Spark plugs are the parts in a car that have one job, that of transmitting electricity through the whole engine starting from the motor to the smallest pieces.
If that’s clear enough, there is another thing to mention about the spark plugs and it is that they can go bad fast!
In this article, I will tell you everything you need to know regarding what causes spark plugs to go bad fast along with the “symptoms” or the ways that they signal you they are not functioning properly!
So, What Causes Spark Plugs to Go Bad Fast? – Reasons
The reasons that cause spark plugs to go bad fast include different things but I will mention for you the most important ones that are overheating, the gaps left when adjusted, the built-up of oil and carbon, the quality of fuel, and the clogs in there.
Let me go over them in more detail so that you can understand everything better!
Also Read: The Car Radiator Keeps Pushing Water
Overheating
As spark plugs are part of your car’s electricity there is no doubt that there will be heating and when there is more, the overheating can cause complete malfunction and going bad spark plugs in a blink of an eye.
Gaps on Them
When adjusting anything in your car, there are ways on doing so and interestingly enough the tip of a spark plug needs a gap within, especially when attached to the electrode.
When the gap isn’t properly adjusted and it doesn’t fit in the center, the spark plugs can be completely gone bad in only a day of driving your car.
Oil and Carbon Build-Up
Even though spark plugs have coatings to be protected from any oil entering the engine, after a time there are some moments when the coating itself collects oil and carbon around.
If it is the reason and the coatings have gathered this extremely bad combination around themselves, there is caused big damage to the spark plugs.
Fuel Quality
Some people don’t care when it comes to the fuel they put in their car as long as it is full, and it is the worst thing one can do and they cause damage to the vehicles in general.
The quality of the fuel put in your car is one of the main things to check out as it leads to completely damaged spark plugs, and besides them, it can also cause other damages to the whole engine.
Clogs
The clogs that are done in a car can bring out various things, bad things, in the entire car, especially the spark plugs and the fuel injectors.
Anyways, when the spark plugs are clogged in some way, even with dirt, can lead up to immediate worn-out plugs and they don’t work at all, which is a serious thing to have in mind.
Noticing Spark Plugs – Symptoms of Gone Bad Spark Plugs
There are ways and ways in a car that show off the fact that something is going wrong, and when spark plugs go bad, there are some signals they send to you to “seek help” somehow.
You can notice your car’s spark plugs have gone bad by experiencing:
Difficult Start
As the electricity in a car is the reason for starting and stopping it, when the spark plugs are gone bad, the start of your car will be harder than other times.
Even though a car has difficult starts because of many other reasons, the stark plugs are something to check out as they have a place in that list as well.
Irregular Idling
Idling means leaving your car running while you don’t move at all; think about it when you are stuck in traffic. So, everybody knows that when a car is idling it has a regular way of doing so, and when there is an irregular way, it is called rough idling.
Gone bad spark plugs can lead to rough idling while bringing out some weird noise and sound.
Struggles with Speed/Acceleration Problems
If you are a fan of speed, the first symptom you will notice related to gone bad spark plugs is that your car cannot bring out the speed it has reached for some time now.
There is no chance that you won’t understand that your fast car doesn’t have problems with speed because it is the first thing you will notice.
Low Gas Mileage
Gas mileage is one of the most important things to check out in your car as it tells you how much you can ride based on how much gas is there.
If you encounter yourself going to the gas station more frequently, it is because the spark plugs aren’t doing the best job in there and they are gone bad.
Also Read: Wether It Is Bad to Floor Your Car?
Final Words
After checking out the things that gone bad spark plugs can bring to your car you surely understand the importance they have, starting from turning on your car.
So, I mentioned above a few things that can cause spark plugs to go bad in a short period, and still, overheating is one of the main and most important things that lead to this issue.
Make sure to take your cars in constant check-ups and also make sure to change the spark plugs that have gone bad!
Everything I mentioned above includes some common causes, but still, the best thing to do is to consult with a professional mechanic! Anyways, I hope that in the article, you found everything you needed to know! Best of luck!