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.
7 Signs You Need to Replace Your Spark Plugs
- The car is hard to start.
- The engine misfires.
- The car gets poor fuel economy.
- Rough engine idle.
- Your car struggles to accelerate.
- The engine is really loud.
- Your 'check engine' light is on.
- Frequency of replacing spark plugs.
What are the signs your Spark Plugs are failing?
- Engine has a rough idle. If your Spark Plugs are failing your engine will sound rough and jittery when running at idle.
- Trouble starting. Car won't start and you're late for work… Flat battery?
- Engine misfiring.
- Engine surging.
- High fuel consumption.
- Lack of acceleration.
On the vast majority of occasions, an engine will have one spark plug per cylinder, with most cars on the road having four cylinders/four spark plugs. Exceptions include HEMI engines (commonly found in muscle cars) which will have two plugs per cylinder.
Since replacing the plugs is no longer an annual service, most vehicle manufacturers stopped making them accessible. Today, replacing the plugs may require removing the intake manifold and a lot of other work to reach them.
Glow plugs should last for as long as 100,000 miles; they will gradually deteriorate due to wear and tear over this period. The good news is that not only are glow plugs incredibly long-lasting, they're also amongst the most cost-effective car parts to replace.
In terms of lifespan, the use life you enjoy will depend in the type of plug used in the engine. Normal copper plugs only last about 20,000 miles. However, using platinum plugs can give you 60,000 miles of use. Other types can last up to 100,000 miles.
But all things age with time, and so do the spark plugs. As spark plugs go through thousands and thousands of miles along with your vehicle, their internal components tend to wear out and even though they can withstand extreme temperatures, their durability goes down with time.
The spark plugs in the motorcycle should be replaced every 8000 miles to 10,000 miles (13,000 to 16,000 kilometres). In addition, the spark plugs need to be checked every 4000 to 5000 miles (6500 to 8000 kilometres) traveled. Most spark plugs usually have a lifespan of 10,000 miles.
Compare with similar items
| This item Lisle 20610 Inline Spark Tester |
|---|
| Customer Rating | 4.7 out of 5 stars (3627) |
| Price | $992 |
| Shipping | FREE Shipping on orders over $25.00 shipped by Amazon or get Fast, Free Shipping with Amazon Prime |
| Sold By | Amazon.com |
How to Change Spark Plugs
- Safety First. Park your vehicle on a flat, dry surface and ensure the engine is cool.
- Remove the Spark Plug Wire.
- Remove the Coil On Plug (COP)
- Unscrew the Spark Plug.
- Put in the New Spark Plugs.
- Re-install the Spark Plug Wires or Ignition Coils (COP)
- Start Up the Engine.
Labor costs are estimated between $51 and $64 while parts are priced between $168 and $218. This range does not include taxes and fees, and does not factor in your specific vehicle or unique location. Related repairs may also be needed. This range is an average across all vehicles on the road.
The Eastwood Blast cabinet, Small Job Blast Kit, or the Speed Blaster are the two best options for the job. Once you have the plugs blasted, use compressed air to clean out the end of the plug and you can gap the plug(s) to spec. The result will be a better running engine with better fuel economy; all for free!
High performanceNoble metal plugs can perform consistently and well, which helps to maintain the engineered performance of the engine. They won't make the engine perform better than it did when it was new, but they will help it stay at that level longer.
Iridium. The best spark plugs on the market boast an iridium construction. Iridium spark plugs give you even better gas mileage, performance, reliability, and longevity than double-platinum plugs.
Denso plugs are installed on almost every automobile model manufactured in Japan. The iridium used in them has a superior hardness. The electrode's diameter in Denso plugs shrinks more than an NGK. For this reason, Denso plugs do not last longer than NGK units, but they are better at producing powerful sparks.
With over 8 decades of experience, NGK is one of the biggest names in spark plugs. Years of experience creating specialized sensors, connectors and other car engine components have helped earn NGK a reputation as a trusted brand noted for quality and consistency.
