Light the Fire: Understanding the Spark Plug

There are likely few people in the world who would compare themselves to Thor, God of Thunder, whenever they flip a light switch, but they have every right to do so. At the slightest flick of our finger, we call upon electricity to enter the room and be held in stasis within glass prisons for the benefit of our illumination. And when we grow tired of the light? We simply flick our fingers once more and the light is cast away. The fastest element in the galaxy, answering to our beck and call, subject to our whimsy.

Perhaps that’s a bit much.

The end of the Industrial Revolution led to a time of unfettered pride in our collective technological accomplishments, however. The puffed-up opinions of our capabilities certainly reached near-Thor levels. And why not? After hundreds of years of plague, illiteracy, darkness, and oppression, the turn of the 20th Century called for a little pride. And the internal combustion engine was Exhibit A for that justification.

Propelled by Fire

As incredible as the result of the gasoline engine is — automatic propulsion for our vehicles — it is the way this happens that is truly magical. As any car repair technician will tell you, the amazing thing about the engine is how so many small parts work together to make something big happen. 

Take the spark plug, for instance. Another instrument of Thor, this little guy loves the heat, compression, and chaos of the engine. He has one job, but he performs it so well that if the plug were to ever break or get old, the entire vehicle would be negatively affected.

How it Works

It’s hard to say definitively which part of the four-stroke process is most important to make the engine work, but it’s clear that without the spark plug the internal combustion engine would be severely combustion-less. The mechanics at our Provo car repair center maintain each of the processes that make up the four strokes.

• A mixture of air and fuel vapors enters the combustion chamber.
• A crankshaft compresses the chamber so that the mixture becomes very dense as the space gets smaller.
• Eventually, it gets so small that the spark plug ignites the mixture, causing a small explosion.
• These gasses are then let out of the combustion chamber to ultimately exit through the tailpipe. 
• The power of the combustion powers the rest of the engine and in turn, the whole vehicle.

The spark plug is connected to an ignition coil that generates electricity. Once the electricity exceeds the strength of the gases, a small spark of lightning jumps between the coils of the plug. The gasses in the surrounding space explode and that is the famous combustion mentioned earlier.

Master Muffler will Help Replace It

Car repairs are a necessary part of life, but knowing exactly when to bring your vehicle to our Provo car repair shop can be a tricky thing. Luckily, there are ways to know if your spark plug needs changing. Most car repair professionals advise replacing your spark plugs:

• Every 30,000 miles.
• If your car starts misfiring during acceleration.
• Your car shakes while it’s idle.
• The engine clicks without turning over, or there’s a delay in starting.
• You experience less power even as you step on the accelerator.
• The gas mileage drops significantly.

If any one of these signs occurs — to say nothing of a combination of signs — then it’s time to replace your spark plug. Our Provo car repair center is more than up to the task and can get you in and out in no time.