Hey, I have an interesting situation here. I recently purchased a set of Accel 8.8mm Spiral something or other wires for my 5.7L 350. As soon as I put them on there was an occasional miss while driving and especially while accelerating. I went ahead and put the old wires back on and bingo, everything runs great again. I emailed the Accel people and complained and they told me to check the specifications for my ecu and find out how much or how little resistance it can handle in the wires. They said that their wires have about 150ohms per foot or something like that. Anyway, I am pissed and want to return the wires, but Napa won't take them back. Crazy deal. So I'm wondering if anyone knows anything about these wires or has seen problems like this before. Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated. I am even thinking of putting on only one accel wire a day and watching until the misfire comes back. That might show me if a wire is defective. Thanks a lot!
Hey, I have an interesting situation here. I recently purchased a set of Accel 8.8mm Spiral something or other wires for my 5.7L 350. As soon as I put them on there was an occasional miss while driving and especially while accelerating. I went ahead and put the old wires back on and bingo, everything runs great again. I emailed the Accel people and complained and they told me to check the specifications for my ecu and find out how much or how little resistance it can handle in the wires. They said that their wires have about 150ohms per foot or something like that. Anyway, I am pissed and want to return the wires, but Napa won't take them back. Crazy deal. So I'm wondering if anyone knows anything about these wires or has seen problems like this before. Any help or suggestions would be much appreciated. I am even thinking of putting on only one accel wire a day and watching until the misfire comes back. That might show me if a wire is defective. Thanks a lot!
I've concluded Accel wires are crap. Every set I've owned has been crap. Last time I needed wires I bought the "house brand" instead of the accel wires.
First of all WHY would you want to run Spiral wound steel core wires? Are you already pushing the envelope of RFI suppression core wires? Did you drop a Tenth of your ET's at the strip? If No, then you need RFI suppression wires.
As for Accel 8.8 Wires, I use them on about Every Thing. My last Spool of wire ran out over a year ago. So I have been buying universal sets.
NAPA will not accept installed parts as returned unless defective. Accel does not warrantee against you purchasing the WRONG item. Charles
I have yet to have a set of Accel wires fail before the warrantee period ends. I have bought spools of wire, and put both ends on each wire. I also by universal sets and custom fit them.
When I was young, I used to think Accel wires were a good way to make my car faster. Then I realized with a stock ignition system I was wasting my money on fancy plug wires...
I gave up on Accel wires after going through a similar experience with the wife's Beretta... putting the stock wires back on it ran smoother. Since then I've gone with generic wires and not had problems and saved money.
I think I know why you haven't had problems - you put your own ends on - I found the accel ends to be one of the worst for coming apart. And I can rewire my racecar and my house but I can't seem to crimp spark plug wires... so buying a spool is out for me...
I'm installing AccelTerminals and boots. I have done it before with no special tools. Heck after my shop go broke in to, I had to do a wire set. I ended up using my pocket knife to strip the wire, and a regular pair of pliers to do the crimps. I still have not purchased another stamping crimpier, which works via dies, and a hammer blow. I always test my crimp, and test with my boot installed. I have had to redo a few before. Yet no matter who did the crimping, or whose wires I were installing I always check them.
Cheep wires are known for bad insulation, not a proper fit, and terminals that stay on the spark plugs. I have even had problems with AC-Delco/Packard wire replacement sets. Which first lead me to use Accel wires.
Accel 8MM wires always worked well for me on older cars. Especially where I wanted to tuck a wire to keep it off of something. I have used them on every thing from Chevettes to Big Block powered drag cars.
I first stepped up to their 8.8's when I could not get a regular 8MM set with mixed straight and angle boots. While I stood at the counter looking at someone play with an Accel veri-boot (variable angle). Nice thick plug boot. Looked pretty heat resistant. So I forked over about twice the cost and bought one set. Kept a check on them. After 6 months I had no boot burn thru (a problem on that particular vehicle, no matter who's wires were on it before), yet some slight damage. Which a set of heat sleeves cured from getting to any where near needing replacement. That set up plug wires lasted 120,000 miles on that vehicle until the owner scrapped it. I still have the wires, which I'm going to reuse as they were free to me, and still good.
I like the 8.8MM wires better because they are more ridged. They also have thicker insulation, which means even if the other jacket gets nicked (it happens), less chance of arc out.
I also use Accel Ignition parts when available. I have always had good luck with them as well. The one time I didn't, it was a coil screw that split the cap as the coil was being installed. I went back and exchanged it. Other then that I have ran them for over 50,000 miles with nothing more then a contact clean up on distributor cap terminals. Charles
that reminds me of the other reason I won't use accell stuff anymore - my buddy's car - accell supercoil - the epoxy cracked and the coil shorted out in the middle of nowhere...
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