Yikes $450 for spark plug wires!

[tshih]

Anyone has a suggestion for getting reasonably priced replacement wires for a 1996 993. The least expensive Beru OEM replacements were priced at over $450 (list >$600). I noticed the lower ones around the exhausts were getting dried and brittle so the core wires are waiting to be replaced even though presently at 46000 miles the engine is still running fine.

The Magnecore stuff comes with the OEM connectors or does one have to buy the core wires and transplant them individually?

Any past posting on this topic?

[Rick Lee]

I'm pretty sure Magnicores come with everything you need, though I've only put them on my Carrera. While we're on this topic, what is the interval for changing plugs AND wires on a 993? I'm just about convinced nothing that was listed on the 30k miles service receipt was actually done.

[maxnine11]

the factory workshop manual lists the plugs to be changed at the 40,000 km service ... which is about 25,000 miles. So, i guess doing it at the 30,000 mile service is when they should be done. There is NO regular interval for spark plug wire change listed. I assume that they figure the visual inspection and the diagnostic hook-up for fault codes>mis-fire wil let you know when the plug wires are starting to deteriorate.
My lower wires are starting to look a little 'checked' as well.
max

[Rick Lee]

Hey Max, I'll check my useless receipt tongiht, but I doubt the plugs were changed at the 30k miles service, which was actually done around 28k miles. I'm at 34k miles now and she runs like a champ. How long would you wait in my shoes to replace the plugs?

[maxnine11]

Richard, if i were you i would just pull a couple of the plugs that are easy to get at. visually, you may be able to tell if they look like 6,000 mile plugs or 34,000 mile plugs. I have looked at the DIY and it doesn't look too bad, just time consuming. I know that when i had my mufflers off, the bottom 6 plugs looked perfectly accessible. I guess it is the one up top that is under the PS thingy that is a pain.
if your car is running great, I wouldn't worry about it too much....just have a new set of plugs on hand if you ever get bored and want to kill an afternoon under/over your car.
max

[Jeff 993TT]

Try this place http://www.kingsborne.com/800.htm

They have sets for NA 993's. You can even get 8 MM wires too.. The OEM's are 7 mm.

[deltajetfixer]

Originally posted by Jeff 993TT
Try this place http://www.kingsborne.com/800.htm

They have sets for NA 993's. You can even get 8 MM wires too.. The OEM's are 7 mm.

Someone on The Other Board (Renn****) ordered a set from these folks and the end connections were the wrong length.

They do have a cool website though, and from the info on Porsche and the associated Beru connector varieties they claim to stock, one wonders how they screwed up.

Maybe the Beru terminals on the OEM wires have a P/N on them you could specify to avoid a similar situation?

[tshih]

I contacted Magnecore and they don't carry the set for the later 993 cars. Probably because they don't stock the correct terminals. I am investigating whether I can just buy their wires and crimping tool and just take the old wires off and replace the wires themselves. The suppression of EMI is a worrying factor though with the high electronic contents in the later engines.

Kingsborne is only a second choice. I think the price difference for OEM at discount and other aftermarket brands is negligible(+/-10%) to not go with stock.

[stlrj]

I discovered that Autolite makes a set for the Dodge Intrepid ignition cables that have the deep plug ends that work fine in my 86 3.2 engine. The only other modification I made was to cut off the distrtributor cap ends and slip the wires into the stock Beru cap connectors. It looks clean, stock and totally cost effective.

No reason you couldn't make it work on a 993.

Cheers,

Joe