A faulty ignition coil can lead to frustrating car troubles, including misfiring, lost power, backfiring, and even a destroyed catalytic converter. A bad coil is usually straightforward to repair or replace at your local Ford dealer, but you need to detect the problem and respond as quickly as you can. The following are eight key symptoms of a faulty ignition coil to look out for.
Your Engine Starts Misfiring
The ignition coil is connected to each spark plug inside your engine and delivers powerful jolts of electricity hundreds of times per minute, allowing the spark plugs to ignite the fuel. If a failing coil stops delivering this electricity, the spark plug will misfire. This usually causes the engine to shake and cough alarmingly.
Your Car Idles Roughly
Misfiring becomes most pronounced when the car pauses in idle, which puts far more strain on the engine. Rather than quietly purring, the idling engine will shudder and sputter loudly.
Your Engine Cuts Off
A misfiring engine with a bad coil can also suddenly stall. This could leave you without power in a hazardous spot such as when navigating a busy intersection.
You Struggle to Gain Speed
The coils also play a role in acceleration. If one or more of your coils die, you’ll find it much harder to speed up. This can be dangerous when attempting to overtake another car or accelerate out of a corner.
Your Car Starts Backfiring
When a failing coil leads to misfiring, fuel is still being injected into the cylinder. At least some of this fuel will remain unburned and collect until it leaks back into the exhaust system, where it might ignite, causing backfiring. If this unburned fuel reaches the catalytic converter, it could destroy the cat: a costly component to replace.
You See Smoke Behind You
Unburned fuel typically ignites or at least partially ignites inside the heat of the exhaust pipes. So if your car has coil issues, you may soon see black smoke emitting from the tailpipe.
Your Check Engine Light Comes to Life
Usually, the check engine light will appear on the instrument panel when a coil goes bad. Although you may not initially know what triggered this warning light, a technician will promptly diagnose and repair the underlying problem.
Your Ford Dealer Identifies a Bad Coil
It’s generally recommended to have your spark plugs and coils periodically inspected by a professional. The trained eye of one of our technicians will notice coil issues early on. We can then nip the problem in the bud long before it causes problems on the road.
Have your faulty coils replaced today at Auffenberg Ford North in O’Fallon, IL. We offer an extensive range of new and pre-owned vehicles, efficient maintenance services, and prompt automotive repairs.
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