Car Parts Plus

3 Reasons To Change Your Spark Plugs

Your vehicle’s spark plugs play a key role in starting your car. They produce the spark necessary to crank the engine. The problem is that they wear down over time. After hundreds of thousands of sparks, the electrodes deteriorate, widening the chasm that the spark needs to jump. Eventually, you’ll begin to have problems starting your car. Oddly, millions of drivers never think to replace them until they start having problems. Today, you’ll learn 3 reasons why you should change them before they fail.

Reason #1: Better Performance

Every time your car misfires, it wastes fuel, releases more emissions, and suffers a mild reduction in power. Spark plugs in good working condition prevent misfires from happening. But, as I mentioned above, they deteriorate slowly over time, allowing more and more misfires. After awhile, the declining efficiency can have a significant impact on your car’s performance. When you replace the plugs, your vehicle stops misfiring and enjoys increased efficiency and improved performance.

Reason #2: Reduces Cold Start Problems

If you live in an area with cold weather, your car has to work harder to start. A lot of times, the problem with cold starting lies with the spark plugs. Cold weather can make it difficult for them to produce the necessary spark, especially if they’re dirty around the electrodes. You’ll find that replacing them with new ones will all but eliminate cold starting problems. Plus, the new plugs won’t need the ignition system to generate as much voltage for the spark.

Reason #3: Protects Catalytic Converter

If you remember, bad spark plugs lead to misfires. And when your car misfires, a small bit of fuel gets dumped into the exhaust. When that happens, it can cause the catalytic converter to overheat because the temperature at which it has to operate skyrockets. If the converter fails, a blockage can develop in the exhaust, choking off the engine. That will slash your engine’s power and significantly reduce the fuel economy of your car. If you just replace the converter, the same thing can happen. The problem is with the spark plugs, so resolving the issue means replacing them.

Replacing Them

Even if you’re using the type that last for 100,000 miles, get into the habit of changing them every 30,000. Remember, when they wear down, they can cause problems even if they don’t fail (bad fuel efficiency, low engine power, etc.). Changing them every 30,000 miles helps ensure those problems don’t happen. Besides, they’re inexpensive and simple to replace. If you don’t want to do the job yourself, most mechanics can do it cheaply and quickly.

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Getting Used Car Parts

With the economy is a constant state of flux today many are frightened at the thought of losing their car to a mechanical malfunction. If your car stops running you may not have the money to get it repaired and get back on the road right away. This is why routine maintenance is essential, but even this can be difficult in the worst of economic times.

While it is unfortunate, most likely you will have to deal with a broken car at some time. However, if you have a broken vehicle and need to get on the road fast then there is still a cheap viable option available, the purchase of used car parts. First of all consider where you need to go in order to find used car parts.

Where to Look

Today main mainstream automotive stores are selling used car parts. Although, if you want a truly good deal it is a good idea to visit the salvage yard. This is where you will be able to save the most money as long as you bring the necessary tools and are willing to pull the part you need out of a vehicle yourself.

The first step is to find local salvage yards through an online or physical search. Next you want to make sure that your local salvage yard has a vehicle matching your make and model. The main issue is to make sure the item you are planning on purchasing actually works. For this reason you should be cautious around big items like engines, alternators, transmissions, electrical units and anything that may be too expensive to replace easily. The best salvage yards will offer you a system where you can test the viability of a part you want before you take it home. Make sure you have this diagnostic testing done before buying any part from a salvage yard.

Things to Consider

Since you are likely shopping for used car parts to save money then cost will be a deciding factor in where you decide to shop. However, try not to be too cheap when shopping. Always keep in mind that you will get what you pay for when it comes to used car parts. So when it comes to salvage shopping for used car parts you want to comparison shop until you get the best price possible for the most quality part. After narrowing your choices you can go to the salvage yard and take a look at the part. If you aren’t sure about the part then be sure to bring along someone who know about cars and car parts.

Next before you buy any used car parts you want to see if the company provides you with a guarantee, return policy or exchange policy for products that may not perform right. Make sure you get any type of agreement in writing. It is also a good idea to get the Vehicle Identification Number or VIN in order to determine the quality of the used car parts. Following these tips will ensure you get good used car parts for your broken vehicle.

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