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Formally called the Chevrolet C/K, C/K is a series of trucks manufactured by General Motors and marketed under the Chevrolet and GMC brands. The C/K line includes pickup trucks, medium-duty, and heavy trucks.

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When truck's spark plugs need changed, what would be the symptoms?

My truck is running like $@$*, takes many cranks before it starts, and when given gas it wants to die... I pulled throttle cable while under hood and could hear my aftermarket k and n air intake make some weird pressured air releasing like sound. But truck is due for a tune up.. Oil, filters, plugs... But,i just had a shop put,in a new fuel pump and a few days later it started having issues when I hit the pedal 3/4ths the way down and hit higher rpms it was like Getting stuck at 4 grand and making the transmission confused and making it shift weird but ran smooth and shifted smooth when you did it with pedal like halfway down. Shifted at around 3 grand each gear

... And it's literally,gotten worse every day and now was bogging down when just trying to leave the driveway.... Could anyone give me any insight on this issues(s) that I have going on? Thanks much

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When to change spark plugs:

1. Engine has a rough idle

Your engine idles when it is a stationary and in this position the engine normally produces around 1000rpm. The sound the engine gives off is constant and smooth but if your spark plugs aren’t performing as they should, your engine will produce a rough and jittery sound while producing larger vibrations through the car. Not having this checked can lead to costly damage being done.

2. Having trouble starting your car?

Many people put their car not starting down to being out of fuel or having a flat battery. One possibility you may overlook is having bad or worn spark plugs. If your spark plugs don’t produce the spark needed to get the vehicle moving, then you’re going nowhere. It is also possible that faulty spark plugs are causing your battery to drain. If so you need to have your battery and spark plugs changed as soon as possible.

3. Your engine misfires

When your engine misfires it causes the vehicle to halt for a fraction of a second and then continues it’s usual movement. This means the vehicle isn’t functioning as smoothly as it should because one or more cylinders aren’t firing properly, which can also lead to higher amounts of emissions.

4. Engine surging

When a vehicle sucks in more air than usual in the combustion process it can cause the vehicle to jerk and then slow down or continually start and stop, which means the vehicles engine is working inefficiently. This is also known as engine hesitation and dangerous situation can arise if this occurs in traffic.

5. High fuel consumption

If your spark plugs have deteriorated you’ll notice that your vehicles fuel economy can decrease by up to 30% due to incomplete combustion. If you notice you’re having to fill up more often than usual it can be caused by deteriorating spark plugs. To get back to your vehicle’s optimum level of fuel consumption all you’ll need to do is have your spark plugs changed.

6. Lack of acceleration

If your vehicle is accelerating poorly it is fairly easy to tell. It feels as if the vehicle doesn’t want to respond when you put your foot down, or it does but not instantly as you’ve become accustomed to. It can also feel as if your vehicle is trying really hard to pull itself along. This ‘sluggishness’ can be easily fixed by having the vehicle serviced with a spark plug change.

What you describe can also be a plugged catalytic convertor

Hope this helps

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Thank u so much

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Be sure to check the intake manifold gaskets for any leaks. One way of testing this is by starting the vehicle and makin sure it runs, get some soapy water and spray the seals between the intake manifold, and the intake on top of the cylinder head with that soapy water. If it bubbles, you have a leak in between that seal, and your intake manifold gaskets need replacing. A much easier check is to go ahead and replace the spark plugs with some AutoLite plugs. They are very cheap, and, depending on the model of your truck and size of the engine, it is very easy to change them out. Do that first before you begin working on the intake manifold and testing it for leaks. If you need any more help at all, please feel free to contact me! I am a certified Automotive Repair Technician with my own business

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Put your advertising in your profile and keep it out of the forum

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Not advertising, as I have no idea where this gentleman is at my good sir :) It helps me when I know that the person giving me advice actually knows what they're talking about, and I was listing some recent common issues with Chevy trucks that I have dealt with. Thank you for letting me know that I can post my business in my profile though! I am new to this app and did not know you could do that. Did not mean any offense by what I posted. Was only meaning to offer my professional opinion, expertise, and help, as many others have done on this app :)

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@jimfixer I edited the answer to remove the business information. @mikesmechanix is new to us and just got informed about the basics on here;-)

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Thank u and my truck is a 97 k1500, it's the 5.7L, 350 small block

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Alls good welcome to the Ifixit

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Chris Williams will be eternally grateful.
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