Spark plugs: What they are and why they’re important

When you look under your car’s bonnet it can be undeniably daunting with how complex things look in the engine bay – especially on more modern machines. With that being said, some things have barely changed with your standard gasoline engine over the years. Some components have been doing their vital job for decades – or in the case of the spark plug, over a century.

Spark plugs in their recognisable form have been around since the 1860s, and today they are found in every domestic car that runs on petrol. They have the highly important job of igniting the air and fuel mixture inside your engine, which in turn results in the explosion that gives your engine its power to turn your car’s wheels.

Although they tend to go unnoticed in day-to-day life, spark plugs are one of the most important parts for keeping your car on the road. Without a spark plug in each of your engine’s combustion chambers, the petrol that’s injected will not be able to ignite, and your car won’t even be able to start.

Much like tyres, brakes and the fluids in your car, spark plugs have a limited working life before they should be replaced to keep your vehicle in the best and most efficient working condition possible.

If you don’t change your spark plugs, over time they’ll become less efficient at producing a spark, and may stop working altogether – essentially rendering your engine useless. Typically, spark plugs need to be replaced every 50,000km, but this can vary on the type of plug, the manufacturer of your car, and your own driving style. It sounds complicated, but there is a solution that keeps things simple.

Spark plugs are often changed when you service your vehicle, but since they only typically require changing every 50,000km, they probably won’t need changing at every service interval – which can be hard to keep track of. Thankfully, having a Service Plan for your vehicle takes away the stress and hassle of replacing perishable parts such as the spark plugs on time.

Service Plans ensure your vehicle has its service on time every time, using fully qualified technicians with genuine manufacturer parts. It offers peace of mind, because you’ll know your vehicle will be taken care of, and all parts that need replacing will be changed at the right time. With a Service Plan, your vehicle is far more likely to stay in excellent health, and a perfect service history always helps residual values when the time comes to sell your car on. Having a Service Plan also allows you to spread the cost out monthly, to ensure owning your car is more affordable than ever before.

Spark plugs are vital to your car’s working condition. Avoid letting them get into a poor state by considering a Service Plan through MotorHappy today.