It can be a rather scary experience to step on the gas as you cross a busy intersection only to find a sluggish response. This sudden loss of acceleration, and various other problems, may be caused by a faulty ignition coil. Let's take a look at six major signs that it's time to visit your nearest Honda dealer to have an ignition coil cleaned or replaced. 

Sluggish Acceleration

Ignition coils are responsible for turning the relatively weak voltage from the alternator or battery into a high-voltage charge for the spark plugs. So the reason your car will struggle to accelerate with a bad ignition coil is that at least one of your spark plugs can no longer ignite the fuel inside its cylinder. This naturally robs your engine of power. 

Rough Idling

Failing cylinders cause a car's engine to misfire, jerk, cough, sputter, vibrate, and generally struggle to keep going. These symptoms can become particularly clear when you pause to idle while in traffic or waiting at an intersection. Idling puts more strain on any engine, especially one that's lost the use of a cylinder. 

Stalling 

If one of your ignition coils has stopped working altogether, or more than one coil is struggling, you might find your car stalling. This could happen anywhere, in busy traffic or when far away from home, so it's best to identify the problem and repair it early on before it develops to the point of stalling.

Hard Starts 

Starting your engine in the morning will seem a little harder when an ignition coil starts to go awry. You might have to turn the key or press the starter a few times before it finally revs to life. At its worst, your engine might fail to start at all.

Thickening Exhaust

When a cylinder begins to misfire, it leads to a buildup of unused fuel inside the combustion chamber. Eventually, this excess fuel starts to leak back into the exhaust system, where it can cause damage and will often escape in the form of black smoke from your tailpipe.  

Check Engine Light

The check engine light will usually light up on your instrument panel when an ignition coil stops working. It's best not to ignore this warning light for long as any problem it's detected may soon get worse. 

Ask Your Honda Dealer To Test Your Car's Coils

Any time you're at your local dealership for a servicing visit, you can ask them to check your ignition coils. This will involve checking each coil visually for signs of fouling, cracking, or burnt electrodes, and also testing the voltage with a multimeter or similar tool. Ignition coils can last over 100,000 miles in a well-maintained car, so it's wise to ask for these tests as you near the end of a coil's lifespan. 

Have your ignition coils examined and repaired today at Honda of Seattle. We're a family-owned dealership with a community-focused ethos that's been providing for the region's drivers since 1986.