Recently, I was encouraged to get my spark plugs changed when a friend of mine was looking over my car. It made me start to wonder what exactly spark plugs do, and the whens and whys of changing them. Here are some things to help anyone else who is wondering the exact same thing.

Your spark plugs are an important part of starting your vehicle. In fact, the spark plugs are what delivers the spark to ignite the fuel and engine so that it starts. The details of exactly how your spark plugs are perfectly positioned and timed to work are truly amazing when you understand them fully.

There are a couple main reasons why you might have to change your spark plugs. Some choose to keep their vehicle maintained well by changing their spark plugs when their vehicles manufacturing manual suggests. Check your vehicles manufacturing manual to find out at what mile to change your spark plugs.

It might not be the smartest thing to overuse your spark plugs. It may seem annoying to follow the manual on when exactly to change them but it is the smartest thing to do. You will begin to feel a rough idle or loss of energy and performance the longer you wait to change your spark plugs.

There are other reasons too that you have to change your spark plugs, these include fouled, worn, or spark plugs with bad wires. These are a bit harder to spot and most likely you will have to take your car to a local car shop to have them checked out. If you are very familiar with cars you will be bale to spot a certain firing pattern with your cylinders that will lead to why your spark plugs may or may not be functioning properly.

If your spark plugs age long enough you might not even be able to start your car. As they corrode over time they wont be able to ignite any spark and your engine will have to overwork to produce one.

If your car cranks but doesn’t start, the best thing to do is check your spark plugs. If you find that they are wearing out or are no longer working you have far passed the appropriate time to change them. You might want to bring it into a car shop to make sure that the spark plugs are truly the issue.

Also check your vehicles manufacturers manual to see if what it says about spark plugs. Different vehicles may have different warnings and requirements. If you have any further questions talk to your local car shop, they will be able to tell you exactly what your vehicle needs.