When you are thinking of common car repairs, most people would not even consider spark plugs as one of the items in their vehicle that needs to be replaced or repaired. Those same people don’t realize the importance of the spark plugs in the vehicle. In short, if you don’t have properly functioning spark plugs in your car, the vehicle would most likely not even turn on!
So What are Spark Plugs and What are They For?
What Do Spark Plugs Do?
Your engine’s main role is to convert fuel into energy to run your car. This process is called combustion. As a result of combustion the pistons in your engine are pushed up and down because of the release of air from the combustion chamber in the engine. So where do Spark Plugs come in?
Well as many of you have probably seen, Gasoline or Fuel doesn’t just burn into flames on its own. It needs some sort of a stimulus. That’s where your Spark Plugs come in! Spark Plugs are made of a durable material that when given a charge creates a spark in your engine, igniting the gasoline.
A simple way to imagine how this works is like using a gas stove. When you turn on the stove, the gas needs a spark to ignite and then a flame appears. Spark Plugs act as the trigger for the gasoline in your vehicle to ignite! Just like in a stove, if the spark plugs are not able to produce a spark (for one reason or another) The gasoline will not ignite, and the engine will not start.
When Do I Need to Change My Spark Plugs?
Most people don’t really consider changing their spark plugs very often because as mentioned before they are very durable. Many Manufacturers recommend replacing your spark plugs every 100,000 miles in new vehicles and then roughly every 40,000 to 50,000 miles after that. The reason they miles change is because of general wear and when driving your vehicle, more issues can arise that can affect multiple parts of your car. That is not to say the lifespan can’t last longer, but rather to be on the safer side when driving.
How Much Does Replacing My Spark Plugs Cost?
The cost of replacing your spark plugs all depends on how old or severe the damage to them may be. In simple cases, only 1 spark plug needs to be replaced if there is a malfunction. Spark Plugs are generally between $20-$100 depending on the quality you are trying to purchase or the vehicle you are driving. If you include labor into the cost you can expect to pay around $150-$400 for routine spark plug maintenance.
In severe cases when you must replace all your spark plugs or there is damage to the chamber where the spark plugs lock in, then the repairs can be much more costly.
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