Your car's distributor (or ignition) caps are typically part of cars in older generations. They receive high-voltage power from the ignition coils to initiate an electrical link with the spark plugs to initiate the ignition process.

Typically mounted on the distributor, these plastic or resin caps encase metal terminals for each spark plug terminal. Unlike other parts of the ignition system, it's a maintenance part, which means it may require the occasional inspection and cleaning. This is to prevent early carbon build-up that would cause early excess wear and tear.

Though a distributor cap doesn't have a mileage cap, here are some ways to tell when it's time to replace them:

Broken links between the ignition wires and the cap
Significant visual brakeage
Excessive carbon build-up on, under, and/or around your cap
A burnt appearance

It's a general rule to change this component whenever you perform a tune-up for your car. This is mostly to keep the quality of your ignition up for long.

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