Plug Wires

[Kracka]

I think of plug wires the same as I do fuel injectors: They don't make more power, but they give the car the capacity to create more power. Basically what I am saying is get something that won't be holding you back at all. Stock wires are fine for the majority of cars, but when you start getting high psi/high power you will need something that flows the spark a bit better and allows it to be stronger.

[MATCHBX]

You can think of it kinda like intercooler piping. The better flow you get the more efficient it will be. It may not be more powerful with these wires, but it will use the power it has better. I will admit, the reason I switched wires is because my old ones were worn out. Same with Terina's. It was time for a tuneup and they were only a few dollars more than stock. My old wires were measuring around 2500-3500 ohms. My new wires were measuring 150ohms per foot (yes, the declaration on the package is true). The less resistance to flow, the more "efficient" your car will run. You know, better gas mileage and such, not power. But I agree with Chris when he says, if you want to go bigger, you need to upgrade from the stock ones. They will hold you back when you start making some serious hp.

I guess I should've made my last statement a little clearer. Thanks for correcting me Shane.

[john]

I will put your theories to test when my car finally gets on the dyno. I will be running enough boost where they "should" make a difference. When the car is tuneed, I will swap with "performance" wires and see how much hp I will pick up. I am guessing none. It will be a while before the test though.

[illz]

a spark is a spark. the more pressure in the cylinder, the more power it takes to make a spark. the more resistance in the wires, the less power making it to the spark plug. if you have enough power at the plug for it to spark, doesn't matter what plug wires you have. if there is too much resistance in the wire to get enough power to the plug to spark, you will benefit from better plug wires. otherwise, a spark is a spark. it's pretty simple. unless you're misfiring, ie, the spark plugs are not getting enough power for electricity to bridge the gap between electrode and ground and create a spark, you will not see any difference with different spark plug wires.

[john]

That is what I believe. As why I dont think I will see a difference. We'll see though. I am not a firm believer in aftermarket wires helping a car gain power.

[MATCHBX]

I guess then when your wires are old and the resistance in them is very high, your engine shouldn't studder (misfiring) under boost. According to you, a spark is a spark.

Why do you think people are running higher energy ignitions with built engines? They need a better spark. Stock just doesn't cut it when you're looking to make big power.

I put lower resistance wires because A. they were about the same price (a few dollars more) as stock and B. I needed new wires and C. Yes I was under the impression, back then, that it would make more power but I knew I would get better mileage out of them also. Right now I can easily pull 25mpg combined city and highway driving (with quite a bit of spirited romps on the way into work and back home). If it's only highway driving, I have got as high as 29.1 mpg. Like I posted before, obviously when you take away as much restriction as possible, your engine will run more efficiently. Even when I had brand new stock wires before, I could barely pull 21 mpg (city and highway combined).

[JET]

Erik, think about that for a second. If there is a misfire from bad wires, the plug isn't sparking, right? An aftermarket plug wire may have minimal power gains from a slightly larger spark, but the main point is to have enough power behind the spark to not get misfires as the boost is raised.

DSM's have extremely strong ignitions and have full power to 7200 RPM, where they start falling off gradually to 7800 after which they fall off more normally.

[MATCHBX]

Originally posted by JET@Jun 12 2004, 12:05 PM
Erik, think about that for a second. If there is a misfire from bad wires, the plug isn't sparking, right? An aftermarket plug wire may have minimal power gains from a slightly larger spark, but the main point is to have enough power behind the spark to not get misfires as the boost is raised.

DSM's have extremely strong ignitions and have full power to 7200 RPM, where they start falling off gradually to 7800 after which they fall off more normally.
BTW, my first sentence was meant to be sarcastic.

Basically my point is, the easier you can get the energy to the spark plug, the more of the energy that is travelling there will be used. I understand when you run higher boost you need better spark. That was my point as well. You can use everything you got available if it is not being restricted. The more resistance you have the less of the energy available will be used.

[illz]

Originally posted by awd1dr+Jun 12 2004, 07:19 PM--></div><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td>QUOTE (awd1dr @ Jun 12 2004, 07:19 PM)</td></tr><tr><td id='QUOTE'> <!--QuoteBegin-JET@Jun 12 2004, 12:05 PM
Erik, think about that for a second.&nbsp; If there is a misfire from bad wires, the plug isn't sparking, right?&nbsp; An aftermarket plug wire may have minimal power gains from a slightly larger spark, but the main point is to have enough power behind the spark to not get misfires as the boost is raised.

DSM's have extremely strong ignitions and have full power to 7200 RPM, where they start falling off gradually to 7800 after which they fall off more normally.
BTW, my first sentence was meant to be sarcastic.

Basically my point is, the easier you can get the energy to the spark plug, the more of the energy that is travelling there will be used. I understand when you run higher boost you need better spark. That was my point as well. You can use everything you got available if it is not being restricted. The more resistance you have the less of the energy available will be used. [/b][/quote]
well this thread has gotten pretty pointless now, but basically, no, not really. if there is a spark, the mixture will ignite. if you have a spark of x energy and a spark of y energy, the mixture is going to ignite and burn the same. when you run higher boost you dont need better spark. when you run higher boost, you need _A_ spark. the higher the boost, the more energy required to create a spark, thus the need for good plug wires to ensure the full energy from the coil pack is making it to the spark plug. follow?

gonna let this one die now :)

[unreal808]

:banana: I have the NGK BP7Es for plugs and the 8.8 Accels, so I must not have much resistance at all. :3gears:
Any way did you check the inside of your coil pack for carbon tracking? I just replaced my wires and had to use sandpaper to clean out the coil contacts to plug wire.