spark plug wires

Now that the clutch is quiet again, time to turn to another item I want to fix to make the car more sellable.

Recap: 2003 OBS 5spd, 210k kms

For the last little while (months), the car has had hesitation and / or misfiring when taking off from a stop. The car pretty much almost stalls at times. I had similar issues in the past (years ago), and the dealer "fixed" it simply by greasing the connections to the spark plug wires. (what is the distributor thing called?) I've read to check by spraying water over the wires at night and looking for sparks, so I tried that tonight. I initially saw a few sparks just where the wires plug into the "distributor." But then nothing more as the car's began to idle more slowly.

But I've seen enough. What's a typical cost to replace wires? My spark plugs are practically brand new. Is it just wires, or do more parts need to be replaced to make it worthwhile?

Chicobiker

Reply to
Chicobiker
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How old are the spark plugs?

Reply to
johninky

It's not a distributor, it's the coil pack. Replacing wires alone may not be enough if the contacts on the coil towers where they plug in are corroded. Sometimes those can be cleaned up, but you have to be careful not to remove the plating from the contacts or they will corrode again very quickly. If the plating is already damaged from the corrosion, or if the coil towers have any cracks or carbon tracking evident then the coil pack has to be replaced. Also if you put new wires on a bad coil pack, the wires may fail in short order.

Reply to
mulder

Its called a tune-up. Spark plugs, Wires, PCV, Air filter, Fuel filter, oil change and in some cases cap and rotor.

Reply to
Airport Shuttle

Hi Chico!

On Thu, 26 Aug 2010 19:24:19 -0700 (PDT), Chicobiker wrote:

Sounds like it,s time for new sparkplug wires to me. Normally I'd suggest getting top of the line plug wires, NGK or Bosch, but as you're selling the car, just go down to the local discount parts store and get whatever they have that fits the car. Probably cost $25 - $30. Also get a tube of silicone grease (sometimes called dielectric grease). Replacement is a real easy DIY project, simply match by length, pull the old one off, and put the new one in it's place. Be sure to follow the routing, and that you replace any guide clips. Use a dab of the grease where the plug wire boot slides up over the terminal of the coil pack. About the only caveats are that it is sometimes tough to get the sparkplug end loose. Probably won't be an issue if the plugs have been replaced recently, but if it is, use a large needle nosed pliers to twist and pull. Be sure the metal clip inside the plug end of the replacement wire is all the way on the tip of the plug; you should feel (and hear) a distinct click as it goes on. Again, those needle nose pliers are your friend. I've never paid to have this done, but I can't imagine it costing more than $50 - $75, including the wires. Other easy things you can do to make the car attractive are: Clean under the hood real well at the self service car wash. About the only places you have to be careful of are the alternator vent openings, and the coil pack. Detail the interior as well as you have the time and patience for: Clean the inside of all windows, ashtrays, glove box, door cups, etc. You can do a much nicer job if you remove the front seats. If the missus has a carpet shampoo thing, there may be an upholstery attachment. These generally do a pretty nice, if superficial job of brightening up the seats. Get some plastic polish and put a shine on those damned plastic headlight lenses. If you're energetic, do the corner lights and tail lights as well. Finally, if the windshield is cracked and/or pitted, replace it. This costs $150 or so (shop around), but it really spiffs up the car. There are detailing shops that will do these things for you (except probably the windshield) for a price. Hope this helps. ByeBye! S.

Steve Jernigan KG0MB Laboratory Manager Microelectronics Research University of Colorado (719) 262-3101

Reply to
S

I'd say cracks in the coil pack are quite likely. But if the wires are the same age, probably replacing both would be good insurance.

Reply to
1 Lucky Texan

Canadian tire wants $300 for the coil pack, and $100 for the wires. Yikes. I had some silicone grease and tried that for now. I'll try some other auto places later.

Sounds good. Looks like just 4 bolts and an electrical connector.

Already done! I use aluminum rubbing compound, and it works fairly well and quickly! I get very big difference after just a few seconds of rubbing by hand. However, the results didn't seem to last very long. (months?) This time I used an electric buffer. Hopefully I won't have to find out if it doesn't make a difference.

Reply to
Chicobiker

Get the OEM wires- they were cheaper than aftermarket .

Reply to
Big Jim

After polishing, try cleaning well and applying NuFinish or maybe a good carnuba wax. But, other folks report the same - that the polish doesn't last long.

Reply to
1 Lucky Texan

Polish in a spark plug thread.

Reply to
Airport Shuttle

I was replying to;

******> > Get some plastic polish and put a shine on those damned plastic
******

sry if it confused someone.

Reply to
1 Lucky Texan

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