When should a car need it's spark plugs changed?

1. 84

   barbergirl28posted 12 years ago

   When should a car need it's spark plugs changed?
   
   We have a 2007 Chrysler Sebring that has been into the shop several times for a broken 1st engine coil. This is the 3rd time it has been in for replacement since we bought the car late August. Now they are telling us that it is because the spark plugs need to be replaced. The car has less than 60,000 miles on it. Is it normal to need the spark plugs changed this early? From what I am seeing newer vehicles shouldn't need spark plugs until at least 100,000 miles.

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2. 61

   LoopyGemposted 12 years ago

   are you burning the right type of fuel for the car? if it is the spark plugs you will notice your car "spark knocking" (a loudish, ticking/knocking noise, and sputtering a bit...that means the gas is not burning clean and you should also check your cylinders....one of those may be not working or "firing" properly which will also cause the fuel to burn rich...It is somewhat normal however for the car to need the plugs replaced about every 6 months, but, that also depends on how much/far/fast you drive your car.....I'd change them because it's the least expensive option and then see what happens...if it's still acting funny...then obviously there is another underlying problem....
   not sure if that helps....personally....I passionately detest car maintenance shops....maybe I should go to school and learn about cars.....??? LOL

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3. 78

   junksellerposted 12 years ago

   For everything having to do with cars, all miles are not created equal. Some driving conditions can put more stress on vehicles than others. Long-life plugs can last 100k miles I think that may be when they are checked (cleaned and gapped) every 6 months. If that hasn't been done than I would expect them to wear out sooner. Plugs are relatively inexpensive. It probably wouldn't hurt to change them and I think bad plugs can lead to frying ignition coils, though I would expect that a car with that bad of a plug would have some driving issues.
   
   Are you saying that you have replaced the same coil 3 times already? If the same mechanic did that and has just now checked the plugs, I would find a different mechanic. Coming in with the same bad coil a second time should have alerted them that there was some other problem, and they should have checked the plugs then.

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4. 84

   barbergirl28posted 12 years ago

   Because of the issues that we had with the car, I convinced them, since it was under warranty, to not only replace the coil for free, but the spark plugs as well. As soon as they got the engine back together they took it for a test drive. They found out it had a bad engine manifold. It seemed to work out. Apparently there was ohter underlying problems that was causing the whole domino effect. It is now back and running just like it was when we bought it. The gas mileage has even improved to almost 34 miles to gallon.

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5. 72

   ttagpineposted 12 years ago

   To start with, you shouldn't be having those kind problems on a car that new & with that few miles. The problems you should be having would be worn tires, brakes, belts, air & fuel filters, wind shield wiper blades & depending on what kind of car, it might be time to change the timing belt. Every thing I've mentioned so far is considered to be general maintenance except for the timing belt. Many cars don't even require a tuneup for the first 100,000 miles. You did good by getting all the repairs covered by the warranty. Especially the bad manifold. If you start having any more problems anytime soon, you should check your city's lemon laws. Oh, about changing the spark-plugs, they're usually good for at least 100,000 miles but they are often replaced when you get a tuneup. I would suspect a bad connection for causing the bad coils.

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6. 61

   jchaneyposted 12 years ago

   It's recommended on most newer vehicles to change the spark plugs every 100,000 miles. This recommendation to me is a bunch of B.S. Unless your vehicle has iridium plugs i would recommend changing them every 50,000 miles to be on the safe side. As for the issue you are having, that makes absolutely no sense to me. It would be difficult to diagnose your vehicle via the internet but i can tell you that you are being jerked around. I would definitely find a different mechanic and would recommend reporting the one you are using, if what you are saying is accurate. I can also tell you that sebrings are notorious for cylinder misfires and "electrical" problems, if replacing the coil isn't working then they should check further back.

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7. 84

   arksysposted 12 years ago

   Depends really on the quality of the plugs that are installed.
   Gald your car is running smooth again.

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8. 57

   writerscramp570posted 11 years ago

   If you are talking about the ignition coil, then there is something wrong with the mechanic. Coils should last at least 5 years or more, and if the mechanic wants to replace the plugs he is probebly doing a process of elimination. This is not professional way to diaognose problems. Have your car diagnosed by a another shop and find out what is really wrong with it. It could be a simple problem that can be found by checking the trouble codes in the computer.

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9. 62

   LoisRyan13903posted 9 years ago

   Probably it depends if they were changed before and also as someone else mentioned the quality of the plugs.

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