E3 Spark Plugs News

Let me gues... E3 Spark Plugs lists the top 10 reasons your car breaks down.

So you’re on the side the road again, hoping your cell phone battery will hold out long enough for you to get through a phone call with the tow trucker, dad, significant other, best friend, neighbor, guy you met in the bar last night, or whomever else you can think of who might be willing to give you a lift home. E3 Spark Plugs probably knows why you’re there. Here are our top ten reasons for auto breakdowns:

1. You’ve got a bum battery. Small trips can be a big drain on a battery. Make sure your car gets an extended run every few weeks. It’s a great excuse for a fun day trip.
2. You lost your keys. Again. Make several copies of your car keys. Keep one in your purse or wallet, another at your home and one or two with a trusted family member, friend or neighbor.
3. Your tire went flat. Check your tires weekly to make sure the tread remains deep and your tires remain adequately aired up.
4. You’ve got a damaged distributor cap. Damp conditions can play a part in this little fiasco if your distributor cap happens to be cracked or otherwise damaged. It can cause a high voltage short circuit, preventing the spark from reaching your spark plugs.
5. You’ve got a faulty alternator. Check for a worn drive belt or a wonky connection.
6. You’ve got fuel trouble. Were you paying attention at the gas station? Accidentally filling up (even just a little) with diesel gas instead of regular can damage your engine.
7. Your clutch cable is shot. A clutch cable engages every single time you change gears. Eventually, it will wear out and, unfortunately, it doesn’t always give you any warning.
8. Your spark plugs have lost their spark. If they’re misfiring or just not sparking, they may be fouled. You may be able to give them a good cleaning and re-install. But if they’re worn or cracked, you may have to switch them out for new ones.
9. Your HT leads have fizzled out. HT leads deliver high voltage currents to your spark plugs. Long periods of repeated temperature cycling can deteriorate them and cause them to fail without warning.
10. Your starter won’t start. Your starter may be shot, but it could also be a bad battery, worn battery cables, broken starter mounting bolts, a stuck neutral safety switch, the starter solenoid or armature.

If you suspect it’s your spark plugs, be sure to check our online cross reference catalog to choose the right spark plugs for your vehicle.

Spark plugs make great (and cheap) fishing lure retrievers.

Going fishing? Well, if you’ve got a used spark plug sitting in your tool box, you may want to drop it in your tackle box on your way out the door. That’s because car spark plugs make great fishing lure retrievers.

Old-school fishermen have used this trick for decades, but the idea went mainstream with the onset of urban fishing holes, where young, hip city denizens gather to cast lines and compare catches. Photos of these events certainly are not the stuff of Field & Stream photo spreads. Fishing spots often are small bodies of water surrounded by chain link fencing with razor wire, rusting metal beams and concrete slabs jutting out of the surface. But the camaraderie of anglers everywhere is just as strong in urban areas as it is anywhere else.

“Fishing is so cool because it breaks down social barriers,” Ben Sargent, founder of New York’s Brooklyn Urban Anglers Association and Brooklyn Fishing Derby told reporters. “If you’re male or female doesn’t matter, race doesn’t matter. There’s definitely skill involved, but you can bring out a newbie who can catch a 40-inch fish.”

Many of those involved in these organizations, which encourage fishing in New York’s East River and surrounding waterways, use the spark plug lure retriever trick. Simply slip a snap swivel on the spark plug electrode and bed or tap the electrode downward, closing the gap. If your lure gets snagged (as often happens when fishing beneath bridges and dams), tighten your line, clip the swivel onto the line between the rod tip and your lure, and let the spark plug go. It’ll link down and knock your lure free. Spark plug lure retrievers work best on crankbaits and jigging spoons. They’re less effective with small lures such as jigs and worms. And if your lure doesn’t come free, you’ll have to break the line and leave behind both your lure and the spark plug retriever. You might miss your favorite lure, but at least your spark plug retriever is cheap and easily replaceable.

To help keep America’s fishing holes clean from toxins, be sure to boil your spark plugs in salt water before using them as lure retrievers. This will get rid of any oil or grease.

Have you used a spark plug as a fishing lure retriever or for some other odd-but-handy purpose? E3 Spark Plugs wants to know. Drop us a line on in our blog comment section or on our E3 Spark Plugs Facebook fan page. Don’t forget to post your pictures, too.

If Dad's a car buff, E3 Spark Plugs has a few Father's Day gift ideas.

You’ve got just a week to shop for Father’s Day. If your dad is a bonafide car buff, E3 Spark Plugs has a few suggestions for gifts that’ll really rev up his day.

The best opportunity for a little father-son or father-daughter bonding is a well-thought out road trip. Plan one, or just let your dad experience one vicariously with Road Trip USA, a series of books chronicling author and professional road-tripper Jamie Jensen. Each Road Trip USA edition details dozens of must-sees along a particular road trip route including major cities, obscure towns, historic sites and roadside oddities. Editions focus on various routes including the Pacific Coast Highway, the Atlantic Coast and the iconic Route 66 which, despite its decommissioning during the 1980s, still commands America’s fascination and represents something of a “road to freedom.” Road Trip USA’s Route 66 edition takes readers along the same route now replaced with a high-speed interstate. And the Great River Road edition takes a meandering drive along the Mississippi River and the Big Muddy River.

Once you’ve got a plan in place, take that road trip. Convince Dad to take that antique hotrod he’s tinkered with for years on the road. If the idea strikes fear in the man’s heart, rent one instead. No, not the economy sedan. This trip is worth a splurge. Perhaps the $22,000-a-week Rolls-Royce Phantom convertible is a little out of the budget. But a nice convertible could go for a few hundred dollars a day and the awesome time you’ll have together – well, you can’t put a price on that.

Cyberoptics specializes in "ties that don't suck," including several that are great gifts for car lovers.

If a road trip is out of the question, there’s always the proverbial go-to Father’s Day gift – a tie. But seriously, if you just have to do the tie thing, at least make it a cool tie. Skip the chain department store and go directly to www.cyberoptix.com where you’ll find a selection of “ties that don’t suck,” as the company’s tag line attests. Designs range from the beautiful to the slightly bizarre and several cater directly to car buffs. These designs include creative takes on tire treads, intersection patterns, exhaust pipes and engine designs. Our favorite is the “Gear Shift” design.

Got another fabulous Father’s Day gift for the auto buff? E3 Spark Plugs wants to know. Comment on our blog or our Facebook fan page.

Chill out, lady! That check engine light might just mean it's time for new spark plugs.

Nothing elicits an “Oh, crap!” like the ding and glow of a “check engine” light popping on while you’re cruising down First Street with the top down and not a care in the world. Except of course for the thought of the impending mechanical and financial doom to which you’ve just been alerted. But don’t panic yet. E3 Spark Plugs has a list of the most common issues that kick on your check engine light and a few of them are simple and inexpensive.

1. Replace oxygen (O2) sensor: The O2 sensor monitors the amount of unburned oxygen in the exhaust and tells your vehicle’s computer when there is too much or not enough fuel. A bum sensor costs less than $200 to repair including parts and labor. Ignore it, and you can bet on a drop in your gas mileage up to 40 percent – an average $700 a year in wasted fuel.
2. Replace gas cap: Missing, damaged or loose gas caps cause 147 million gallons of gas to evaporate each year. Not only does it harm the environment, but it can drop your gas mileage by 0.5%. Depending on the make, model and age of your vehicle, a gas cap can average $10 for a traditional vacuum cap to around $30 for a locking gas cap (recommended if you live one of the areas where gas siphoning and theft is a growing problem).
3. Replace catalytic converter: A catalytic converter typically fails only when related (and usually much less expensive) parts like faulty spark plugs are ignored for too long. All that denial eventually will force replacement and repair costs in the neighborhood of $2000.
4. Replace mass air flow sensor: The MAF sensor measures the amount of air entering your car’s engine and, therefore, how much fuel should be injected into the engine. A faulty sensor can cause a range of problems including stalling, misfiring and poor acceleration. Repair costs vary widely depending on your vehicle’s make, model and year – from $175 to more than $600.
5. Replace spark plugs/wires: Besides the gas cap, replacing your spark plugs and wires is the least expensive of the most common check engine light fixes. If you’re handy with tools, it’s the cost of the spark plugs and wires plus an hour or so of your time. And if your shop charges more than about a $100 for both combined, get yourself a new mechanic. Be sure to ask for E3 car spark plugs or E3 truck spark plugs for a cleaner and more efficient burn.

Info comes by way of the inaugural CarMD Vehicle Health Index, a new annual report aimed at clearing the mystery of the ever-ominous check engine light by ranking the most common automotive failures that prompt the light, along with the associated fixes and repair costs.

“As our nationwide network of automotive technicians diagnose and repair vehicles, they upload information to our online system, which enables CarMD to create an unprecedented compilation of data and level of transparency never before available,” said Art Jacobsen, vice president, CarMD.com Corp. “We are pleased to share this data publicly for the first time, and believe it will be useful to consumers, automotive technicians and the industry as they maintain and evaluate new and used vehicles.”

Check out the full report here. Tell ‘em E3 Spark Plugs sent you.

All that "junk in the trunk" is great for your girlfriend, not so much for your car's fuel economy. E3 Spark Plugs' fuel facts help you see just how much gas you're wasting.

We all know a well-maintained vehicle gets better gas mileage than one not so well kept. To get the most out of your car, spark plugs, gas caps, thermostats, O2 sensors, even that rarely used luggage rack and all that junk in your trunk can drag down your fuel efficiency. But exactly how bad is each of these issues for your gas tank and wallet? E3 Spark Plugs has worked a few numbers to put it all in perspective:

• Each year, 147 million gallons of gas vaporize into the atmosphere – all because of misused or missing gas caps. That loose gas cap you keep meaning to replace is evaporating your fuel at a rate of about two miles per gallon.
• Underinflated tires deflate your gas mileage by an average 3.3 percent.
• A slipping automatic transmission can reduce our fuel economy by a mile per gallon.
• Dirty spark plugs can cause misfires, wasting up to two miles per gallon.
• Replacing that clogged air filter can bump up your vehicle’s fuel efficiency by as much as 10 percent.
• If your cooling system thermostat causes your engine to run too cold, you’re losing fuel economy by two miles per gallon.
• Worn O2 sensors cut fuel economy by three miles per gallon.
• Running on dirty oil or going cheap for substandard oil reduces fuel economy by one mile per gallon.
• Idling gets you zilch miles per gallon. Just turn the car off.
• Aggressive driving gets you even less. It cuts your cat mileage by up to 33 percent on the highway and five percent in the city. And you don’t have to be a crazed speed demon. Gas mileage decreases rabidly above just 60 miles per hour.
• Several short trips taken from a cold start can use double the fuel of a longer, multi-purpose trip covering the same distance. It’s all about a little pre-planning of your errands.
• An extra 100 pounds of junk in your trunk drags your fuel economy down by one to two percent. Same goes for that rooftop luggage rack and other accessories. If you rarely use it, lose it. Store it in your garage until your next road trip.

All things considered, keeping up with the recommended regular maintenance can improve your vehicle’s gas mileage by an average 4.1 percent. And fixing most any serious maintenance problem, such as a faulty oxygen sensor, can boost your vehicle’s mileage by as much as 40 percent. With the way gas prices are rising seemingly every week, maintaining your car is an investment that pays off.

To Learn more about our fuel economy spark plugs, please visit our site!

American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior - It's on!

Here at E3 Spark Plugs, we love all things automotive. And that includes some great TV shows that cater to car lovers, whether you’re a bonafide gearhead or just love the look and feel of a great set of wheels. Here are our top picks for must-see automotive TV shows:

BBC’s Top Gear: What began as an admittedly boring 1970s automotive show has become a global driving adventure a la Monty Python-meets-The Amazing Race. The show’s stars are three middle-aged British blokes who travel the world conducting elaborate challenges that push the boundaries of television and automotive acceptability. Episodes have featured the three driving the world’s smallest car through the BBC offices, smashing a long haul truck through a brick wall, and Tom Cruise nearly killing himself clocking the season’s fastest lap in and underpowered Kia. Says Executive Producer Andy Wilman of the show seen weekly by 350 million viewers in 170 countries, “It’s a journey into the male mind, which, I believe, is a really, potentially, very funny place.”Cause, let’s face it, nothing happens there.”

American Chopper: Senior vs. Junior: “For the Teutuls, what was once a family business is now a family feud, and all bets are off for what new fireworks await in AMERICAN CHOPPER: SENIOR VS. JUNIOR,” writes the Discovery Channel about the latest transformation of its hit show, American Chopper. The series began as a reality show following the day-to-day chaos happening behind the doors of Orange County Choppers, a California custom motorcycle design and fabrication shop founded by Paul Teutul, Sr. Son Paul, Jr. was the chief fabricator and designer of the shop, which first rolled onto the scene at the 1999 Daytona Biketoberfest. In what could prove to be either a permanent family rift or a prodigal son story in the making, Junior has opened his own company, Paul Jr. Designs right across the street from Dear Old Dad’s shop and brought back several former OCC employees.

Stacey David’s GEARZ TV: Of course, Stacey David’s GEARZ TV will always be a favorite of E3 Spark Plugs. It’s a regular guy kind of show that shows gearheads everywhere how to expertly build, restore and maintain that hot rod you’ve envisioned since you were a teenager with a socket wrench and a dream. Unlike the hosts of many popular automotive TV programs, David does all the designing and building himself. Every viewer watches with the mindset that “if David can do it, I can do it.” That’s why E3 Spark Plugs is proud to be a show sponsor.

What’s your favorite automotive TV show? E3 Spark Plugs wants to know. Leave us a comment on our blog or on our Facebook Fan Page.

Rock Stars & Spark Plugs! Get a job your buddies will envy when you enroll in the next Celebrity Bus Drivers Academy.

Got big rig experience, a clean driving record and a way with strong personalities? You may be a candidate for Nashville’s Celebrity Bus Drivers Academy – but you’ll have to know every aspect of the job from spark plugs to bed bugs.

Chip Huffman, who spent more than 20 years on the road with acts like Country band Alabama and the Smothers Brothers, and Tandy Rice is a former Country Music Association President and talent agent whose clients have included Country music greats like Dolly Parton and Porter Wagoner, last year founded the Celebrity Bus Drivers Academy, an ongoing series of intensive three-day workshops designed to teach Class A and Class B CDL holders the art of chauffeuring celebrities. Who knew that 80 percent of the world’s entertainment transportation operations (according to Huffman) are located in Nashville, TN? It’s a little-known factoid for most of America, but not for the celebrity set. Rock stars, movie stars, even circus stars have hitched rides via Nashville’s numerous celebrity bus and coach companies. But able drivers are tough to come by.

The best prospects for the job, Huffman and Rice say, are those who understand that they’re more akin to ship captains than bus drivers. They have to know everything going on under the hood and under the roof of these luxury rigs outfitted with gourmet kitchens, luxe bedrooms and entertainment suites. And they have to drive so smoothly that their high-dollar clients think they’re on stationary ground. You do not want to be the guy who hits a pothole and causes Lady Gaga to spill he latte in her lap.

“You need to know everything about your bus, from right there in your seat because they’re going to ask you: ‘How do you turn the TV on? What channel? How does the stove work?’ You need to be the answer man,” Olan Witt, president of Goodlettsville-based Coach Quarters Entertainment Transportation, told students at a recent academy. Witt’s clients include performers Gwen Stefani, Alicia Keys and Mary J. Blige.

At the same time, it’s crucial that a driver not mistake himself for part of the band. And that he not ask for autographs.

Not that you won’t enjoy some perks. First year salaries for celebrity bus drivers can range from $40,000 to $60,000. You’ll be on the road for weeks or months at a time, but may get to enjoy the rest of the year off. Happy celebs often tip big and there increasingly is off-season work available. Great example: Larry the Cable Guy’s tour driver took home $135,000 for six months of driving last year.

Are you a celebrity bus driver with advice for big rig drivers looking for a career change? E3 Spark Plugs wants to know. Leave us a comment on our blog or on the E3 Spark Plugs Facebook Fan Page.

Sorry, Dude. We can't help you dig outta that. But we can hook you up with a set of new E3 spark plugs to make sure your car starts when you find it.

We know, we know – money’s tight right now and everyone is looking to put off any non-emergency auto repair and maintenance items they can. But we’ve got three great reasons why you shouldn’t put off replacing your old spark plugs.

Reason 1: New spark plugs help keep your engine at its peak performance and efficiency levels. Of course, every vehicle on the road will misfire from time to time. But as those misfires get more and more frequent, they also get more troublesome. Frequent misfires mean increased exhaust emissions, wasted gas and reduced power. Misfires caused by worn spark plugs will cause older vehicles to buck, stall, run rough or start slow. Vehicles made since 1996 have OBD II onboard diagnostic systems that track ignition misfires and shines a warning light.

Reason 2: New spark plugs can significantly improve cold starting. Worn or dirty spark plugs require higher voltage to get a strong enough spark to start a vehicle. By the time you’ve cranked the engine umpteen times hoping for an eventual start, you just might have run your battery dead. Now, you’ve got two problems. Keeping your vehicle stocked with a good set of spark plugs instead means lesser voltage requirements on your ignition system, which decreases the chances of a misfire and leaves more amps for the starter and injectors.

Reason 3: As if reasons 1 and 2 weren’t enough to convince an auto owner of the importance of a good set of plugs, this one may do the trick. New spark plugs will minimize your risk of a catalytic converter failure. Just one misfire can dump enough draw fuel into your vehicle’s exhaust to overheat and damage the converter. The resulting load of unburned gasoline in the exhaust will jack up the operating temperature of your converter and may cause a meltdown of the converter substrate, which in turn will form a restriction or full blockage of the exhaust, literally choking your engine. Your vehicle may run, but it will lack power and eat up your fuel economy. And we can assure you that a new catalytic converter is a whole lot pricier than a new set of spark plugs.

Bottom line, when it comes to slacking on replacing your old spark plugs, its “pay a little now or a lot later.” E3 Spark Plugs advises you dig out that auto owner’s manual and follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for timely car spark plug or truck spark plug changes – preferably before you have to call your buddy last minute for a ride to work.

Let's not get carried away, here. Celebrate Earth Day and National Car Care Month by using eco-friendly automotive products like E3 Spark Plugs.

While Christians celebrate Good Friday today, they and others around the world also are celebrating Earth Day today. And since April also is National Car Care Month, Earthgarage.com has released its list of “Top 10 Green Automotive Products,” including E3 Spark Plugs. Use of these and other environmentally friendly auto care products, along with proper maintenance of your vehicle, goes a long way in helping to reduce harmful emissions

“Poor vehicle maintenance directly impacts the environment, with 10 percent of the nation’s automobiles causing 50 percent of the automotive pollution,” says Rich White, Executive Director of the Car Care Council. “With skyrocketing gas prices, people are wasting more money and polluting the environment if their vehicles are not running properly.”

Do your part to help drive a cleaner environment by keeping up to date with all manufacturer-recommended maintenance and by choosing products designed to improve both your vehicle’s performance and its eco-friendliness. That’s exactly the goal that E3 Spark Plugs’ founders had in mind when they went into the laboratories, on to the tracks, and back to the drawing board a time or two to develop a revolutionary spark plug technology. E3′s patented DiamondFire technology allows for a faster, more thorough burn that increases power output and fuel economy while reducing emissions in gasoline engines.

For a cleaner, stronger, greener ride, visit E3 Spark Plugs’ online catalog to find the perfect eco-friendly spark plugs for your ride. And look up a few of Earthgarage.com’s other eco-friendly car care picks including: TripleEdge Green Silicone Wiper Blades; Fuel Doctor; CarMD; Accutire Tire Gauge; Car Planet Cleaning Products; PLX Kiwi; Fuel Infusion; CarEconomy and MotorSilk.

April is National Car Care Month - A great time to check your spark plugs, gas caps, air filters and tires.

Did you know that April is National Car Care Month? It’s a great time to give your car a once-over with a good mechanic. Four simple-but-effective items to focus on: spark plugs, air filters, gas caps and tires.

American auto owners skip more than $62 billion of recommended vehicle maintenance and repair annually, according to the Car Care Council. As a result, those owners eventually face even pricier repairs or irreparable damage to their cars. Plus, thousands of poorly maintained vehicles can take a toll on the environment.

In keeping with the goal of National Car Care Month, auto experts recommend a quick check of four primary items that are simple fixes with big impacts:

Gas Caps: “Nearly 150 million gallons of gas vaporizes into the air every year because of damaged or missing gas caps,” says Car Care Council Executive Director Rich White. “This wasted gas not only has an effect on the environment but also has people spending more money at the gas pump.”

Car Spark Plugs: A vehicle can have four, six or eight spark plugs, each of which fire as many as 3 million times every 1,000 miles. That’s a lot of heat, electrical and chemical erosion going on. Resulting dirty spark plugs can cause misfiring – another fuel waster. For optimal performance replace yours with new E3 Spark Plugs, featuring the patented DiamondFire technology that delivers a faster, stronger, cleaner burn.

Air Filters: An air filter clogged with dirt, dust and bugs chokes off the clean air and creates what mechanics call a “rich” mixture – and that’s not “rich” in the good sense. It means that excessive gas is being burned off, causing the engine to lose power. Replacing a clogged filter can boost your gas mileage by up to 10 percent, saving as much as 15 cents a gallon.

Tires: If your tires are under-inflated, you’re not only wasting gas at a rate of up to two miles per gallon, you’re also putting yourself, your passengers and others on the road in danger. Under-inflated tires contributed to more than 600 accident-related fatalities and more than 30,000 injuries each year, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Yet, surveys show that upwards of 55% of vehicles on U.S. roadways have at least one underinflated tire.

We here at E3 Spark Plugs want to help keep our clients, friends and supporters safe on the roadways, racetracks and off-road trails. We hope you’ll take a few minutes each month (not just National Car Care Month) to make sure all the critical parts of your vehicle are in prime running condition.