original spark plug wire durability 87 3.2

captainlewis · 10-19-2010, 05:24 PM

I have checked my spark plug wires with a ohm meter and they are with in spec. Several people have recommended going ahead and changing them to Magnecors. I have 68K on my Carrera. What would be the advantage to changing them and how long can you expect the stock wires to last?

Rot 911 · 10-19-2010, 05:36 PM

The stock wires will last until, well, until one of them quits working. Might be tomorrow, might be another 10 years.

steely · 10-19-2010, 07:31 PM

The conductor itself may be fine, but check the insulation for (micro) cracks which could lead to arcing / power loss. Look at them (with the engine running) in the dark or with some magnification if you've removed one.

kidrock · 10-19-2010, 08:05 PM

money well spent...you may notice a decent increase in power and smoother running.

m110 · 10-19-2010, 09:47 PM

Replaced mine at 100K, they looked beat. Noticed no change in performance but one less thing to worry about. They can be hard to diagnose when intermittently bad and are a consumable.

I used Magnecors but the coil wire never fit right so still using the original. (FWIW, I also didn't like the bling of the red wires. I actually tried dying the rubber one day before they were in but the silicone didn't take the dye. ) I think they are available special order in black. I had to drill out the holders to make them fit. Nicely made.

slodave · slodave's Garage

I replaced mine after I washed my car one evening and had the rear lid open... That's when I noticed the sparks as the wires arced to the fan shroud clamp.

Drisump · Drisump's Garage

I replaced the original Beru's not because they were noticeably faulty in any way, but because they were 25 years old. I also changed to the Magnecors mostly because the quality seems good and new Beru's were quite a bit more. The Beru's however are really plug and play, the Magecors take a while to sort out and as m110 says, you need to remove the old wire clamps from the old set and drill them out to work with the Magnecors. I also bought (from our host) a few extra clamps for the Mags to keep everything together and tidy. Yeah, the red takes a little getting used to, my car is black and black, so these really stand out. Cheers

Wil Ferch · 10-20-2010, 05:47 AM

Coupla things....

I wouldn't recommend a wholesale change based on age or time..as the way we store our cars varies considerably and you might be fully wasting your money that can be well spent elsewhere. Do the nightime arcing check or check wire resistance or correct obvious moisture issues....but don't just say "change" on age.

I disagree with the poster..."you will feel more power, smoother running " yadda, yadda.... it's a placebo effect if nothing was found wrong.

True...Magnacors are not as plug-n-play ...IF....you insist on the blingy red 8.5 or 10 mm size. Magnacor makes a perfectly fine 7 mm ( black, therefore no "Bling") set that fits the holders better without having to drill them out.

Drisump · Drisump's Garage

Wil, you may very well be right on the lifespan issue, I can't say that I noticed any difference at all in performance when I changed the wires out. Most of the driving I do on my car is touring, far from home, in weather that is not always perfect. Having had (in other cars) a few instances where the car has died in wet weather due to wires arcing. I thought the replacing of them would be small assurance that this problem would not likely occur. I'm afraid that when I ordered the wires and mentioned to the fellow at the other end of the line that I'd read about having to drill out clamps, he said he'd never heard of the issue. So when I received the order I found what the product review meant. Anyway the long and the short of it is that the thicker the wire, the higher the protection to the conductor, so all is well. Cheers

m110 · 10-20-2010, 06:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wil Ferch

Coupla things....

I wouldn't recommend a wholesale change based on age or time..as the way we store our cars varies considerably and you might be fully wasting your money that can be well spent elsewhere. Do the nightime arcing check or check wire resistance or correct obvious moisture issues....but don't just say "change" on age.

I disagree with the poster..."you will feel more power, smoother running " yadda, yadda.... it's a placebo effect if nothing was found wrong.

True...Magnacors are not as plug-n-play ...IF....you insist on the blingy red 8.5 or 10 mm size. Magnacor makes a perfectly fine 7 mm ( black, therefore no "Bling") set that fits the holders better without having to drill them out.

I had a tough time finding a set of 7mm. (Preferred these) I called a few places and they said they only had the 8mm red ones and that they would have to order a 7mm set. Being a child of the internet era, I can't wait longer then 48 hrs for mail order items, even if shipped from Tibet.

Wil Ferch · 08:31 PM

Today's culture and mindset...." I want it and I want it now"...... understood.

Magnacors offers 7's...at least on their web or catalogue. But it seems no one buys these....I mean, really?...black?....it's gotta have bling on top of being delivered from stock immediately w/o waiting. Note sarcasm if it isn't obvious.

Having taken the position I have, I will say reports indicate the Beru end-connectors are rather poor for water amd moisture resistance...although I must say I never had this issue. YMMV.