The highly responsive, nimble handling of your Mini depends upon a fully functioning engine. And one of the most important components of your engine is the spark plugs. Firing off hundreds of times every minute, your plugs keep the combustion process going, and without them, your wheels will rapidly grind to a halt. With this in mind, the following six indications of plug trouble should prompt you to visit your local Mini dealer for replacements right away.
6 Signs It's Time to Replace the Spark Plugs on Your Car
Your Car's Idling Roughly
When even one plug starts to falter, the cylinder that contains it won't be firing as consistently. This misfiring will cause your engine to cough, sputter, and judder when you pause in idle rather than purr away smoothly as it should.
Your Engine's Stalling
It's unlikely that a single defunct plug will cause your engine to stall. But problems that lead to sparking problems often affect more than one cylinder. If more than one of your plugs is struggling to do its job, then you might stall. This is most likely when idling, such as when paused at traffic lights.
You Can't Accelerate Properly
Failing plugs drain the power from the engine. This means you'll lose accelerative power, which is usually most notable when you need to overtake another vehicle or quickly cross a busy intersection.
You're Losing Fuel Economy
While your plugs are failing, the fuel injector and other engine components are still working as usual. This means fuel will still be consistently entering the combustion chambers but won't be burning off properly.
This inefficiency causes a loss of gas mileage. The more the problem worsens, the more often you'll be stopping at gas stations.
Your Engine's Revving Unexpectedly
In an attempt to make up for the faltering combustion process, the engine might draw in more air or inject more fuel. This can lead to sudden unexpected surges in engine revving as the excess of oxygen or fuel all burns off at once.
Black Smoke's Pouring From Your Tailpipe
Without enough sparks to ignite all the fuel, excess fuel will eventually begin to leak back into the exhaust system. Here, the fuel can damage your catalytic converter and even ignite from the heat, causing black smoke to escape from your tailpipe.
Have Your Plugs Inspected at a Mini Dealership
Plugs need to be removed and closely examined to determine the problem. Sometimes a build-up of sooty residue or other deposits can temporarily incapacitate a plug, in which case a good clean may return its proper function.
But after about 30,000 to 40,000 miles of driving, most plugs become damaged to the point of no return. Any cracks or damage to the electrodes inside mean you'll need a new plug to be installed.
Visit Tom Bush Mini to have your plugs inspected, repaired, or replaced with new ones. We've been providing new vehicles and top-notch service to the local drivers of Jacksonville for over 20 years.
