The engine of your car can be a powerful force. But without the spark plugs igniting the air-fuel mixture inside your cylinders to create combustion, you wouldn’t have the engine power needed to drive down the road and make it up steep mountain passes.
Spark plugs are critical to your vehicle’s health. Make sure you change your spark plugs regularly because although it won’t cost a lot to do so, it is crucial that they must be changed often. Spark plugs should never be overlooked! If you are wondering how much spark plug replacement cost. You have come to the right place.
Spark plug replacement costs between $190-$260. This includes labor costs that range from $130 to $160 and parts and accessories, which can be priced between $60 and $90.
Spark plug replacement cost depends on the number of spark plugs in your vehicle, how complex the process is, and what car it is.
Read on to know more about spark plug replacement and how you can save on spark plug replacement.
How Much Does Spark Plug Replacement Cost?
The cost of spark plug replacement will vary depending on how many spark plugs are in your vehicle and the complexity of the process.
If you’re looking to replace your spark plugs, expect to pay anywhere between $190-$260. This may include labor costs ranging anywhere from $130 – $160 and part/accessories costs that fall around the $60 – $90 range.
It’s not a huge investment, especially considering how important spark plugs are to your car’s performance. The amount of miles on your car is directly related to when you need to change your spark plugs.
If you keep your car for many years, then you may only need to replace the spark plugs once or twice during that time – depending on if the ca is driven on a regular basis and under normal conditions, of course.
How Often Do You Need To Change Your Spark Plugs?
Your spark plug should be replaced at least once every 20,000-30,000 miles. However, how often you replace your spark plugs will depend on many factors, including how often you drive your car and the make and model of your vehicle.
A recommendation from your car manufacturer can be found in the owner’s guide that you keep in your glove box.
Your spark plug needs to be replaced when you’ve driven 20,000 – 30,000 miles. Notice that this has nothing to do with a time interval, as we’re just saying it in the form of a rule of thumb.
However, several other factors affect how often you replace your spark plugs, such as the make and model of your car and how often you drive your vehicle. Your owner’s manual contains a recommendation from the manufacturer as to when replacements should be made based on those variables.
To ensure your spark plugs don’t stop working, you can either pay a mechanic to check them or check them yourself. You should replace your spark plugs if they appear worn. Similarly, be aware of signs that tell you it’s time to get new spark plugs.
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How to Know if You Need a Spark Plug Replacement
These are signs that your spark plugs may have gone bad.
1. Car Won’t Start
A dead battery often causes your vehicle not to start. Often, spark plugs can cause this problem as well. If you’re experiencing difficulties starting up your engine, it may well be due to worn-out or clogged sparkplugs, which can cause your motor to work harder than normal.
In winter or freezing weather conditions or high levels of moisture such as rain, the spark plugs in your car might not be able to create a strong enough spark to start the vehicle if it is bad.
2. The Engine Is Not Working
If a car has a misfire, it is usually caused by a faulty ignition coil, damaged plug caps, or low-quality fuel. One of the spark plugs may also be damaged, and this will usually affect the whole engine.
The car will slow down then speed up again, and it may pop when it loses/regains its timing. The vehicle can misfire, which causes raw fuel to go into the exhaust system and eventually damage the catalytic converter.
3. Poor Fuel economy For The Car
As a car engine burns fuel, its spark plugs must be regularly replaced to ensure efficiency. If your existing plugs have begun to wear, they will no longer be capable of effectively burning fuel in the combustion chamber, and as a result, you’ll feel the effects by using more fuel.
4. Idle Rough Engine
If you hear the rattling or knocking sound coming from your engine, you might want to check if your spark plugs need replacing.
5. Car Acceleration Problem
When a spark plug wears, the spark is insufficient or can even be nonexistent. This will not allow the fuel-air mixture to combust and provide the proper power for your car, which means it won’t be able to accelerate properly.
6. The Engine Is Really Loud
When one of the spark plugs starts to get older, it so happens that other spark plugs start to overwork to compensate for the deteriorated spark plug. This is why you might start hearing rattling or other hums in your engine.
7. Your ‘Check Engine Light Is On
Though your vehicle may not be due for a service just yet, it will alert you to any potential issues. Pay attention to the check engine light, and when on journeys, keep an additional eye out for warning signals – like misfire that might be caused by bad spark plugs, needing additives for oil, or fuel gauge that gets stuck at 0.
It’s better to deal with more minor problems sooner than later because they’ll potentially get more expensive if left unchecked!
If you notice more than one of these symptoms, the problem could be a faulty spark plug. This damages your engine. Replacing the spark plugs should eliminate these symptoms.
Can I Replace Spark Plugs By Myself?
The good news is that spark plug replacement is not a difficult task. If you can’t afford to have your vehicle serviced at a service center and/or don’t have the proper finances or monetary resources, you can replace them yourself if you can obtain the tools required. You will need to use the tools such as a gap gauge, a swivel socket, and needle-nose pliers.
Replacing your spark plugs yourself will allow you to save some time and money. If you’re handy with a wrench, this is the way to go. Mechanics usually charge much more money for this sort of thing, so skip paying them extra if they’re not performing any other maintenance on your vehicle at the time you take it in for spark plugs!
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How To Replace Spark Plugs
Follow these steps to properly replace your car’s spark plugs
- Disconnect the negative battery terminal.
- Remove any covers, if necessary.
- Clean the area around the spark plugs before replacing them. Sparkplug problems and engine misfires can be caused by a lack of interaction between connectors due to dirt. In some cases, cleaning the connectors can solve the problem.
- Check for oil buildup and signs of fouling to determine if the sparkplug is worn out or fouled. A new plug will usually be brighter than an older plug.
- After determining that the spark plugs have worn out, remove them and inspect the engine heads in which the plugs were installed. Also, check the ignition wires and compression.
- Apply anti-seize to the threading of plugs and then install new plugs in the vehicle.
- Perform an engine test to make sure that the vehicle runs smoothly and starts properly.
Here is a video guide on how to replace your spark plugs