April 3, 2022
Of course, the number of sparkplugs in a V6 engine will usually depend on the model of the car’s engine. Mercedes Benz, for example, manufactures vehicles with two spark plugs per cylinder. As such, if you buy any of these vehicles, you will get an engine with twelve sparkplugs. Moreover, Mercedes Benz also supplies engines to other manufacturers. So, you might happen to buy a vehicle with twelve sparkplugs if Mercedes Benz is the supplier of its vehicle engine.
On most occasions, a gas engine will have one sparkplug/one cylinder ratio. So, given this ratio, we can surmise that the V6 engine with six cylinders will have six sparkplugs. Yet, it is not always the case with the V6 engines, for there are V6 engines that are twin spark engines. This means that these twin spark engines will have two sparkplugs in each cylinder. Hence, they will have twelve sparkplugs.
What V6 Engine Do You Have?
As mentioned above, most V6 engines come with only a single sparkplug for every cylinder. Hence, most likely, the vehicle you’re driving will only have six sparkplugs if it has a V6 engine. Additionally, if your car got manufactured by Chevy, Ford, Toyota, Jeep, Honda, and Nissan, it has only one sparkplug per cylinder.
The only two manufacturers of V6 engines with two spark plugs per cylinder are the Alfa Romeo and Mercedes Benz. However, you might find Chrysler cars with twin sparkplugs per cylinder because Chrysler once partnered with Mercedes Benz. Their vehicles got supplied with Mercedes Benz engines for a certain period. You can check out the models Chrysler Crossfire along with Chrysler Crossfire SRT-8 because these two models come with an engine with 12 sparkplugs.
If you got your car vehicle manufactured in South Korea, Mexico, the United States, and Japan, your car would likely have only one cylinder in your car’s V6 engine. Besides, the experiment with twin spark engines was more or less confined to European manufacturers.
How Many Spark Plugs Do Specific V6 Car Models Have?
If you’re keen on knowing which V6 vehicle models have six sparkplugs or more, you can check out this rundown of the different V6 vehicle models and the number of sparkplugs they have:
V6 Mustang
Let’s take a look at the V6 Mustang engine. This engine got rolled out first in 1964. This engine comes with a single spark plug per cylinder. Thus, it only has six sparkplugs because it has six cylinders. 6 sparkplugs will suffice to provide the needed combustion to power this engine.
V6 Ford Explorer
The V6 Ford Explorer is similar to the V6 Mustang when it comes to its sparkplugs. You will see 3 sparkplugs at the front engine part and 3 sparkplugs at the engine’s rear part.
V6 Dodge Charger
The V6 Dodge Charger necessitates much power always to have excellent performance. Thus, you will find 6 sparkplugs in this engine.
V6 Chrysler 300
You will find 6 sparkplugs in the V6 Chrysler 300. Each of its six cylinders has a single sparkplug. These six sparkplugs are enough to provide this engine with the needed combustion power.
V6 Honda Accord
The engine V6 Honda Accord comes with 6 cylinders, and in each cylinder, you will find one sparkplug. These 6 sparkplugs are enough to produce the necessary combustion of air and fuel to power this excellent engine.
V6 ChevyImpala
The ChevyImpala V6 comes with either 4, 6, or 8 sparkplugs. If one of the sparkplugs has gone wrong, it will be best to replace them in sets to avoid any issue later with those sparkplugs that you did not replace.
V6 Toyota Tacoma
The Toyota Tacoma also comes with six sparkplugs. These 6 sparkplugs will suffice to make the necessary combustions inside the combustion chambers to produce the needed energy for this engine. Make sure that you choose top-rated sparkplugs if ever you would need to replace the sparkplugs.
V6 Jeep Grand Cherokee
This V6 engine also comes with six sparkplugs. This engine dates to 1983, when AMC designed a successor to the less bulky Jeep Cherokee. These six sparkplugs can provide the necessary combustion inside each engine cylinder.
How to Check & Identify Amount of Spark Plugs in Any V6 Engine?
At the onset, if you’re at a loss as to how many sparkplugs your car has, it will be best to check the user manual. If you happen to have lost your user manual, you can also consult with the dealer or manufacturer of your car.
Nevertheless, you can also engage in a manual checking of the sparkplugs of your car. You only need to pop the car’s hood open and remove the car’s engine cover. In this way, you can check the engine bay and count the number of wires (high-tension) connected to the engine. These wires can either be red or black. You will quickly zero in on the sparkplugs if you follow these wires.
One caveat, however, when buying a car is to check the sparkplugs before shelling out your hard-earned money on a second-hand car, for there are instances when car sellers will not dare to fix the car they are selling by replacing the sparkplugs of their vehicles. Remember that having a faulty sparkplug is very frustrating.
In case the sparkplugs of your car have gone bad, you should not think twice about replacing them. Defective sparkplugs will make it a challenge to start your vehicle. But if your vehicle starts and runs, the car won’t provide you with a relaxed and smooth ride. Moreover, the acceleration will be off. Besides, sometimes, your vehicle will shake as you accelerate. Hence, it is imperative that you keep your sparkplugs in top-notch conditions.
You also need to follow the regular maintenance and schedule of sparkplug replacement faithfully. The recommended replacement of sparkplugs is between 30,000 miles to 50,000 miles. However, if you have iridium-tipped or long-life platinum sparkplugs, you can expect them to last for up to 120,000 miles.
As a driver, it will be helpful to be wary of the telltale signs that your sparkplugs have gone bad. Some of these telltale signs include difficulty starting up your car, challenging acceleration, increased fuel consumption, shaking when idle, and violent jerks when driving. If your vehicle manifests any abovementioned signs, you should check the sparkplugs.
Dual Spark Plugs Vs Single Spark Plug: Which is Better?
Having one sparkplug per cylinder is enough to cause combustion inside the cylinder. Yet, theoretically, the idea of having two sparkplugs in a cylinder will ensure that all the fuel is burned and used up. So, two sparkplugs should be more advantageous than having one sparkplug.
However, having two sparkplugs inside a single cylinder is overkill for other manufacturers. If one sparkplug is enough, there’s no need for two sparkplugs. Moreover, the benefits of having two sparkplugs have not yet been fully established. Besides, it is non-conclusive whether the extra cost for extra sparkplug is worth paying for.
Conclusion
Figuring out the number of sparkplugs in your V6 engine is not a brain-wracking activity. You only need to check the manual, or if you have enough time, you can open the hood and check the engine bay. If you’re using a V6 engine, it probably has six sparkplugs unless it is a twin spark engine.
More often, you will only concern yourself with the sparkplug if you notice some telltale signs that your sparkplugs have gone wrong. But if your car is running smoothly and starts pretty easy, you won’t often bother with the sparkplugs.
Moreover, you won’t be asking about the number of sparkplugs in your V6 engine. Yet, it will help if you know the number of sparkplugs in your V6 engine to quickly determine how many sparkplugs you need to replace because, ideally, you need to replace all of them if one sparkplug goes bad.