What Do Ignition Coils Do on a Car?

If you’ve ever owned a vehicle that has over 150,000 kms on it, you know that things like spark plugs and ignition coils tend to need replacing around that mileage. Which leaves many people wondering, “what do ignition coils do on a car?”.

Because unless you’ve ever had to replace them, most people wouldn’t think to ask that question. And usually when you are advised that you need to do them, and find out the price, you start to assess how badly they need to be done. And what they even do.

Today’s blog post will answer the questions, “what do ignition coils do on a car?”, address the need to replace them, the average costs associated with them, and many other useful bits of information.

What Are Ignition Coils on a Car?

Knowing what ignition coils do on a car starts with knowing what exactly they are. Because while many car parts and components may be self-explanatory, ignition coils are considerably more vague.

Ignition coils are key components in a car’s ignition system. Essentially, their job is to take the car battery’s low voltage and transform it into the thousands of volts needed to create a spark in the spark plugs.

That spark ignites the air-fuel mixture inside each cylinder, which is what makes the engine run. Think of it as the heart of your vehicle (And we all know how important our heart is).

How Do You Know If Your Ignition Coils Are Bad?

Just like any other vehicle part, component, or system, you’ll have definitely signs and symptoms when your ignition coils are failing or have failed.

And knowing the signs is imperative because if you don’t replace your engine coils in a reasonable amount of time, you could experience issues that have the potential to cause real engine damage.

Signs Your Ignition Coils Are Bad Include:

• Rough idling
• Hard starts
• Loss of power/overall performance
• Engine misfiring
• Poor or slowly worsening gas mileage
• Check engine light illuminated
• Sputtering, shuddering, or vibrations

The above noted signs and symptoms can also mimic other more severe problems. So, before diagnosing your vehicle’s issues yourself, be sure to visit a professional car mechanic like the good people at Two Brothers Automotive Service in North Vancouver.

How Much Does It Cost to Repair Bad Ignition Coils on a Car?

The cost associated with replacing faulty ignition coils can vary greatly. You could be looking at a couple hundred dollars, or up to $1000, depending on the type of vehicle that you drive.

A smaller domestic car is usually cheaper to repair than an import or luxury sedan. Prices ranger between $200 – $500 for ignition coils. Moreover, an SUV or crossover will be more expensive to replace the ignition coils on because the cost of each coil is higher.

Additionally, the cost will also depend on how many ignition coils you have. And also, whether or not your car requires a coil pack, rather than individual ignition coils.

How Do I Know If My Car Is Misfiring?

An engine misfire occurs when one or more cylinders fail to ignite properly, causing rough performance and potential damage if left untreated. Recognizing the symptoms early can help prevent costly repairs.

Common Signs of an Engine Misfire Include:

• Rough idling: The engine shakes or vibrates noticeably while stationary.
• Loss of power: Acceleration feels weak or uneven.
• Check engine light: Often illuminates due to misfire detection.
• Unusual sounds: Popping, sputtering, or backfiring noises from the exhaust.
• Poor fuel economy: Increased fuel consumption due to inefficient combustion.
• Difficulty starting: The engine may struggle to start or stall unexpectedly.

A misfiring engine might make you feel uneasy when you experience a sudden loss of power and notice that your monthly fuel costs are rising.

However, there are many other more catastrophic factors that can happen if you know your engine is misfiring and fail to do the repairs required to fix it.

What Happens If You Don’t Fix a Misfiring Engine?

Long term damage is one of the most prevalent issues that you’ll experience if you fail to repair an engine that is misfiring, no matter what the root cause is of those misfires.

If You Don’t Fix a Misfiring Engine, You Could Experience:

• Catalytic converter damage
• Increased emissions
• Severe engine damage requiring replacement
• Ignition system failure
• Fuel system issues and/or failure

If your catalytic converter gets damaged, it can cost thousands of dollars to repair. The same goes for needing an engine replacement.

It could cost most than what your vehicle might actually be worth currently. Which is why many people consider scrapping their vehicle with More Cash For Scrap instead when repairs like this are needed.

How Much Will It Cost to Replace My Ignition Coils?

On a economy SUV, you’re looking at between $600 – $900 just for the ignition coils. This is mostly due to a markup on car parts. However, there is usually a half an hour to an hour of labour involved as well.

What’s more is that if you need to replace the spark plugs at the same time, you’ll be looking at an additional $200, on average. Once again, this will depend on the type of vehicle you drive, and whether or not they need to even replace the spark plugs.

Due to the price variances, many BC residents choose to scrap their car with More Cash For Scrap instead of replacing their spark plugs and coils. Because if you drive a vehicle only worth about $1000, it’s not worth it to put $1000 into it just to change some coils.

Why Do They Change Spark Plugs When Changing Ignition Coils?

A common replacement that is done when a vehicle’s ignition coils get replaced are the spark plugs. This is commonly done because the two components work synergistically together to ignite the air-fuel mixture in your engine’s cylinders.

Spark plugs and ignition coils work together to ignite the air-fuel mixture in an engine’s cylinders. The ignition coil converts the car’s low-voltage electricity from the battery into a high-voltage current. This high voltage is then sent to the spark plug, which creates a spark across its small gap.

The spark ignites the compressed air-fuel mixture, producing the combustion that powers the engine. Each ignition coil and spark plug must function precisely and in sync for efficient engine performance, fuel economy, and smooth vehicle operation.

Cash for Scrap Cars with Bad Ignition Coils

You might think that scrapping a car over $600-$1000 is silly. However, it’s one of the most common things we see in the scrap car removal business.

Because the reality is that many junk vehicles that we purchase are over 20 years old. Moreover, they have many other issues going on under the hood aside from failing ignition coils.

And when you combine a $600 mechanic’s bill with other smaller repair bills, plus whatever other issues might be on the horizon, it’s a more practical decision to scrap your car for cash with a professional scrap car removal service like ours.

Cash for Cars with Mechanical Problems in Vancouver

We pride ourselves on paying MORE cash for scrap cars than most other scrap car removal companies in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley.

And because of our commitment to customer service, you’ll always get free towing, same day pickup in most cases, and the best customer service in the junk car removal industry.

Whether you’re trashing, scrapping, discarding, disposing, destroying, dismantling, or junking a car in Metro Vancouver or the Fraser Valley, we are the ones to call. Let us show you why you deserve much MORE for your junk car than you think!