6 Signs of a Faulty Ignition Coil

The two most common causes of a misfiring engine are faulty spark plugs or faulty ignition coils. When an ignition coil goes awry, it fails to supply sufficient electric voltage to the spark plug, which can no longer consistently ignite the fuel inside your engine’s cylinders. The following six vehicle issues often indicate a faltering ignition coil. If you experience any of them, visit your nearest Nissan dealer to have your ignition coils inspected, repaired, or replaced. 

Your Engine is Misfiring

Misfiring means your spark plugs aren’t sparking properly. You’ll probably first experience misfiring as occasional sputtering and juddering when you start your car or slow down at traffic lights. 

Over time, this problem will worsen, until your engine’s clearly struggling to stay alive. And eventually, it will begin to stall.

Your Engine is Losing Power

Ignition coils are crucial to the engine’s combustion process. So when one of your coils malfunctions, the engine is now a cylinder short and can no longer generate as much power as before.

Losing a cylinder will have more of a dramatic reduction in power in a typical car with a V4 engine than with the V6 engine of a Nissan Frontier Crew Cab S or a V8 Nissan Titan Crew Can S. But even in a powerful pickup, you’ll notice the difference. 

You’re Stopping More Often for Gas

Your fuel economy will also diminish when an ignition coil falters. The fuel being injected into the malfunctioning cylinder is no longer combusting as efficiently as it should. And so you’ll be stopping for gas more often. 

You See Smoke in Your Exhaust

When a cylinder starts misfiring, an excess of unburned fuel is created that leaks back through the exhaust system. This unburned fuel may then either leak from your tailpipe or ignite and pour out in the form of black smoke. 

Your Check Engine Light Comes On

Ignition coil problems will almost always get picked up by your car’s fault-detection system. You’ll then see the check engine light come to life on your instrument panel. 

You’re unlikely to immediately know what this warning light is referring to. But if you also notice some of the other symptoms of misfiring coils, as mentioned in this article, you might guess that it’s a faulty coil. 

Your Nissan Dealer Suggests a New Coil

Regular vehicle checkups are as important to maintaining the health of your car as regular dentist checkups are for keeping your teeth in tip-top condition. A skillful technician is likely to pick up potential ignition coil trouble before it develops into something more problematic. They may then suggest you replace a coil or at least prepare to do so soon. 

Have an experienced technician check your engine’s coils today at Nissan of Picayune. We’re a local family-owned dealership providing great customer service and vehicles to the drivers of Picayune, Carriere, Slidell, and Gulfport.