Producers give a recommendation that the spark plugs need to be replaced during a maintenance plan and this is somewhere in the 10 000 to 15 000 kms - count of the run.
Experienced drivers believe that the time for replacing the spark plugs comes after after 20 0000 or 30 0000 km of run. Manufacturers recommend to change spark plugs every 15 000- 20 0000 km, and iridium and platinum spark plugs once in 100 000 kilometers. Small cars need to be replaced more often, approximately from 7 000 to 10 000 kilometers of run.
There are also situations like burning out spark plugs due to low-quality gasoline, in this situation the driver feels the wear of spark plugs, as the engine starts to work nervously and crawl falls.
There is also a category of drivers who forget to change spark plugs and ride on them from 40 000 to 80 000 kilometers, while not thinking that riding on worn-out spark plugs is much heavier. The car loses its power, the gasoline consumption becomes bigger, and in the winter time the engine starts becoming very difficult.
Before professional diagnosis, you can independently check spark plugs. You can listen to or not give out strange sounds of your engine, also look at the spark plug, if the removal of a spark plug does not cause you significant worries.
First of all you need to pay attention to the gap of the electrode and to the scum. On all spark plugs there is a marking, they have information about the gap of electrodes, namely the last digit in the marking, it is indicated in millimeters. If the clearance is more than 8 millimeters or the last digit in the marking, this means that the spark plug need to be changed urgently.
On spark plugs there should not be scrub, as they are self-cleaning when properly burned. If on ignition spark plugs there is a black or white scrub, it is necessary to turn to diagnostics.
How to clean spark plugs with wd40?
If you do not intend to use spark plugs immediately after chemical treatment, process the metal parts of the product with WD40 and place them in plastic packaging. The fact is that some cleaning chemicals affect, in addition to soot, and on the constituent elements of parts, because of which they can form rust.
Spark plug - consumables, with one-time. If unscrewed, then it is better to screw in the new one already, the sealing ring is not designed for multiple unscrewing / screwing in, it is likely that it will penetrate. But, it’s only my own opinion. In case you interested in other ways to clean your spark plug, here you have it.
Ultrasonic cleaning involves the removal of deposits on the electrodes by placing the spark plug skirt in a special bath with cleaning fluid, and exposure to it with ultrasound. This method has long been used at service stations for cleaning nozzles. Its efficiency is quite high, but the cost of such services often exceeds the cost of a new set of spark plugs.
Sandblasting equipment is used, the spark plug is fixed on a special bracket, and its working elements are exposed to a jet of air with fine particles of sand or other abrasive substances.
burn spark plugs with a burner or blowtorch and then clean the electrodes and the insulator with a copper brush.
ignite the spark plugs on the gas stove. This should be done before the appearance of a dark red threaded part and red - side electrode.
Chemical cleaning is the only correct way to get rid of soot on the electrodes of spark plugs at home. It is absolutely not expensive, neither in time nor within its means. The essence of the method is in the effect of various kinds of chemicals on deposits.
What causes spark plug wires to go bad?
The main malfunctions are an open circuit and a leakage of current. An electric circuit breaks at the junction of the metal contact of the wire with the conductive core and other parts of the ignition system.
In places where the connection is broken, arcing and heating occur, which further aggravates the situation and may lead to burnout of metal contacts or cores.
Current leakage occurs through contaminated wires, plugs, distributor cap and ignition coil, as well as damage to the insulation and wire caps, so their dielectric properties deteriorate during operation.
At low temperatures, high-voltage wires become rigid, the probability of damage to their insulation and caps increases. In addition, due to the constant vibration accompanying the operation of the engine, the joints are loosened, which can lead to poor contact, for example, in the distributor cap. Candle caps suffer the most from the increased temperature, since they are close to heated engine parts and often fail during removal.
It is often possible to determine the insulation breakdown when the engine is running by ear (clicks are heard) or visually. If you open the engine compartment in the dark, the leakage current will be visible on the jumping spark. In the dark, sometimes there is a noticeable glow (glow) around the ignition system devices due to humidity and air ionization, for example, before a thunderstorm, or with large current leaks.
Good contact at the tips prevents loss of pulse energy transmitted to the candles. Therefore, it is advisable to periodically check whether the tips are well inserted into the sockets of the corresponding ignition system elements. To prevent damage to the wire it is recommended to remove it, starting with the cap, and not pulling the insulation.
Also, go check my another post about - how to change freeze plugs without removing engine down there.
You might also see how to test your spark plug wires on Wikihow.