5 Symptoms of a Bad Ignition Coil
Your vehicle’s ignition coil essentially acts as a small transformer. In other words, the ignition coil can convert the 12 volts of power from your car’s battery into at least 15,000 volts of power for the spark plug. This high-voltage current is sent to the spark plug so that it can ignite the fuel and start the engine.
If you are experiencing driving issues related to the combustion process in your engine, a faulty ignition coil may be to blame. The exact symptoms will depend on how bad your ignition coil actually is. Below are five common symptoms that can be attributed to a faulty ignition coil:
1) Stalling
If your vehicle stalls while driving, it may be due to a defective ignition coil. This may happen while you are already standing or while driving.
When the coil starts to deteriorate, it will cause irregular current to flow through the spark plugs. So, even if you are driving normally, you may suddenly experience problems later on. If the stalling starts while driving, it will eventually come to a complete stop and you will not be able to start.
2) Engine misfires
If you hear a repeated sputtering noise when trying to start your engine, you may have an engine misfire caused by a faulty ignition coil. You may still be able to drive your car, but you may hear a lot of strange noises and it may even feel like your car twitches when accelerating.
3) High fuel consumption (a sign of bad gas)
If your ignition coil is faulty and your engine misfires, your fuel consumption may increase. As a result, you may use less gas and have to fill up more frequently, which means you’ll end up paying more for gas than before.
4) Misfires (black smoke from the exhaust)
When ignition coil problems start, your vehicle will have misfire issues. This term refers to a situation where unused fuel remains in the combustion cylinders and eventually flows out the exhaust pipe. The first sign of this is black smoke streaming out of the exhaust pipe. This smoke will also smell like gasoline.
5) Engine Check Light (Oil Pressure Check Engine Light)
Some vehicles only have ignition coils and spark plugs. As a defective ignition coil directly affects the functioning of your engine, you can expect the Engine Check Light to come on on your dashboard.
So if at least one ignition coil isn’t working, the engine will start without a spark in the cylinder. Of course, if your check engine light comes on, it could mean that your car has a variety of problems.