Dirty spark plugs problems : what are the symptoms to understand if the time has come to change damaged car spark plugs . How to tell if your car has burnt, worn or dirty spark plugs. Advice on how to clean the car spark plugs.
The candles or glow plugs cars are those elements that help power the vehicle, how? They are hot and, when the engine is off, they ignite the spark to burn the fuel. They are present in all vehicles ( LPG , petrol, methane, diesel cars) but are more sensitive in diesel cars .
When to change car spark plugs?
The car plugs are components subject to wear and should be replaced at regular intervals. In some cases, the replacement of the glow plugs must also be brought forward as it is not uncommon to find burnt , damaged or now too dirty candles to allow the fuel to burn.
Car spark plug life : on older cars, car spark plugs should be replaced every 20,000 kilometers. On modern cars, the life of the spark plugs is much higher, so much so that even on diesel or LPG cars , they must be changed every 40,000 – 60,000 km, to know when to change the spark plugs take a look at the user manual of your vehicle.
Car candles burned: symptoms
The car just doesn’t start. If the car does not start, one of the possible causes are burnt candles . Before getting to this, however, it is possible to catch the symptoms , alarm bells that warn you that the time has now come to change the car spark plugs , let’s see what these symptoms are.
Dirty or damaged candles, problems and symptoms to note
When the spark plugs are damaged or dirty, the most obvious symptom is difficulty in starting the vehicle. If you have trouble starting your car and you have to make several attempts to start it, it could probably be the dirty or damaged spark plugs , now in need of replacement or cleaning. Of course, if the car struggles to start it could also be a trivial problem of low battery … however, if in addition to the difficulty in starting the vehicle you also notice a production of white smoke, then the scale will move in favor of dirty spark plugs .
These two just described are not the only problems related to dirty glow plugs .
With the car in motion, there can be a net loss of power and a significant increase in fuel consumption. Take a look at the tank, if you notice that for the same kilometers traveled it consumes more petrol, ask yourself what is wrong. Sometimes it may just be the flat tires, other times, however, the cause could be directly linked to dirty spark plugs .
The car candles become more prone to wear in winter, when temperatures are below 5 ° C and start a cold engine burning fuel becomes more difficult. In short, if you are in the middle of winter and your car has already given you the first ignition problems and you suspect that you have dirty spark plugs , it is better if you don’t venture if you don’t first check the car spark plugs. It doesn’t take long to go from noticing that you have damaged car spark plugs to having your vehicle stopped and not starting due to the burnt spark plugs !
Dirty candles: what to do
If your spark plugs are just dirty and not damaged, you will simply have to clean them or have them cleaned by your trusted mechanic. It is generally recommended to clean the car spark plugs every 10,000 km, in this way it is possible to keep the vehicle always efficient and extend the life of the spark plugs.
How to clean dirty car spark plugs
Know that this procedure should only be done when the vehicle is stationary and cold. A power cord is connected to each candle, before starting, you can take a picture to remember how they were connected or, even better, you can use masking tape and label each power cable by assigning the cylinder a corresponding number for each candle . This way you will be sure to perform a correct assembly.
Gently unplug the power cord.
Remove the pipette and unscrew it completely. At this stage you can start removing excess dust and dirt with a cloth. Clean the ceramic tip well too.
For more effective cleaning, you can brush the spark plugs with a stiff brush soaked in gasoline. Then remember to dry it completely and blow with compressed air to finish drying and sweep away any residues.
Once you have finished cleaning the dirty spark plugs , you can proceed with the assembly with the help of the numerical labels assigned when removing the dirty car spark plugs .
Car spark plugs to change, how to do it
If you notice that the car spark plugs are burnt, you can read the guide: how to change the car spark plugs .
Dirty candles problems: replacement cost
The cost of servicing car spark plugs varies based on a few factors. First of all you have to consider whether you will take care of replacing the spark plugs yourself or if you prefer to hire a mechanic. You will then need to consider whether your vehicle is high-end and equipped with many electronic components.
In the latter case, if you want to rest assured, you can rely on your trusted mechanic. The cost to replace the spark plugs in the garage ranges from 40 to 90 Euros for most cars.
The price can go up to € 150 for newly built cars as they require special tools and higher priced candles.
