Unless you drive an electric vehicle, you’re most likely using an internal combustion engine to get around town. If your gas-powered vehicle is sputtering, the spark plugs could be to blame. Spark plugs should last between 20,000 and 30,000 miles when your engine is running properly.
A conventional consumer engine has almost as many spark plugs as cylinders, therefore an inline-four has four plugs and a V8 has eight. For more precise ignition, some cars have two spark plugs per cylinder.
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What Is a Spark Plug?
Spark plugs are miniature lightning bolts that generate the electricity required to ignite the fuel/air mixture in the combustion chamber of an engine. They play a crucial role in the engine’s ability to start and remain operating.
Spark plugs, like many other elements of your engine, do not live indefinitely. Every time they fire, the spark burns away some of the metal on the plugs, raising the voltage required to fire again.
Importance of Spark Plugs
Unless you own an electric vehicle, spark plugs will be a necessary component of your vehicle. An internal combustion engine, or ICE for short, is installed in your car. The presence of a spark is required for these combustion components.
Spark plugs are an important aspect of the operation of your car engine since they are responsible for producing combustion during both ignition and as the engine goes through combustion cycles as you drive. Your engine won’t run at maximum combustion if your spark plugs aren’t working properly.
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How long Spark Plug last in different car brands
Different types of spark plugs are used by different manufacturers. As a result, it fluctuates. On a Corolla, RAV4, or 4Runner, for example, Toyota recommends changing the plugs every 120,000 miles, but every 60,000 miles on an 86 coupe, which was co-developed with Subaru and has a Subaru engine.
Under “typical” driving conditions, Ford recommends changing the plugs on an F-150, Explorer, and other vehicles at 100,000 miles. In the event of towing, Ford recommends replacing the plugs every 60,000 miles.
BMWs such as the X3 and 3 Series should have their plugs changed every 60,000 miles. Some Mercedes-Benz vehicles have intervals as little as 36,000 miles, while others have longer intervals.
Spark Plugs of different materials
It depends upon the material that is used in spark plugs, so, how long do they last on average? Standard copper spark plugs are claimed to last 10,000 to 20,000 miles (16,093 to 32,187 kilometers), while iridium or platinum spark plugs can last 60,000 miles (96,561 kilometers) or more.
Although some high-end iridium plugs claim to travel more than 120,000 miles (193,121 kilometers), there’s no guarantee they’ll be able to do so.
The life expectancy of a Spark Plug
You can get 40,000 miles out of a spark plug that normally lasts 20,000 to 30,000 miles. New automobile purchasers can now enjoy an even longer spark-plug life, ranging from 80,000 to 100,000 miles, thanks to technological advancements.
When to Change a Spark Plug
Spark plug electrodes may be worn or have light deposits on them after 75,000 miles or more, but the electronic engine controls will compensate by adjusting the air-fuel mix and spark timing, so there will likely be only a minor loss of performance or fuel economy if any.
Unless the engine is in bad shape, replacing the plugs ahead of schedule may not result in significant benefits, and the cost may outweigh the benefit.
Maintenance to improve Spark Plug life
How effectively you maintain the rest of the engine is one of the most important elements affecting the health of your spark plugs. For example, if a valve cover gasket fails, the oil may flow into the cylinder, compromising the spark plug’s ability to work correctly.
The spark plugs should be checked if the engine is misfiring. They can expose other issues that need to be addressed, even if they’re very new. Regular car maintenance is a preventative measure that can save you time, money, and aggravation in the long run.
