The ignition coils in your car’s engine must consistently generate huge 15,000 to 20,000-volt charges of electricity so the spark plugs can keep igniting the engine’s fuel. Despite how hard ignition coils work, they have a relatively long expected lifespan of 80,000 to 100,000 miles. But eventually, the coils in your engine will start to wear out. If you notice the following symptoms, promptly visit your local Nissan dealer to have the faulty ignition coil repaired or replaced.
7 Signs of a Faulty Ignition Coil
Your Engine Starts Sputtering
When a bad ignition coil fails to deliver proper voltage to the spark plug, the spark plugs misfires. This means the plug fails to ignite the fuel-air mixture inside the combustion chamber on cue.
Misfiring often sounds like the engine is sputtering and coughing, struggling to keep going. Your car may also start vibrating and jerking strangely.
You Lose Accelerative Power
With a bad coil, as one of the cylinders in your engine stops working properly, your engine will lose a portion of its overall power. This may become most noticeable when you attempt to accelerate to overtake another car or cross a busy intersection.
You’re Stopping More for Gas
A faulty coil reduces how efficiently your cylinders are burning the fuel being injected into them. This means you’re getting less mileage bang for your gas station buck: you’ll be stopping to refill your tank more frequently.
Your Engine Is Reluctant To Start
Starting a car’s engine requires a strong burst of electricity from the ignition coils. If one of your coils fails to deliver this voltage, your car may hesitate to start when you turn the key or press the ignition button.
Your Exhaust Starts Backfiring
When a malfunctioning ignition coil causes a spark plug to start misfiring, an excess of unburned fuel can build up inside the combustion chamber. This collecting unburned fuel can sometimes ignite all at once outside of the usual rhythm, just as the cylinder is opening, which creates a loud backfire.
You See Black Smoke Behind You
Misfiring and backfiring often generate black smoke that will leak out from the tailpipe behind your car. If the unburned fuel leaks back into the exhaust system, it can partially ignite in the heat there, creating more black smoke and potentially ruining the catalytic converter.
Your Nissan Dealer Finds a Bad Coil
Ignition coils are one of the components a technician will usually check whenever they look over your engine. This preventative maintenance attitude is the best way to catch problems such as a failing ignition coil early on before they lead to more expensive repair jobs.
Visit Tony Nissan today to have your ignition coils inspected, cleaned, repaired, or replaced. Our family-owned dealership has been helping out the region’s drivers for 35 years and we look forward to helping you with your car-related problems as well.
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