Common Mistakes to Avoid When Replacing Your MINI’s Spark Plugs
One of the essential ways to ensure optimal performance and efficiency with your MINI is to keep the engine in great shape. To achieve this, you have to ensure that you tick all the boxes when it comes to maintenance actions. One of the key maintenance tasks is replacing the engine’s spark plugs as needed.
The spark plugs play a major role in igniting the air-fuel mixture in the engine and ensuring complete combustion for engine performance. However, the spark plugs can wear out over time, needing replacement. More often than not, many car owners make some common mistakes when replacing the spark plugs and this reduces engine performance. This guide will highlight some of these mistakes to help you avoid them.
Top 6 Spark Plug Replacement Mistakes You Should Avoid
Here are some of the most common mistakes that car owners and some technicians make when it comes to spark plug replacement.
1. Using the wrong spark plugs
One common mistake, especially for a car novice is replacing your car’s faulty spark plugs with just any kind. Different engines require specific types of spark plugs which vary in size and electrode material; using the wrong spark plugs in your car’s engine can cause various engine problems.
Because of this, it is important to ensure you confirm the type of spark plugs to use for your car’s engine by going through the owner’s manual or asking a professional.
2. Not replacing all the spark plugs
In several cases, car owners believe that only the damaged or faulty spark plug should be replaced. However, this could lead to more engine problems in the future as all spark plugs undergo the same level of stress and once one is down, it is best to replace all because the others can fail in a short span of time as well. Doing a complete replacement can help you save costs and prevent damage to the engine.
3. Not cleaning the surrounding area
Many car owners avoid cleaning the spark plug’s environment when the faulty one is removed for replacement. This usually causes the dirt, debris, or other contaminants in the surrounding area to move into the combustion chambers. In the long run, this affects the effectiveness of the new spark plugs and could also damage the engine’s components. Always make sure you clean the workplace before making a spark plug replacement.
4. Unfitting Force Application
Another mistake many people make with spark plug replacement is applying too much force by over-tightening the plugs or too little force by under-tightening the plugs. When you apply too much force, you can damage the plug’s cylinder head, rendering it non-functional. On the other hand, not tightening the spark plugs enough could leave them hanging loose, reducing the contact with the combustion point and causing engine misfires.
5. Adjusting the Electrode Gap
The electrode gap in a spark plug is the distance between two electrodes that determines the voltage jump required for a spark to be formed. Too much or too little distance can affect the ignition process of the spark plug and cause engine misfires. A common mistake people make when changing spark plugs is to adjust this electrode gap as well and this leads to various engine problems.
6. Working on a Hot Engine
Replacing faulty spark plugs while the engine is still running hot is a recipe for disaster. Not only does this put you at a safety risk as the heat from the engine could burn your hands, but it could also damage some engine components like the plug threads or ignition wirings.
Other mistakes include;
- Using a lubricant. This could reduce the spark plug’s efficiency.
- Misaligning the spark plugs’ threads.
- Using the wrong tools.
- Not using new spark plugs as replacements.
The Best Auto Shop in Michigan for Your MINI’s Spark Plug Replacement
The spark plugs are an essential component 
of a car that helps to keep the engine running. This means that they deserve utmost attention and should be replaced when necessary, so as to keep the engine in the best shape. However, mistakes such as the use of the wrong plugs, over-tightening, or under-tightening are common with spark plug replacement, which is why it is best to allow professionals to handle the task.
Orion Automotive Services is one of the best automobile care centers in Ann Arbor, MI. For over three decades, we have been offering exceptional maintenance and repair services for European vehicles and our quality of work has not dwindled. We have factory-grade tools and equipment for correct diagnosis and the best hands for maintenance and repair actions. You should visit our shop today and your car will thank you.
