

In most cases, their diagrams are right from the factory manuals. They include wiring diagrams and technical service bulletins.

Get the BEST auto repair information and are professional-grade shop manuals-period. Spark plug wire replacement tip: To remove spark plug wires from the plug without damaging the boot or wire, use a spark plug boot puller tool instead of a pliers. The heat literally welds them to the spark plug. Since the spark plug wires stay installed for a long time, boots installed without grease are almost impossible to remove. There’s a method to the madness when car makers insert their spark plug wires into the plastic “loom holders.” If you don’t follow their routing exactly, you can get “cross-fire.” That happens when the fire for one spark plug “induces” voltage onto the wire routed next to it because it’s either too close or routed wrong.Īlso, DIYers often forget to apply dielectric grease to each end of the spark plug boot. The biggest mistake DIYers make when replacing spark plug wires is not paying attention to proper routing. They don’t fit well, and overall, they’re a bad choice. Economy wires don’t have these features.Įconomy spark plug wires, on the other hand, are made with cheaper insulation and have cheaper connectors and boots. This set of premium spark plug wires has factory style boots at the coil and plug end and the wire lengths make factory specification. They include the exact same style factory coil boots and they match the factory set in length and fit. Premium spark plug wires are made with Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer (EPDM) insulation and a second layer of Ethylene Vinyl Acetate (EVA) for better temperature resistance and strength. What’s the difference between a good set of spark plug wires and an economy set And, since most later model car engines run almost 100,000 miles on a set of spark plug, it’s best to change the spark plug wires when you change the plugs. So it makes no sense to try to squeeze more life out of old spark plug wires. And that can cost upwards of $1,200 to replace. But worse than that, those misfires can destroy your catalytic converter. You can test all you want, but spark plug wires don’t least forever. So if you find a wire with significantly less or more resistance, you know that it’s defective. So if you test a 3-ft spark plug wire and get a reading of 10,000 ohms, all other 3-ft.


The actual value you get from testing each wire isn’t as important as the consistency between the wires. Testing Distributed Resistance Spark Plug WiresĪs I said earlier, distributed resistance type wires have a resistance value of 3,000 to 12,000 ohms per foot. If you car came with them, replace them with the same style. They’re made with a steel or copper core and a resistor located in the spark plug boot. The third type of spark plug wire is the fixed resistor style. If your vehicle came with MAG wires, you MUST replace them with the same type. MAG wires have far less electrical resistance and because of that, they require less current to fire the spark plug. The reason for the spiral is that it creates a magnetic field and that field reduces RFI. MAG wires are made with a spiral wound core of copper/nickel allow wire. In fact, Honda, Acura, Toyota, and Lexus usually install MAG spark plug wires in their vehicles. Japanese manufacturers, on the other hand, prefer inductance (MAG) spark plug wires. Domestic car makers preferred this type for their vehicles Distributed resistance type wires have a resistance value of 3,000 to 12,000 ohms per foot. RFI can mess up radio reception and if it’s severe enough, it can interfere with sensor signals and computer operation. Carbon creates high resistance and that reduces radio interference (RFI) generated by the ignition coils. That’s impregnated with carbon and surrounded with silicone insulation. Fiberglass carbon core of distributed resistance style spark plug wire
