When to change spark plugs and spark plug wires?
Spark plugs are a very important component in a car. The operation of the engine directly depends on the serviceability of these parts.
If, when the engine is running, you begin to notice interruptions and floating idle speed, then it is the spark plugs that must be looked at first.
Spark plug life
The trouble-free operation of spark plugs can be quite realistic even over 100 km. Although, the real effective service life of these components is from 000 to 30 thousand km.
If the spark plugs do not produce the optimum spark, the fuel will not ignite properly. As a result, engine power is lost, interruptions in its operation appear and fuel consumption increases.
To avoid the appearance of the symptoms described above, you must follow simple recommendations:
- Refuel only with proven and high quality fuel. This will prevent the appearance of red plaque on the electrodes of the candles.
- It is necessary to establish the optimal gap between the side and center electrodes. If the gap is too small, the spark will be weak and the engine power will be far from maximum. If the gap, on the contrary, is large, there will be interruptions in the operation of the engine, which will lead to constant jerks when driving.
- Use only spark plugs recommended by your vehicle manufacturer. The heat number must be strictly observed.
- Make a replacement strictly according to the regulations of the manufacturer of your machine
If, even after replacing the spark plugs, the engine still malfunctions, then it is necessary to check the high-voltage spark plug wires. They usually serve for a long time and can deteriorate mainly due to mechanical stress. But there are times when they wear out from the inside.
In order to check them for operability, it is necessary to test the wires with a multimeter and find out the resistance value. Typically, the operating instructions for your car indicate the permissible values of the resistance of the spark plug wires.
If, as a result of the measurements, it turned out that the parameters exceed the permissible ones, the high-voltage wires must be replaced with new ones. As for the price of these components, for candles the cost can be from 150 to 1500 rubles, depending on the type and manufacturer. And the price of wires will be approximately two times lower.
