Scenario
Bob brings his car to Braxton Automotive and tells the Service Advisor that it has been running rough for about 5 months. He's been so busy with work that he hasn't had time to bring it in. A Certified Technician checks it out and finds that the car is misfiring, causing it to run rough.
The Technician noticed that the spark plugs and other Service related items had not been replaced or were worn. The Technician replaces the spark plugs and the other worn out parts, figuring this will resolve the problem. During the final test drive, the Technician notices that the car is still misfiring. Through further diagnostics, the Technician finds that the coils have become damaged due to prolonged driving with aged parts.
What was the problem?
Because the plugs were worn, they created too much resistance and the spark could not travel through it. The spark found a new "path to ground" as a result. The new path was through the coil and into the engine. We come across this scenario quite often. If Bob had kept up with his vehicle's maintenance and replaced his spark plugs sooner, the coils would not have needed to be replaced prematurely. Many components of your vehicle depend on other parts to function correctly. It is extremely important to maintain your vehicle and follow your Manufacturer's Maintenance Schedule.
If you have any questions about your Maintenance Schedule, Braxton Automotive would be glad to help.