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- Vehicle Symptoms
- What Are Common Car Failure Searches?
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- Why Does My Car Drive Weird?
- Why Does My Car Make Noises?
- Why Does my Car smell?
- Symptoms Without Summary
- Car Leaking Coolant
- AC Isn't Cooling
- AC Blowing Hot Air
- Shaking While Driving
- Overheating AC
- AC Smells Like Vinegar
- Heater Not Working
- Windshield Wipers Don't Work
- Car Leaking Water
- Car Leaking Red Fluid
- Car Battery Leaking
- AC Only Work Sometimes
- Shaking While Idle
- Shaking At High Speeds
- Evap System Leak
- Shaking While Braking At High Speeds
- Shaking When Stopped
- Shaking When Accelerating
- Radiator Leaking
- Pink Fluid Leaking
- Car Leaking Oil
- AC Not Working.
- Car Leaking Gas
- Power Steering Fluid Leak
- Bad Brake Caliper
Spark plug replacement
A spark plug is an electrical part installed in a car engine, which, due to an electrical discharge and a spark between the electrodes, causes the combustible mixture to ignite, which provides the engine with the necessary energy to operate.
Stable engine operation, fuel consumption and overall vehicle performance depend on the operation of spark plugs. Depending on the type of engine, operating conditions and manufacturer's requirements, different types of spark plugs are used, which have different designs and operating parameters.
The main symptoms of a broken spark plug
- Poor starting of a cold engine.
- Uneven operation at idle.
- Loss of power.
- Deterioration of acceleration.
- Increased fuel consumption.
If you find any of these symptoms in your car, we recommend that you contact a car service for diagnostics and identification of a non-functioning spark plug. In this case, it is possible to replace only one problematic spark plug.
When replacing one spark plug, it is necessary that the replaced spark plug matches the spark plugs that are in other cylinders (type, design, manufacturer).
Basic rules for replacing a spark plug
- Cleanliness in the well where the candle stands.
- The spark plug is tightened with a certain force.
- If, as a result of unscrewing the old spark plug, it collapses and its parts fall into the engine cylinder, you must use a vacuum cleaner with a fine nozzle to remove foreign particles.
Depending on the engine and the manufacturer’s recommendations, to ensure high-quality engine operation, it is necessary to regularly replace a complete set of spark plugs.
Don't throw away old spark plugs.
By the appearance of the spark plug, you can determine the condition of your car's engine:
- A well-functioning spark plug has a heat cone insulator color that is either light gray or light brown.
- If the spark plug insulator and electrodes are covered with wet carbon and smell of fuel, this indicates a malfunction of the oxygen sensor, injectors or other components of the fuel injection system.
- If the electrodes and insulator of the spark plug are covered with coke deposits, then there may be a problem with valve stem seals, valve guides or oil piston rings, and transmission fluid may leak into the intake manifold through a damaged diaphragm of the vacuum brake booster.
- If the spark plug insulator is pure white, this indicates glow ignition; in this case, the spark plug is incorrectly selected for the engine or there is air leakage into the intake manifold or the valves are clamped.
- There may be dark gray carbon deposits, this indicates low-quality fuel or there is a malfunction in the ignition system.
In any case, replace the faulty spark plug.
If a problem with the spark plugs occurs while driving, in an older car, where access to the spark plug is quite easy, you can replace it.
On new cars, replacing a spark plug is a rather complicated process; you will need certain knowledge, a special tool for removing protection elements, ignition coils, and here we recommend contacting an emergency service to tow the car to a car service center. In addition, a certified car service center will carry out additional diagnostics, check engine error codes and test other vehicle systems, this is very important since in most cases the cause of spark plug failure is a vehicle malfunction.
The AutoTechIQ ranking for Safety, Cost Avoidance, and Environmental Impact is
Shaking When Stopped
It commonly shakes when stopped because of loose or damaged motor mounts. However, it can also be fuel flow problems that are overstressing the engine, such as carbon deposits, faulty fuel injectors, leaking intake valves, or damaged spark plugs.
If you're experiencing your car trembling when it comes to a halt, taking action is essential. This occurrence may be a symptom of an underlying problem that warrants your attention. While it may appear minor, the shaking can affect your vehicle's handling and performance, threatening road safety.
To prevent further damage and expensive repairs, it's vital to act promptly and consider having a vehicle health inspection. By doing so, you can rest assured that your car will be safe to drive and won't pose any danger to yourself or others on the road.
Lawn Mower Noise
The lawn mower sound is typically due to a crack in the combustion system. A vehicle's combustion system features many components, such as cylinders, spark plugs, and exhaust, which are all susceptible to damage. These are the most common issues involving these parts:
- A crack in the exhaust system: The exhaust system serves as a sort of "straw" that throws engine gases to the outside. When the exhaust cracks, it affects the flow of gases, making weird lawn mower sounds.
- Faulty head gaskets: The head gasket is a sealing component inside the engine that prevents fluid and gases from the engine's cylinders from mixing up. However, when this sealing fails, it can allow leaks; the leak can lead to fluid building up on hot surfaces and produce gurgly lawn-mower-like noises when the vehicle is running.
- Faulty spark plugs: Spark plugs are engine components that create a spark; the spark they create ignites the fuel in the combustion process and makes the car start. However, when spark plugs become faulty, like when they are malpositioned or overheating, they fail at "sparking" and produce noisy detonation, resembling a lawn mower sound.
- Engine misfire: An engine misfire happens when there's an issue in the combustion process. Cylinders work with spark plugs and perform controlled explosions in the combustion process, but when a spark plug is faulty, a cylinder might do this explosion wrongfully; this is called a "misfire," and it sounds like a lawn mower.
- Faulty wheel bearing: Wheel bearings are components that help support the weight of the car and provide balance; they're found between the wheels and a large metal rod below the vehicle called an axle. However, as a wheel bearing wears out, it'll cause more rolling friction, generating a lawn mower sound.
- Exhaust manifold leaks: The exhaust manifold is a component inside the engine that collects the resulting gas from cylinders and leads them outside through the exhaust pipe. However, if there's a leak in this system, the exhaust manifold changes the tone of the exhaust gases, producing a lawn mower noise.
Engine Sputtering
The engine is sputtering because of a faulty fuel pump or mechanical failure, causing the unmeasured fuel pressure to create sputters. But it can also be because of worn spark plugs, faulty sensors, or a damaged ignition coil.
While the unsettling feeling of your engine sputtering might not have to do with engine problems, it indicates something wrong with your car that you shouldn't ignore.
A sputtering engine relates to how your car intakes and burns fuel. If it doesn't burn fuel cleanly and efficiently, your fuel economy suffers, risking expensive repairs to your engine, exhaust system, and catalytic converter. Plus, your car creates excess emissions that damage the environment.
In addition, some issues related to engine sputtering can prevent your car from starting, leaving you stranded and in a dangerous predicament.
The good news is that engine sputtering is easy to recognize and more straightforward to identify when the "check engine" light comes on. If you take your car to a technician before the problem damages the engine, the fix could be as simple as replacing the spark plugs or cleaning the fuel pump. Unfortunately, putting the issue on hold can severely impact your car's fuel efficiency.
Other Vehicle Symptoms
Below are just a few examples of typical Symptoms and Fixes your car might be experiencing
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