The owner's manual says so Most manufacturers recommend replacing spark plugs every 50,000 kilometres, but spark plug quality varies. Some last around 130,000 kilometres, while cheap plugs made of copper may last approximately 40,000 kilometres.
Ordinary copper and nickel spark plugs should be changed every 30,000 to 50,000 miles, unless otherwise suggested by the spark plug manufacturer. Platinum and iridium spark plugs tend to last longer than standard copper and nickel spark plugs. Expect to change them every 60,000 to 150,000 miles unless otherwise noted.
Like all maintenance services, the ideal interval for changing your spark plugs and wires depends on the manufacturer's recommendations. Most cars need them done at 30,000 to 60,000 miles, while others are good until 100,000 miles. The most important thing to remember is to change the wires when you do the spark plugs.
Luckily, spark plugs don't wear out very quickly. You can typically get 80,000 miles on them before they need replacing.
Introduction. Changing spark plugs takes about an hour (for a four-cylinder engine) and will save you at least a hundred bucks in labor if you do it yourself. In most cases it's a simple job that will help to maintain peak performance and the highest possible gas mileage.
The most common signs of bad spark plugs include start-up trouble, rough idling, sluggish acceleration, declining fuel economy, engine misfiring, and engine knocking.
If you let your spark plugs go for too long, you could do some severe damage to your engine. The deposits that build upon the plugs can eventually cause them to misfire. When this happens, the unburned fuel in the cylinders can start to eat away at the cylinder walls.
Standard copper spark plugs last around 20,000 – 30,000 kms. The spark plugs play an important role in your engine, they produce electrical sparks that ignites the mixture of fuel and air in your engine's combustion chambers, causing the pistons to move up and down.
Spark plugs may become less effective at doing their job due to time, wear, or other electrical/ignition system issues.
Car experts say that installing new spark plugs can give your car a slight boost in performance, and that's something worth considering if you're looking to increase your vehicle's oomph.
Repeated overheating of the spark plug tip can cause the plug to prematurely fail. Overheating can be caused by many things like pre-ignition and a malfunctioning cooling system. Pre-ignition can lead to heat building up in the combustion chamber causing the spark plugs to fail.
The spark plugs in many vehicles today have iridium or platinum tips on the electrodes (the parts that transmit the spark) that last longer than conventional plugs with copper and nickel-alloy electrodes.
Most manufacturers recommend replacing spark plugs every 50,000 kilometres, but spark plug quality varies. Some last around 130,000 kilometres, while cheap plugs made of copper may last approximately 40,000 kilometres. “Extended life” spark plugs made of more resilient metals can last up to 160,000 kilometres.
Labor charges vary depending on the complexity of each engine, with V6 and V8 engines costing more than four-cylinder engines. The average labor cost ranges between $40 and $350. Factoring in parts and labor, the cheapest spark plug replacement costs between $100 and $250, and the highest is between $250 and $500.
Driving With Faulty Spark Plugs
Malfunctioning spark plugs cause engine problems including, misfires, hard starts, reduced gas mileage, rough idling, and lack of acceleration. Driving with a faulty spark plug will be difficult because the engine might fail to function.
Loss of spark is caused by anything that prevents coil voltage from jumping the electrode gap at the end of the spark plug. This includes worn, fouled or damaged spark plugs, bad plug wires or a cracked distributor cap.
Spark plugs are designed for long-term durability, meaning that they only need to be replaced between every 80,000 and 100,000 miles. However, they can become damaged earlier than expected and require replacements to avoid pricey engine repairs.
Replacing spark plugs will take roughly an hour if your vehicle has a four-cylinder engine. With a V6 or V8, it could take two to three hours. The cost to replace spark plugs will also vary by vehicle, as some spark plugs designs are more expensive but are designed to last longer.
The estimated mileage of iridium spark plugs – depending on the thickness of the central electrode and the construction of the ground electrode – ranges from 60,000 km up to 120,000 km in the case of DENSO Super Ignition Spark Plugs, which feature a protruding ground electrode, like DENSO's Twin Tip (TT) Spark Plugs.
Electrodes Made of Platinum or Iridium: OEM Mazda spark plugs have a platinum tip with a lifetime rating of 90k miles or an iridium tip with a lifetime rating of 120k miles. These are both costly metals, so aftermarket brands often use low-grade platinum or iridium to cut their costs.
With incomplete combustion, your fuel consumption and emissions may increase. Eventually, your car may die while running or fail to start. Driving with bad spark plugs can also lead to more serious and costly problems with your engine, including damage to your vehicle's catalytic converter.
Dirty or Old Spark Plugs
Dirty spark plugs can cause misfires as partially burned engine oil can prevent the plugs from creating the sparks needed to ignite the fuel after it goes into the cylinder. Old spark plugs can simply break and fail to produce a spark. A broken spark plug is a simple fix: just replace it.
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