Bad Spark Plug Sound Noise with Prevention Tips

Bad spark plug sound: How to understand

Are you facing some weird noises while driving your car? At most, what you will do is check the engine to figure out the noise source and find the engine fine. The sounds are getting worse day-by-day and still can’t see where it is coming from.

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Then let us tell you, the noises are the results of bad spark plugs. Yes, the spark plugs are the most overlooked components.

This article will illustrate how you will understand the ear-bursting sounds, whether they result from a bad spark plug or not.

Types of sounds bad spark plugs make: 4 Types

1. Rough and idling sound:

A foul and damaged spark plug causes your engine to make a rough and idling sound. When the bad spark plugs fail to provide smooth electricity to the engine, the engine starts to idle.

The idling sound may also lead to excessive vibrating noises if the bad spark plugs are not changed timely.

2. Knock-like sounds:

Knock sounds from the car result from faulty spark plugs. When the plugs become disabled, they fail to force the piston that provides combustion to the engine.

Hence, the pistons provide pressure to themselves, resulting in knock-like noises.

Initially, this type of noise might not look like a big deal. But as time passes by, the pistons also die so that the engine won’t work too.

3. Rattling sounds:

Rattling noises occur at the very last stage of the spark plugs’ life, and they are the most frustrating. The engine starts to rattle when they are unable to provide smooth acceleration to the car.

The instability of the current flow towards the engine makes the sounds, and over time the acceleration fails and rattling noises hog in.

4. Popping/ Sneezing/ Backfiring sound:

These particular types of sounds are encountered when the spark plug misfires. It happens when the unused fuel remains inside the cylinder and is ignited through the next cylinder on an exhaust stroke with a spark.

Then you know the spark plugs have misfired when they make mild popping or sneezing sounds.

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How to prevent bad spark plugs sounds noise: 2 ways

1. Replace the bad spark plugs:

Replacing the spark plugs over time is essential, and they are wearable components in a car. If you maintain it well, then their life can be elongated but cannot be kept forever.

If your car makes uninvited sounds, then other functions get hampered too. Hence, to make sure they don’t make those sounds, replacement of spark plugs is necessary.

2. Invest in good-quality spark plugs:

Sometimes, replacing with second-hand or low-quality spark plugs can also result in absurd sounds.

Cheap spark plugs get bad quickly; hence, it is vital to invest in good-quality ones to make them last long and serve your engine effectively without noises!

FAQs

Does the sound from bad spark plugs will malfunction other parts of the vehicle?

The sounds result from the malfunctioning of some part of your car/ vehicle. It means, when you understand the types of bad sound plugs make, you can detect there is something wrong with the spark plugs and get them changed.

Will changing the spark plug wires only help to lessen the sounds?

If the wires are defective and the rest spark plug is healthy, then changing the wires only can solve the issue. However, it is better to change the entire set to prevent further problems because you never know whether the worn-out wires have affected the plugs or not.

Does a bad ignition coil sound the same as a bad spark plug?

While you start the car, the engine will give off a coughing or sputtering noise due to a bad ignition coil. Unless you have not heard a sound for long, it will be challenging to determine whether the sound is the same or different from a bad spark plug.

Conclusion

Understanding the bad spark plug sounds is not challenging because sounds come after the malfunction already occurs. You hear a weird sound and know something is going on.

It will be a better idea to see a car mechanic as soon as possible to save your dear vehicle. Dealing with a bad spark plug is much easier than dealing with its arising problems!