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  • DARCARS Kia of Frederick

Aug 19, 2022

Ignition coils are a major component of your vehicle’s ignition system, essential to keeping your car running smoothly. Like most components in your car, ignition coils can wear down and end up needing to get replaced, so it’s important to know the signs that will let you know it’s time to visit your local Kia dealer and have new ignition coils put in. To help with that, we’ve created a quick introduction to faulty ignition coils (and what to do about them) here!Getting Engine Inspected Frederick, MD

Faulty Ignition Coil FAQs

What Is an Ignition Coil?

Ignition coils are essentially small cylinders within the ignition system of your car’s engine that contain coils of copper wiring and act as a voltage converter. It’s an essential part of your car’s engine, without which your vehicle won’t be able to produce the power required to keep your engine running smoothly (or at all)!

How Do Ignition Coils Work?

Your vehicle’s ignition coils work by converting the relatively low voltage of your car’s battery into the thousands of volts that are required to keep an internal combustion engine running. Ignition coils will either connect directly to your engine’s spark plugs or will be connected via a high-voltage wire. Once this converted voltage makes it through the coils, it triggers the spark plugs, and gives your engine the jolt needed to get its cylinders firing.

What Are the Signs of a Bad Ignition Coil?

Some of the more common signs are a loss of power, where your vehicle may start to feel sluggish or to lose power altogether, as well as a decrease in your vehicle’s fuel economy. You may also notice that your vehicle starts sputtering and misfiring, resulting in a jerky, rough ride. Your car may start stalling when you come to a stop and being difficult to get running again when you try to turn it back on. Additionally, it’s likely your check engine light will be on.

If you’ve been noticing one, or several, of these symptoms starting to manifest in your vehicle, it’s probably a good idea to head down to your local dealership and have them looked into.

How Can I Get My Ignition Coils Replaced?

Ignition coils are an extremely important part of modern combustion engines, but, luckily for you, that doesn’t mean they have to be an extremely expensive fix! The mechanics at your local dealership should be able to get this sorted out for you in no time. It’s important to have ignition coil problems fixed sooner rather than later, though, as driving with failing ignition coils can lead to more extensive (and expensive) damage to other parts of your vehicle down the line.

Schedule an Ignition Service in Frederick

If you’re noticing any of the signs and symptoms of failing ignition coils above, the time to act is now. Come on down and visit us at DARCARS Kia of Frederick today, where our team of skilled mechanics can have your car back on the road and firing on all cylinders in no time!