3 Signs of a Faulty Ignition Coil

Spark plugs ignite the fuel-air mixture in your engine, which produces combustion. Spark plugs, however, can’t provide enough power to ignite the mixture themselves. Each plug is paired with an ignition coil that boosts its electrical input, allowing the plug to do its work. A coil will eventually fail, and this will cause engine problems. As your Chevy dealer, we want to advise you on some signs of a faulty ignition coil.

Advice From Your Chevy Dealer: 3 Signs of a Faulty Ignition Coil

Damaged Spark Plug

A spark plug only produces 12 volts, but this is boosted to over 30,000 volts by the ignition coil. Providing such a powerful charge almost continuously will eventually cause the coil to burn out. A damaged spark plug will accelerate this failure, as the coil is forced to provide more power than it should to compensate for the plug’s failure.

A worn or damaged spark plug requires the coil to operate at a higher voltage than it’s designed to. The longer the spark plug problem continues, the more likely it is that the ignition coil will burn out. If this happens, the check engine will illuminate in response to this failure. We’ll examine the plugs and coils and replace any damaged ones.

High Engine Temperature

Your engine operates most efficiently at a temperature between 185 F and 220 F. The cooling system in your engine is responsible for preventing this temperature from increasing and causing engine damage. Many engine components, including the ignition coils, are easily damaged by high temperatures.

If your engine is running very hot due to a cooling problem, the temperature under the hood can rise above 300 F. A high temperature under the hood for a sustained period can overload one or more coils and cause them to fail. We’ll check the coils, replace the burnt-out ones, and fix the cooling problem.

Excessive Vibrations

Your engine contains numerous components, most of which move at high speed. The energy produced by the engine would cause it to tear itself apart if it wasn’t securely anchored to the engine bay. The engine is securely mounted in the engine bay on two strong rubber engine mounts. These mounts dissipate vibrations produced by the engine and protect it from vibrations provided by contact with the surface.

Engine mounts can develop cracks in time, and the liquid inside them will leak. This removes the cushioning effect of the mount and increases engine vibrations. Ignition coils are sensitive to vibrations, as movement can damage the insulation and their primary and secondary coils. This will cause coils to fail sooner than they should. We’ll investigate the cause of the vibrations and fix it, and we’ll replace the damaged coils.

If your car displays any of the above symptoms, call us right away at Service Chevrolet.

Tags: 3 Signs of a Faulty Ignition Coil, damaged spark plug, high engine temperature
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