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If a faulty ignition coil isn’t promptly cleaned or replaced, it can rapidly lead to worse problems in the engine’s cylinder or even in your car’s exhaust system. When one of your ignition coils is on its last legs, you’re likely to notice the following problems. Have a technician at your local Acura dealer take a look without delay.
Your Check Engine Light Comes Alive
With all the sensitive computerized sensors throughout a modern Acura, your first warning of a faulty coil might be the check engine light coming to life on your dashboard. Although this light doesn’t indicate the specific problem, it’s never a good idea to ignore it. If a bad ignition coil was detected, you’re likely to notice the following signs of trouble as well.
Your Engine Starts to Lose Power
A healthy engine needs all cylinders happily working away. When one ignition coil fails, the spark plug in that cylinder no longer has a steady supply of electricity.
As a result, it can no longer consistently ignite the fuel being injected into the combustion chamber and the cylinder will falter. You’ll soon notice a marked loss of engine power, particularly when you try to accelerate.
Your Engine Struggles While Idling
When a malfunctioning ignition coil causes a spark plug to misfire, you’ll notice it clearly when pausing in idle. The engine’s usually smooth purr will be replaced by coughing and sputtering as it struggles to keep going.
Your Engine Starts Stalling
When one or more ignition coils fail altogether, the misfiring might get so bad that your engine stalls. This may happen in inopportune moments, such as when waiting at a busy intersection. After stalling, you might even have trouble starting the engine up again.
You See Black Smoke in Your Exhaust
Misfiring cylinders still try to inject fuel as before, even though the fuel isn’t being ignited properly. This results in a build-up of unburned fuel inside the cylinder, which can coat the spark plug in a sooty residue, worsening the problem.
The unburned fuel can sometimes start to leak back into the exhaust system. From there, it eventually escapes from the tailpipe in the form of black smoke thickening your exhaust fumes.
Replace Coils Every 100,000 Miles at Your Local Acura Dealer
Ignition coils are ordinarily quite sturdy, long-lasting car components. You can expect your ignition coils to last 100,000 miles or more. Most of the time, if you experience a misfiring engine, it’s more likely to be a faulty spark plug or fuel injector. But it never hurts to have all three components checked.
Have your ignition coils examined and cleaned or replaced at Ed Martin Acura today. We’re an award-winning local dealership providing a one-stop automotive shop for drivers throughout Indianapolis.
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