Tune-up for a 1996 GT

I have a 1996 GT which I acquired second hand in 2002, and I feel it is time for a comprehensive tune-up (for one thing, the "check engine" light has stayed on for a day or so on at least two occasions over the last two months). I would also like to take this opportunity to begin to "trick out" this vehicle with after market parts to increase performance (similar to the things I see on HorsePower TV).

My Haynes Repair Manual lists a "Major tune-up" as:

Replace the spark plug and coil wires Replace the spark plugs Replace the air filter Replace the PCV valve Replace the fuel filter Check the fuel system Check the charging system

and as far as the first two items, is there a high performance package/kit that people might recommend?

How about the E3 spark plugs that I recently saw advertised on HorsePower TV?

Thank you for your help.

Reply to
Ivan. K
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What do people think about this:

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MTI-81514 $89.95

96-98 FORD HARD-CORE Performance WIRE SET (twin coil-pack style only) * Adds 15 HP and 17 lb.tq to the rear wheels, up to 15% incresed fuel mileage * Exceeds O.E.M. specifications and is covered by a limited lifetime warranty

I wrote:

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Reply to
Ivan. K

Your question is a little too general as there are many, many after market parts available for Mustangs. To help narrow down your options, how much money can you spend toward parts and labor if you aren't doing the work yourself?

Reply to
Michael Johnson

I am not hurting for money and wish to buy quality parts, but then I am not the sort of guy who wants a DVD player in my car either.

I found this on the web:

formatting link
MTI-81514 $89.95

96-98 FORD HARD-CORE Performance WIRE SET (twin coil-pack style only) * Adds 15 HP and 17 lb.tq to the rear wheels, up to 15% incresed fuel mileage

which looks bad-ass to me (though then I need to get spark plugs). For the spark plugs and wires, I could go as high as $300 for parts alone.

Thanks for the reply.

Reply to
Ivan. K

First, don't believe any of the hype these manufacturers claim about horsepower and/or gas mileage increases. The are almost all large exaggerations or just plain lies. Also, many parts like spark plugs wires etc. are made to last well over 100,000 mile and beyond. Unless you have well over 100k miles on the current engine replacing these items to gain performance is a waste of money, IMO. I don't know of any spark plugs, wires etc. that increase performance any appreciable amount over the stock parts.

If you really want to do something that you can feel start by installing subframe connectors or rear end gears. A set of 3.73 gears will give IMMEDIATE and very noticeable performance improvements at a cost of around $400-$500. A set of subframe connectors will greatly tighten up the chassis and make the car feel more solid, handle better and let more power get to the rear wheels instead of being wasted flexing the chassis. These two items done together will put a smile on your face from ear to ear.

If all you want is to give the engine bay some bling then just pick what looks good. I'll state this again because it is important to remember, don't believe ANY of the horsepower claims from the manufacturers. All they want is your hard earned money and don't mind lying to get it.

Reply to
Michael Johnson

Reply to
Michael Johnson

Sure I understood that there is exaggeration involved in this advertisements. The fact remains however that the "check engine" light has stayed on for a day or so on at least three occasions over the last two months (it just happened again this afternoon) and I believe this means I should go a head and get a major tune-up. Also, I acquired the car second hand and who knows how well the previous owners took care of it. Also, there are currently 70,000 miles on the care.

Should I just get stock Ford spark plugs, plug wires and coil wires, or are there some after market parts that might give be a bit better performance and/or fuel efficiency?

Those guys on HorsePower TV recently did such an upgrade to a vehicle and there before and after Dyno tests did show some improvement. I always felt the people on that show were sincere, but maybe I am just naive.

Thank you for your input, Mr. Johnson. I will _definitely_ look into the subframe connectors and/or rear end gears in the next year or so.

Reply to
Ivan K.

You should pull the computer codes and determine the real cause of the problem. Just throwing parts at it isn't a wise use of your money. My guess is there is an emissions problem that can be caused by any number of parts and most of them are not tuneup related.

Pull the computer codes and start from there. Otherwise you are just spending money and throwing parts at the problem in the hope it goes away. If your gas mileage is typical for that year and model of car then replacement of plugs, wires etc. isn't needed, IMO.

Ever notice how those shows always slide in the names of the parts suppliers? They do this because they get paid to do it. Anything can be manipulated to produce a desired result. Like I said, don't blindly believe anything from someone trying to make a profit from you.

If you really want a performance improvement spend your money on something that will guarantee results like gear swaps etc.

Reply to
Michael Johnson

yes...I agree with Michael 100%. I've spent hundreds on guessing which part might be bad. Finally learned my lesson. If you don't have a code reader, I'd recommend going to a smog shop and ask the smog tech to pull the trouble codes. Even if they charge you for a failed smog, its worth the money. Might be something simple like an O2 sensor or something along those lines.

Reply to
jonezzzman

Thank you for the input! Ok, is there a particular code reader that people recommend (for a 1996 GT?) Just doing a quick google search, I found:

Equus 3100 Innova Diagnostic Code Reader with Memory Backup for OBDII

List price is $192 but it seems that it can be purchased for for $100 at some sites.

Reply to
Ivan K.

1996 os OBDII compliant. Any OBD reader will do just fine. All you need are the codes from the reader. You can even use google as your code reference....

Just a thought...good luck..(BTW - my wires...OEM from 1990 w 84k miles on them...no problems. Could look prettier, but I don't like pretty)

Reply to
Jimmy

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