Looking to change out your own Spark Plugs? Be sure to understand the basics before undertaking this quite difficult task. This document will give you a brief overview of the process involves when changing out the old plugs, with the new. Another fantastic way to see how much is involved when replacing Spark Plugs is to watch some tutorial videos: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibkGARo3TII

1. Changing Your Engines Spark Plugs
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For each cylinder in your car, there is a small spark plug. This is from where your air and
fuel mixture gets the zap it needs to ignite. A spark plug is nothing more than an energy
conductor with a small gap. This gap forces the electricity to jump from one side to the
other, creating a small spark as it does. That spark should be strong enough to set the
gas vapors aflame and get your engine going.
Why Do You Have to Change Spark Plugs?
Spark plugs are delicate little parts whose performance is hindered by a variety of
circumstances. Keeping them in good shape will improve your gas mileage and help
keep your engine from misfiring. Inefficient ignition at the chamber can lead to
excessive emissions and poor car performance. How often spark plugs need to be
changed depends on a lot of factors such as the way you drive, the type of gas you put
into your tank and even the overall condition of your engine.
What Are The Symptoms of a Bad Spark Plug?
The most common problem with a spark plug that is not producing a spark is engine
misfire. A misfiring engine means that one of the chambers in the combustion order is
not producing any energy causing the engine to buck or jerk as it is skipped over. An
engine misfire can get so severe that your car will stall when idling. You are also
wasting more gas when one or more of the spark plugs has gone bad. Luckily replacing
spark plugs yourself is easy and inexpensive. Start by ordering a new set of high quality
spark plugs from CarPartKings.com. They will make sure that you get the set that is
meant for your car with the best performance rating.
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2. Tools For the Job
• Ratchet Wrench
• 12 inch socket extension
• Spark Plug Socket
• Work Gloves
Getting the Job Done
• There is a method behind the madness when changing your spark plugs. Be sure
to follow the directions in the precise order, or else you will create a big mess to
have to sort out.
• Change all of the spark plugs while you are in there. If one has gone bad the rest
will soon follow suit.
• Find the spark plugs inside of your engine. This can be done by following the
path of the thick black wires inside the engine bay. There should be one for each
cylinder, so if you are driving V-6 look out for six spark plugs. A four cylinder
engine will only have four. A V-8 will usually have two sets of four located on
either side of the engine.
• This is when your method could lead to madness. Resist the urge to pull all of
the spark plugs out in one shot. They fire in an exact order, so it is important
that you don’t mess that up, which you will if you take them all out at once.
Changing them out one by one will ensure that you don’t.
• Start at the end and pull the wires off of the head of the first spark plug,
grasping it as close to the engine as you can.
• Use your spark plug socket with the extension to remove the spark plug from its
position.
• Push the plug wire end of the plug all the way into the extension.
• Carefully put your new spark where the old one was. Don’t bang it or you can
mess up the gap. Slowly screw it in by hand to avoid cross threading the plug.
• When it is as tight as your fingers can get it, finish the job with your spark plug
socket and wrench.
• Don’t over tighten or you could damage the spark. If you have a torque wrench,
now is the time to use it and adjust the spark plug to your cars specs.
• Continue with the rest of the spark plugs one at a time until they all have been
replaced.
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3. !
Now you can go ahead and start your car to see how it sounds. It should sound like you
just rolled out of the new car lot. If you chose to do things your way and take all the
plugs out at once, your car probably won’t start. Or you will hear a very loud bang.
Now you have to go back, find the right firing order, set the engine to dead center,
match with the points, and start all over again. You should have just listened the first
time.
If you would rather see someone in action changing out spark plugs, check out our how
to video and watch a pro get it right the first time.