How Often to Change Spark Plugs

Spark plugs are small yet vital components in your car, about the size of your pointer finger, and you barely think about them when they operate properly. That’s a good thing because you want your car to run smoothly when the spark plugs are in great shape. 

Your car’s spark plugs perform a significant function for your internal combustion engine despite their tiny size. Without spark plugs, your vehicle won’t move. When they’re not functioning properly, you’ll notice a difference in engine performance. They ignite the gas-air mixture in the combustion chamber to activate the tiny explosions that move the pistons down. When the pistons move down, they send power to the transmission to move the vehicle forward. Spark plugs literally provide the spark that drives your car!

Find out how often to change spark plugs and when to get new Nissan spark plugs with our handy guide. Then, contact our Valdosta Nissan service center if you need help with your spark plugs or any other component of your vehicle. We’re happy to assist in any way we can! 

How Often to Change Spark Plugs in Your Car, Truck, or SUV

Wonder how often to change the spark plugs? Experts generally recommend replacing spark plugs every 30,000 miles for the best results. If one of your Nissan spark plugs gets out of whack, it can cause a reduction in gas mileage and engine problems later on. Suddenly, you’ll notice if a spark plug is malfunctioning because you will head to the gas pump more often.

How often you change your spark plugs may vary depending on your exact make and model. Look in your owner’s manual for more details about replacing your Nissan spark plugs. Your driver information screen might also give you information as to when to change the spark plugs. We highly recommend using OEM Nissan parts for your spark plug replacement because they are specifically engineered for your vehicle. When our team replaces spark plugs, we’ll use the ones recommended by the manufacturer to make sure your engine operates properly.

How Spark Plugs Work to Run Your Vehicle’s Engine

Your Nissan spark plugs work by moving high-voltage current from the ignition coil, which is connected to one end of the components and is visible in the engine compartment, to ignite the combustion chamber as soon as you start your vehicle. 

Here’s how this works from start to finish. Fuel injectors atomize gasoline in the chamber to create a fine mist that is easily ignited by a single, tiny spark that doesn’t have a lot of voltage. Then air gets added because you need oxygen to combine with the fuel to make it burn. 

The piston moves up to pressurize the gas-air mixture in a tightly sealed chamber slightly smaller than the size of your fist. The spark plugs ignite the gas by regulating the voltage from the ignition coils and releasing a small spark into the ignition chamber at the precise moment the air and gasoline mix. Each tiny yet pressurized explosion works in concert to push the pistons downward in the right order to send power to the transmission and hence the wheels to move your car forward.

This process happens around 400 times a minute, even when your car is idling. They fire more times per minute if your engine is going fast, like on a highway, because the engine produces more revolutions per minute (RPMs). Over the course of 30,000 miles, you can understand that these little components do a lot of work for your internal combustion engine! If your car idles a lot, you might have to replace the spark plugs sooner rather than later.

When Do I Change Spark Plugs? 

If the spark plugs in your vehicle don’t function properly, you’ll notice problems in the performance of your vehicle. That’s why you need to replace the spark plugs before they develop into any significant problems.

You might see issues such as:

• Slow or no start
• Engine misfire
• Engine running rough
• Rough idling
• Poor acceleration
• High fuel consumption
• Worse fuel efficiency
• More trips to the gas pump

What causes your spark plugs to degrade? Over time, they might develop tiny bits of soot on the tip where the ignition happens. This can reduce the spark or eliminate it altogether. There might also be an issue with the ignition coil.

Benefits of Changing Your Spark Plugs

How often to change spark plugs also depends on when they start to degrade. However, you might consider changing your spark plugs before they stop working altogether with regular tune-ups at least once a year. Our service center team can examine the spark plugs for any signs of degradation to make sure they remain in top working order. We perform a check on a regular basis, so just ask us and we’ll look over the spark plugs during your car’s service appointment!

Changing the spark plugs regularly helps you prevent those problems we mentioned but also prevents bigger problems later on. As you determine how often to change spark plugs as part of a preventative maintenance schedule for your new vehicle, you might see some cost-saving benefits by taking care of the spark plugs before they are ready for replacement.

These are just a few of the benefits you receive from new spark plugs:

• Improved fuel economy – A worn-out spark plug could reduce your fuel economy by as much as 30% because of how they regulate the pistons. For example, if you get 26 miles per gallon normally, you’ll get around 18 miles per gallon with a worn-out spark plug. Replacing a bad spark plug can help get higher fuel economy and put your gas mileage back to where it needs to be.
• Consistent combustion system – Spark plugs continually produce combustion and allow your vehicle’s system to run properly. Without a working spark plug, your combustion won’t run consistently, which could cause problems with the engine as a whole.
• Your vehicle starts smoothly – Your vehicle starts effortlessly when all of the spark plugs in your vehicle are working properly. Bad spark plugs can keep your engine from turning over because the electricity isn’t reaching the combustion chamber correctly.
• Less harmful emissions – Spark plugs help increase your gas mileage, and as such they also improve your emissions to lower your carbon footprint. You’ll see fewer trips to the gas station and emit less carbon monoxide into the atmosphere from your internal combustion engine.
• Peace of mind – You’ll drive easier knowing that your spark plugs are in great shape and working properly for many more thousands of miles to come!
• Longer-lasting engine– Spark plugs that work properly put less strain and stress on your internal combustion engine. Therefore, it could last longer provided you take care of all other maintenance tasks over the lifetime of your car. You could lower your overall costs of ownership with new spark plugs!

Get New Spark Plugs Installed at Valdosta Nissan

Now you know how often to change spark plugs in your vehicle! Schedule a service appointment or call 229-340-9722 to bring your vehicle into Valdosta Nissan if you think your car, truck, or SUV needs new spark plugs or any other service, maintenance, or repairs. New spark plugs won’t take very long for our team to handle, and they are a regular service we perform all the time. 

Our experienced technicians will evaluate and repair your vehicle as soon as we can! We also service tires, brakes, batteries, and radiators, as well as perform oil changes. Our team is happy to help you get the most out of vehicle ownership. For more helpful reads, review whether it’s good to pay off a car loan early!