is there a way to tell if they arent giving as much power as they used to? how can you diagnose a worn spark plug wire?
2007-10-11 12:28:51 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
you can test them with an ohm meter comparing them to service manual specs or you can spray them with water with the car running. many times you can see them spark, sometimes you have to run your hand across them to feel them spark. it's high voltage but low amperage so it wont electricute you, but it will sting you. generally plug wires need to be changed 60,000 miles at the latest.
2007-10-11 12:38:41 · answer #1 · answered by sprinkles 6 · 3⤊ 1⤋
The problem with old wires is that the insulation breaks down and they will start to leak electrical energy to any nearby ground.
In the dark on a humid night with the hood open, look for little spark traces lighting up. If you see any, then you need new wires, and possibly a distributor cap or other parts depending on the type of car.
2007-10-11 19:51:35 · answer #2 · answered by Win S 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Advance Auto has a spark tester. You can adjust the gap between two tips and see if it sparking. Assume all plugs have same age, then, record the maximum gap it stops generate spark. It will tell you if there is any particular one is weak, then that is the bad one.
2007-10-11 19:53:27 · answer #3 · answered by James1982 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
pop the hood. get a long screw driver. take the plug wires off the spark plugs one at a time. have a friend sit in the drivers seat. stick the screw driver into the spark plug wire and with one finger touch the metal part of the screw driver. tell your friend to put the keys in the egnition and turn the car on and off quickly. if the wire shocks you its still good, if it barely shocks you its going bad, and if it dosn't shock you at all its not any good
2007-10-11 19:45:02 · answer #4 · answered by Jesse C 1 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Wires can look good and still be bad.
you have to go to a garage and get it tested.
they don't make wires like they used to. They used to make them out of Copper instead of that oil soaked thread! lol:)
2007-10-11 22:59:20 · answer #5 · answered by Faith 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
If you have bad plug wires, for whatever reason, you will have a misfire. Other thibgs also cause misfires also. So check it out. Plug wires last a long time so don't waste time and $$$ changing them on a guess.
2007-10-11 20:42:18 · answer #6 · answered by tronary 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋
one way is put car in garage open hood and watch and see if u can see sparks coming off wires in the dark as car is running, make sure you leave door open to get fresh air in
2007-10-11 19:34:12 · answer #7 · answered by koma 6 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Mechanics have several ways, but for yourself, just lift the engine hood and run the engine after dark and look for sparks.
That is just the start, but then you need a mechanic
2007-10-11 19:42:57 · answer #8 · answered by Nort 6 · 1⤊ 2⤋