Tips on Replacing Your Spark Plugs

If you need to replace your spark plugs, you do not have to take your car to the mechanic. You can probably replace them off at home. It is a basic maintenance skill that is very beneficial to learn, and is best to learn by experience. It also can most likely be done without so much as jacking up your vehicle.

The tools you will want for this job is a service manual that is specifically written for your model vehicle, a basic socket wrench set and a spark plug socket. The spark plug socket has to be the correct size for your vehicles spark plugs, normally the places that sell the spark plug wrenches and spark plugs will have a book or computerized catalogue that will show you the size you need for your specific car. Make sure you buy enough spark plugs to fit with your vehicle, because the average vehicle has between four and eight cylinders that require one spark plug each. There are a few exceptions to this rule if your car is a classic or from a rare foreign company.

Now that you have all your required materials to change your spark plugs, open the hood of your vehicle and look inside. If your car is new it probably is a sideways engine design. The manual should tell you which way your engine is. If your engine is sideways you will find the spark plugs from front to rear. If it is a regular old fashioned engine style, you will be from side to side.

Take off one of the spark plug wires, remember not to take off another spark plug until you have replaced that one because it can be a big hassle if you accidentally loose track of which wires go to which one. In addition make sure that the wire did not come undone at the distributor. Take your wrench with the spark plug socket on it and undo the spark plug. Be careful not to put to much pressure on it because you can break the spark plug, and that would cause a lot of problems. If one of them is stuck to a level that you think you might break it if you take it off then take it to a shop, and have them change your spark plugs for you.

Now replace the spark plug with a new one. Be careful not to cross thread the hole because that will cause a lot of problems. Then replace the wire and repeat the process with the next spark plug.