Somersworth Tune-Up Services

There are several items to consider when performing a tune-up on your vehicle. Spark plugs, spark plug wires and coils are just a few of the options. Spark plugs are made of better materials that last longer and they're designed better. Spark plugs used to have to be changed in vehicles when they were fouled up with carbon deposits. The deposits built up when fuel wasn't burned completely. With modern engine management controls that just doesn't happen as often. Engine control computers precisely time when fuel is injected into the engine and when spark plugs fire. Unless something is wrong, spark plugs just don't foul like they used to. Electricity from the battery goes into a coil that allows power to build up to anywhere from 12,000 to 45,000 volts, depending on the vehicle. The engine management computer tells the coil when to release the power to the spark plug. The electricity travels through a wire from the coil to the spark plug. At the tip of the plug, a spark jumps between two electrodes and ignites the gas in the combustion chamber. Some engines have more than one coil. Coils wear out and need to be replaced occasionally. Also, spark plug wires can wear out and need to be replaced. Modern engines are delivering more power and better fuel economy all the time. That's largely credited to fast engine control computers, advanced sensors, electronic ignition and improvements to the spark plug. It is critically important to have the right kind of spark plug for your vehicle. Because engines are designed to run with different internal temperatures, spark plugs have different designs to work properly within those temperatures.