What are the common faults of car spark plugs?
2 Answers
Common faults of car spark plugs include: 1. Spark plug damage, such as wrinkled or cracked insulators, electrode erosion, or melting; 2. Deposits on spark plugs, including carbon deposits, oil buildup, and other foreign substances; 3. Incorrect spark plug gap (either too large or too small), leading to reduced ignition performance or misfiring. Symptoms of faulty spark plugs in the engine: 1. Difficulty starting the engine - excessive carbon buildup on spark plugs, accumulated deposits, and increased gap can result in insufficient ignition energy, making it hard to start the car; 2. Reduced power - thick carbon layers on spark plugs decrease shunt resistance and affect spark generation at the electrodes, causing unstable engine operation and power loss; 3. Excessive exhaust emissions - faulty spark plugs prevent the ignition system from functioning properly, leading to incomplete combustion of the air-fuel mixture and emission of unburned harmful substances.
With decades of driving experience, I'm well-versed in handling spark plug failures. Common issues include thick carbon deposits or oil contamination on the electrodes, causing weak or intermittent sparks that lead to hard starting or even engine stalling; severe electrode erosion and wear with oxidized materials drastically reducing ignition efficiency; incorrect gap adjustment - too small results in weak sparks and insufficient power, while too large prevents sparking altogether; cracked ceramic insulators causing insulation failure and serious short-circuit risks. Aging shouldn't be ignored - after 30,000-50,000 km, fatigued electrodes make acceleration sluggish and fuel consumption skyrocket. Regular spark plug inspections and timely replacement per manufacturer's mileage recommendations are advised - prevention is more cost-effective than repairs. Faulty ignition coils can mimic spark plug problems, so comprehensive diagnosis combining engine misfire symptoms is more reliable. Prompt attention to these issues ensures driving safety.
