When you see the dreaded check engine light blinking on your car’s dashboard, there are many potential causes. If you notice any of the following issues occurring at the same time, you might have a faulty ignition coil on your hands. Although ignition coils can last a good 100,000 miles in a well-kept car, they eventually need replacing. If one of your coils is on its last legs, visit your nearest Mazda dealer right away for a new one.
Does Your Mazda Have a Faulty Ignition Coil?
Your Engine Sounds Like It’s Struggling
When an ignition coil bites the dust, the connected spark plug can no longer generate sparks. As a result, the cylinder begins to misfire, which creates sputtering and coughing sounds instead of the engine’s usual smooth rumble.
You’re first likely to notice that your engine’s misfiring when you slow down to pause in idle. Idling puts more strain on even a healthy engine so a misfiring engine will really struggle in idle and might even stall.
You Notice a Drop in Accelerative Power
With at least one of your ignition coils failing to deliver proper voltage to the spark plug, you’ll soon feel the difference when you press the gas pedal. With one cylinder down, the car won’t accelerate as powerfully as usual. You might even struggle to gain sufficient bursts of speed to overtake other vehicles.
Your Fuel Economy Is Plummeting
While a failing ignition coil is causing a spark plug to stop sparking properly, fuel is still being injected into the combustion chamber at the normal rate. This means a portion of the fuel is going unburned, which reduces how much power your engine is generating for each gallon it uses. As a result, you’ll be stopping at gas stations more often.
Your Exhaust Is Having Problems
The unburned fuel that results from a faulty coil can start to cause havoc in the exhaust system. Firstly, it’s likely to cause backfiring as buildups of fuel ignite out of rhythm as the cylinder is opening.
Unburned fuel can also begin to leak back into the exhaust system. If fuel reaches the catalytic converter, it may ignite in the cat’s extreme heat, destroying the cat and causing an even louder bang. If this happens, you’ll see black smoke pouring from the tailpipe behind you.
Your Mazda Dealer Recommends New Coils
Periodical vehicle servicing is the key to maintaining a healthy Mazda. Whenever you take your car in for a servicing visit, the technician will keep an expert eye out for emerging problems.
An experienced technician is likely to identify potential problems before most drivers do, including ignition coil issues. So if a trusted technician at your local dealership recommends a new coil, it’s best to follow their advice.
Have your ignition coils checked, cleaned, or replaced today at Mazda City of Orange Park. We’ve been providing the region’s drivers with great cars and customer service for over three decades.
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