What do spark plugs do?

Spark plugs convert electric current from the ignition coil into a spark that ignites the fuel and air mix inside the car engine. This combustion is what powers the engine and moves the car. Spark plugs are located in the cylinder head and are connected via external leads attached to the engine.

Volkswagen

Volkswagen (often shortened to VW) is a German automobile manufacturer founded in 1937 by the German Labour Front, a Nazi labour union.

Volkswagen is the flagship marque of the Volkswagen Group, who in turn is majority owned by Porsche. They own and operate a vast number of cars under other brand names—at the time of writing, they have 342 subsidiary companies.

How popular is Volkswagen in the United Kingdom?

Possibly its most well-known model of the current generation, the VW Golf, was the 2nd best selling car of 2018, behind the Ford Fiesta, which consistently takes the top spot year after year.

The Golf’s 64k registrations in 2018 added to the vast tally of 3.4million Volkswagen cars on the road today.

High quality, highly rated, appropriately priced cars

VW cars achieve consistently strong reviews and are highly respected by critics and drivers alike. They are renowned for investing more money into research and development than almost any other marque and distributing their wealth of motoring knowledge across the many partner brands under the VW Group umbrella.

The Volkswagen Beetle: The ‘people’s car’

A classic of its time, originally named the Volkswagen Type 1, it soon became nicknamed the Beetle due to its unique shape, and subsequently the bug. The unique looking car was designed by Ferdinand Porsche for Adolf Hitler, who wanted a cheap and simple mass-produced car to travel around his country’s new road network.

The new model Beetle, originally launched to celebrate the original classic in 1997, and with an updated successor in 2011, was designed around the VW Jetta platform sharing much of its build with the Jetta and Golf. VW announced in 2018 that the Beetle would finally be removed from production in July 2019.

How often should spark plugs need replacing?

Most manufacturers recommend that spark plugs should be replaced at around every 30k miles; this is only a guideline, as the quality of the component, engine performance and driving habits can affect spark plug lifespan significantly.

The law, vehicle regulations and your MOT

Old or damaged spark plugs can affect engine performance areas that cause an MOT failure, for example, in emissions testing. Poor performing spark plugs or filters that clog up can affect the gasses that are delivered from your exhaust; replacing these faulty parts can often rectify the problem.

What happens when we replace your spark plugs?

• Our efficient and fully qualified mechanics will check for possible fault codes relating to the ignition system, the operation of the ignition system and the spark plugs themselves.

• A compression test may be carried out on each of the engine’s cylinders.

• Wherever required your spark plugs will be replaced and you’ll be advised of any other connected or associated problems arising from their malfunction.

• You will also be advised of any other affected parts that may need to be replaced for the best operation and health of your vehicle.

• Once the spark plugs have been replaced, our mechanics will test them thoroughly to ensure their correct operation and make any adjustments required for their optimum performance.

What causes spark plugs to stop working correctly?

Spark plugs can wear out over time, at which point they should be replaced to ensure the correct combustion of fuel. There is also a chance of potential carbon build up on the electrodes; this is known as carbon fouling and will affect the correct operation of the spark plugs. Oil can build up on the spark plugs too, which can be rectified with a simple cleaning.

Spark plugs can occasionally melt due to excessive engine temperatures. This isn’t usually a spark plug fault, but that of the engine or fuel system.

Symptoms of malfunctioning spark plugs

Starting your engine is problematic

If your car struggles or fails to start, it could be down to faulty spark plugs.

Engine cut out or misfiring

If your engine cuts out after starting or during its usual operation, if it fails to run smoothly or it vibrates excessively under normal use, then your spark plugs could be due to worn out spark plugs.

The dashboard engine warning light is illuminated

Any dashboard warning light is due to a sensor detecting fault or incorrect operation of a related component. An engine warning light could relate to a faulty spark plug.

Fuel consumption is higher than normal

Faulty spark plugs can cause your engine to burn fuel in an erratic manner, affecting both vehicle performance and fuel consumption. If you notice a change in your fuel consumption, it could be a spark plug problem.