Our last post covered what spark plugs are and what they do for your vehicle. This week, we’ll be looking at a few telltale signs that may alert you when the time to replace your spark plugs comes.

Most mechanics say there are six symptoms that serve as a good indication that yours need replacing. These are:

1.) You have trouble starting your car.

Usually, when our car battery fails, our immediate thoughts go to an empty gas tank or a dead battery. We often overlook spark plugs as the source. As discussed in our previous post, spark plugs are necessary since they produce the charge, or spark, needed to get your car moving.

2.) Engine misfire.

When an engine misfire happens, your vehicle halts for about half a second and then continues to move. At this point, your vehicle isn’t working correctly as it should, which means that your set more than likely needs to be replaced.

3.) Utilization of more fuel.

If your spark plugs are running low, or wearing out, then you may have noticed your car’s fuel consumption has increased. This means you have to fill up more often than before.

4.) Engine is idle for a longer amount of time.

Whenever you come to a halt at a stop sign or red light, you’ll find that your engine becomes stationary. With good spark plugs, you won’t hear a thing from your engine and the waiting at the light will be smooth. Without well working spark plugs, you get the complete opposite. Not having this looked at can lead to a very costly damage.

5.) A drop in acceleration.

If your car isn’t accelerating at its original pace, then worn out spark plugs could be the cause. This type of trouble is relatively easy to spot, because it will often feel as if your car is putting all its effort into dragging itself along.

6.) Engine surging.

An engine surge, otherwise known as hesitation, happens when a car takes in more air than necessary to undergo the combustion process. This in turn causes your car to jerk forward and immediately slow down.