower and takes longer to start.

4. Electrode corrosion

Some cheap fuel additives cause problems in spark plugs. 

In addition to this electrode corrosion, using cheap fuel accumulates residues that affect the flow of gases, which in turn clogs the car’s engine.

5. Electrode stains

Suppose you notice yellowish stains on the center electrode’s insulation. In that case, this shows that you use poor quality fuels — and that the fuel residues, instead of burning at high temperatures, stain the electrodes and affect their operation.