bad spark plug symptoms check engine light flashing

When you press the gas pedal, you tell your car to provide more fuel to the combustion chambers, but with bad spark plugs not properly igniting all this fuel, the irregular ignition will cause your car to hesitate. But you might not notice the misfires as much until you put more load on the car, such as when accelerating or going uphill. Acceleration ProblemsĪcceleration problems go hand in hand with engine misfires. And you’ll also cause more load and wear on other parts of your car. If you need to crank the engine for too long without starting, you’ll eventually have a drained battery. Over time, worn spark plugs and carbon buildup from unburnt gases and oil will eventually make it harder to cold-starting your car. But if you are experiencing longer cranking times, especially on cold mornings, you’ll want to take a look at the spark plugs. If you’re having trouble starting your car, it could be due to many different issues. But anywhere between 6 RPM should be seen as normal. The average idle speed of most of today’s cars is around 700 to 800 RPM. The most important thing is that the idle speed is steady. When that happens, they can’t create the right amount of sparks, leading to a rough idle.Ī rough idling engine can also feel like your car is shaking slightly, and you may notice the RPM fluctuating up and down on your tachometer (rpm gauge), and it may even feel like the car is about to die. If the engine sounds rough and uneven instead of smooth and steady when idling, it could be a sign that the spark plugs are worn or contaminated.

And if the check engine light is flashing, you should immediately stop. A flashing or blinking check engine light indicates that the more you drive, the more damage you possibly cause to your engine. You’ll also often find the check engine light illuminating your dashboard as the car misfires. In severe cases, it can even cause engine damage.Ī few signs of misfiring that can’t go unnoticed is sputtering sound from the car engine, violent shaking or jumping, or sudden drops in engine power even when holding your foot steady on the gas pedal. Not only that, but they can also increase emissions and damage your catalytic converter. Misfires are often the culprit of many of the listed symptoms in this article. When this happens, your engine will misfire. If a spark plug is fouled or damaged, it may not be able to provide the spark that is necessary to ignite the fuel in your engine. And once your vehicle has new spark plugs, you’ll notice a difference in fuel efficiency and how much better the car feels while driving. If troubleshooting the cause is nothing you want to do, your mechanic will be able to tell if the spark plugs need to be replaced. Decreased Fuel Efficiencyīeen making more trips to the gas station lately? Did you know that bad spark plugs can reduce fuel efficiency by as much as 30%? So if your car is suddenly guzzling gas more than usual, chances are dirty or fouled spark plugs are to be blamed.

So with that said, make sure to always determine the cause before replacing any parts. But if they become damaged or don’t get replaced, you may notice some of these bad spark plug symptoms listed below.īut keep in mind that it can be other issues causing the same symptoms. Changing the spark plugs should be a part of your car’s routine maintenance.

Bad spark plug symptoms check engine light flashing