Where Should You Go in Real Redwood City to Fix Your BMW’s Damaged Spark Plugs?

by | Jan 28, 2020 | BMW Services

Spark plugs are a simple and inexpensive component of your car’s engine. If you do not care for these parts, your neglect can cause expensive and complicated damage to your BMW. To avoid this, you need to make sure your BMW is regularly serviced by an experienced specialist who will ensure that your spark plugs are changed at the proper intervals as stated in your owner’s manual. Below, we will discuss the role of your spark plugs, learn how they work, why they fail, and help you find where to go when you need them replaced.

Spark Plugs: A Closer Look

Spark plugs create the fiery particle that is needed to ignite the fuel in an engine, which in turn produces the energy needed to start the car. In order to maintain motion, your spark plugs need to constantly fire to ignite new fuel as it enters the engine. This means that these parts work very hard every time your engine is running. They will not last the entire lifespan of your BMW and must be replaced on schedule.

Your spark plugs work by sending a spark that jumps a small gap between 2 electrodes. Each time this happens, microscopic pieces of metal from each electrode will break down. Given enough time, the metal is worn away to the point where the spark is no longer able to reliably cross the larger gap which has been created with natural wear and tear. This is when you start to get the negative symptoms related to old, unreliable spark plugs, such as misfires, decreased fuel efficiency, poor acceleration, and the illumination of the check engine light.

In recent years, car manufacturers have been working to increase the longevity of spark plugs, meaning they’ll need to be replaced less often. These new spark plugs have electrodes that are coated with much more durable precious metals which have high melting points. These new metals cannot be worn down as quickly. Examples are yttrium, platinum, and iridium. Using these new metal spark plugs means that drivers can now go 100,000 miles before starting to notice any deterioration in their spark plugs, compared to between 30,000-60,000 miles that traditional plugs offer.

DIY Repairs vs. Professional Service

Basic spark plugs can be bought for as little as $2, and installation takes under an hour, meaning that replacing spark plugs can be a DIY friendly job. However, some types of engines like the V6 can have very awkwardly-placed spark plugs, which makes installation much more tricky and probably best left to BMW professionals. You’ll also need to factor in the purchase of special tools such as a torque wrench and also dielectric grease.

Finally, if you’re wanting to purchase spark plugs that are tipped with yttrium, platinum or iridium, you might want to get professional installation, as while in the grand scheme of things, spark plugs overall are an affordable part, but the precious metal in high-tech spark plugs does jack up the cost somewhat.

Why Cerrone’s European is Redwoods’ Best Choice

There are so many great reasons why Cerrone’s European is the number one place to go when you need your BMW’s spark plugs fixed, and in fact, for all your motoring needs too. Here are just a few reasons why we’re the best at what we do.

  • We’re perfectly placed to service the communities of Redwood, CA.
  • We are an independent company, meaning we can give you the care and attention both you and your BMW deserve.
  • We are experts at European auto service and specialize in Audi, BMW, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mini, and Volvo.
  • All our new customers will receive a 10% discount off labor costs.
  • We offer a free alignment with any tire purchase.
  • We’ve been caring for the communities cars for over 40 years – since 1976!
  • We strive for gender equality, and all of our staff are trained in professionally interacting with both male and female clients. We want to create a space that you always feel safe and respected.
  • We’re a certified-green business, which means we comply with all environmental regulations and strive to keep our environmental impact low.
  • We offer a 12-month guarantee as standard.
  • We have a great customer service team who are looking forward to taking your call today.