Cap And Rotor?

Question

How often are the Cap and Rotor supposed to be replaced? And also spark plugs. 1989 Thunderbird

Dont tell someone to get a new car unless you want to buy it for them....

Answer 1

It depends. Normally, I just check my Cap and Rotor for excessive wear and will replace. Some say about every 5,000 miles, which, that my be about when I do this. Plugs have came a long way over the years. At first, a regular plug, you could see the Electrode rounding down and either replaced it or filed it flat and re-gaped. But, they cheap enough to just replace. Now with Platinum Plugs, they can last 100,000 miles, Depends on how well the Anode part hold up. Plug wires I replace when they begin to make the car miss. So, in a nutshell, the quality of your Cap, Rotor, Plugs and Wires can have a bearing on how long they last and when they need replaced. This just how I do it, and many do it by mileage. Heck, I remember in old cars people replaced the condenser (It just a Capacitor) when they replace the rest. I have never had a condenser go bad and never replaced one, if it works, do not fix it.

Answer 2

I usually inspect the cap and rotor when I change the plugs. If you do a lot of city driving, I would recommend changing plugs about every 30-40,000 miles. Inspect the condition of the wires, cap and rotor for condition and wear and replace as necessary. Wires should be replaced every 60-70,000 miles on this model. These are only guidelines, but it will keep you out of trouble most of the time. The cap and rotor are really replaced as a matter of existing condition. I have seen cars with as many as 125,000 miles on them with the equipment cap and rotor. I have seen cars that had to have replacements as early as 12,000 miles. The cap has a spring loaded button (inside) that makes contact with the rotor. Make sure the spring action is freely moving and that no arcing has occurred to burn the button. Inspect it for cracks, etc.. Inspect the rotor for cracks, burning, and wear on the contact surfaces. With electronic ignition systems like yours, the wear problems have been minimized. I hope this helps, but the rule of thumb is - " If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Answer 3

you really don't have to replace them on a regular basis. Just replace them when they break. It usually happens about every 5-7 years.

Answer 4

if you wanted to get stranded somewhere yeah change them every 5 to 6 years!! generaly they should be done every 30,000 to 40,000 miles along with the plugs and wires you may be able to get away with changing them every other tune up its your choice

Answer 5

probably every 30,000 miles or just inspect it (make sure you note exactly where the plug wires go back), if they don't look badly pitted, don't replace them

Answer 6

trade it in for something newer, and you will never need to replace those items....