The total number of spark plugs in your car engine is determined by two things no matter if it’s an Alfa Romeo, a Dodge Charger, a Mercedes AMG, or a Chrysler: The number of Cylinders your car has and the engine type.
Most V8 engine models come with eight spark plugs; one per cylinder.
Some cars boast sixteen spark plugs. Such as twine spark engines that have no distributor, and the latest HEMI engines fitted with MDS (Multiple-Displacement Systems), are equipped with two spark plugs per engine cylinder.
Fortunately, this feature is for a gasoline engine. While an engine that runs on diesel uses the glow plug instead. Unlike the spark plug that ignites the air-fuel mixture, the glow plug doesn’t ignite the air-fuel mixture in the diesel combustion chamber.
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In a diesel engine, the overheated sealed air in each of the cylinders triggers the fuel. With this said, you will need to know the engine type you have.
How to Tell If My V8 Comes with A Twin Spark Engine?
You can tell your type of car’s engine if it’s a dual ignition technology by consulting your owner’s manual. You can also inspect the engine to find out yourself. To do that, here are the steps to follow:
- First, switch off your car completely and remove your key from the ignition to prevent electric shock.
- Allow your engine to cool for cool before proceeding to the next step.
- Raise your car bonnet and remove the engine cover to see the compartment.
- On your engine compartment, look through to see the wire located alongside the cylinder head (they’re blue, red, or black wires). Count the wires to determine the number of spark plugs your car has. Note, each wire there reflects one spark plug.
- But if you don’t see any wires here, that means your V8 engine makes use of coil packs. It can be seen on top of your V8 engine, separated from the crankshaft. Here, each spark plug is represented by one coil. Count the coil.
- So, if there are more than eight wires or coil packs, then your V8 engine comes with a twin spark engine that has sixteen spark plugs.
Note: The old models of the HEMI V8 engine make use of the ignition coil, distributor, and spark plug cables and have one spark plug per cylinder. While the modern 5.7 HEMI engine that was introduced in 2003 comes with 2 spark plugs per cylinder.
Having known that, how many spark plugs do some V8s come with?
Car Make Number Of Spark Plugs In V8
- 2015 Ford Mustang GT 8
- 2003 5.7L HEMI Chrysler 16
- 2003 Mercedes CL55 AMG 16
- 2006 Dodge Charger R/T 16
- 2008 Chevrolet Corvette 8
- 2016 Ford F150 8
- 2013 5.7L Dodge Ram 16
If you can’t still follow the steps above to know how many sparks plugs your car has. You can consult your mechanic to help you check and count them.
Final Thoughts
Some V8 engine’s come with eight or sixteen spark plugs. You can easily find this by getting your owner’s manual and reading through it or using the physical steps above to do this. Also, remember that some models come with coil plugs than wire.
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Also, replacing a spark plug is not something you might do on your own; it’s a DIY project. Importantly, it’s unwise to try to change the spark plug yourself unless you have the idea or a mechanic.