Your car will show many warning signs when there’s a problem with the spark plug.
A light tan or gray is the normal spark plug color,
But if you see a different color, there may be a problem.
It does the job of igniting the air and Fuel mixture in the cylinders by providing sparks. Because of the constant ignition, Your vehicle keeps moving.
So, you may well understand the importance of this device in Keeping the engine running.
How To Read The Spark Plug Color
A healthy spark plug will have a little bit of electrode erosion but no abnormal deposits.
While the color would be a light tan, gray, or brownish, It indicates the optimal operating condition.
What will be the spark plug color when it’s undergoing some problems? Let’s have a look:
No Color
Determine the real problem.
If one or more of these devices
Do not have a dark brown color or are not colored at all,
It suggests that the plugs are not firing at all. A working component must collect some
Deposits and have a different tone than the original shade. If it happens, you should check the fuel or ignition.
Ashy Coating
When the center or ground of the spark electrodes is covered;
With a layer of ash-like substances,
You have to check for an oil leak or the quality of the fuel.
The build-up will grow over time and fill in the blank space between two
Electrodes eventually, causing a misfire. So, if you face this issue,
Check for leakage or change the oil to the higher grade one.
Black Deposits
If your engine shows poor starting and misfires,
Check the spark plug color immediately. You can call a blackish build-up at the top as dry or carbon fouling and:
Oily appearance at the bottom as wet fouling. A clogged cleaner or carburetor,
A leak in the vacuum,
Or the plug’s improper heat range is the probable reason for the
First problem while the second one may result from a
Compromised head gasket or an issue in the valvetrain.
SEE MORE:
Glazed White Appearance
If you frequently face the issue of power loss at high speeds or
When the engine load is high, look at the insulator to see if it turns silvery white.
You may also find a worn-out electrode and minor black deposits.
It’s the result of spark plug overheating that may arise from a thin mixture of
Air and fuel, a vacuum leak, or a poor cooling system.
A Green Shade
It’s the sign of heavy oxidation and leads to poor engine performance
Because of the gap in creating sparks. We know that there’s lead in the gasoline.
This material creates some chemical reactions with the components in the
Electrodes and causes corrosion and erosion in the plugs.
Yellowish Brown Deposits
When your engine misfires under hard acceleration or at high-rpm,
Look for a build-up of this color on the insulator nose.
The name of this condition is lead fouling,
And it appears when the fuel contains too much lead.
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