The powerful engine of a Jeep relies on its spark plugs to keep things running smoothly. Jeep plugs can last anywhere from 30,000 to 80,000 miles. A well-kept engine will help plugs stay alive and sparking for longer but you never know when a plug will run into trouble. If you experience the following four indications of a problematic plug, visit Adams Jeep of Maryland in Aberdeen, MD to have it cleaned or replaced at once.
Sputtering Engine
Sounds of sputtering or coughing from an engine are never a good sign. Sputtering means that one of your cylinders, or perhaps more than one, is struggling to ignite the fuel properly.
It might be that your engine’s airflow is inhibited by a clogged air filter or blockage in the exhaust system. Alternatively, one of your plugs might be improperly installed or overheating. A failing plug can also be the result of a faulty ignition coil or dirtied fuel injector. It’s difficult to diagnose the issue without a professional opinion.
Loss of Engine Power
Needless to say, without all four or all six cylinders firing as they should, your engine will lose power. This loss of power becomes most evident when you’re either idling or accelerating.
Resting in idle will become rough and shaky with a struggling engine. And accelerating will become increasingly lackluster. You might find you can’t cross an intersection or overtake another car as quickly as you’d like, which can be quite dangerous.
Lessening Gas Mileage
The inefficiencies in your engine will mean you’re not traveling as far as before for each gallon of gas. Pulling into gas stations more often is often a result of failing plugs.
Stalling Engine
When one cylinder really starts to fail because of a malfunctioning plug, your car might stall while you’re paused at a traffic light. This is more likely to happen with a V4 engine than with the V6 engine of a Jeep Wrangler, which has five more cylinders to take up the slack. However, more than one faltering plug might cause even a V6 to stall.
How a Jeep Dealer Can Clean Your Plugs
It’s sometimes possible to clean a dirtied plug and extend its lifespan by a few more years. Plugs most often become dirtied by a sooty build-up of carbon. If you catch the problem early on, your technician can clean it and attempt to restore its function. But if the plug is cracked or has burned-out electrodes, it will need to be replaced.
Have your plugs examined, cleaned, or changed out today at Adams Jeep of Maryland. Having served the region’s Jeep drivers since the 1940s, we’re Maryland’s oldest stand-alone dealership for Jeep vehicles.
Image by Ronald Plett from Pixabay
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