Spark Plug Wires ARCING ? ? ?

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larryinnewyork

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Good morning all,

This is in regards to my 2002 Ford Ranger / 136,000 miles.

At 98,700 miles I replaced the Plugs and Wires.
This past Weekend, at 136,000 miles I had a rough idle and replaced the Plugs (=big improvement).

But, being a little paranoid, it doesn't feel like a 'new' vehicle (only drove 15 miles).
This morning, I opened the hood and started the engine.
Looking at the Wires, I saw very small points of glowing in maybe 10 places.
I did not see or hear any arcing. Engine idles good.
I then sprayed the Wires with water and saw NO difference.

Question: With only 37,000 miles on the Wires, is it normal to see any 'very small glowing points'
* The Wires are Bosch Premium Wire Set, Silicon, Pt. No. 09463
* Again, I did not see/hear any arcing.
Question: What is causing these glowing points ? ? ?

I watched on YouTube and saw some Wires really creating a large arc.

Any advise would be appreciated. Thank you.

And depending on what part of the Country your from, stay Cool OR stay Dry.
 
I had a similar issue on an old Fiero of mine. An automotive electronics guru at work suggested spraying some silicone spray onto a rag and then wiping the plug wires to create additional insulation. Don't spray directly onto to the wires due to the possibility of fire. Just something that might be easy to try.
 
Plug wires should never arc or glow. The insulation has broken down.You shouldn't have to spray anything on the wires.Did you apply the silicon grease to the boots.I would also do a resistance check of the coil
 
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Originally Posted By: larryinnewyork
* The Wires are Bosch Premium Wire Set, Silicon, Pt. No. 09463


I know if you use Bosch on a Honda it won't run very well. NGK or Denso is what the owners manual specifies. I would go with one of those or a Motorcraft set of wires. Have a nice day gentlemen.
thumbsup2.gif
 
Try watching a night in a closed garage with no lights. You might like the show, especially if you're easily amused.

Next, get a firm grip on the edge of your vehicle's hood and with your other hand grab any spot where you see the arc and if you get a jolt and see stars then as soon as you start breathing again, get up off the ground because your wire is leaking electricity which would otherwise go to the spark plug and a new set of wires should be in order. If you don't get jolted after grabbing all the arc's then just remember that when you're ever lonely you know where to go for a good light show.
 
Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
Try watching a night in a closed garage with no lights. You might like the show, especially if you're easily amused.

Next, get a firm grip on the edge of your vehicle's hood and with your other hand grab any spot where you see the arc and if you get a jolt and see stars then as soon as you start breathing again, get up off the ground because your wire is leaking electricity which would otherwise go to the spark plug and a new set of wires should be in order. If you don't get jolted after grabbing all the arc's then just remember that when you're ever lonely you know where to go for a good light show.


I've been hit with coil voltage before. I don't recommend it.
 
Sounds like a set of bad wires to me. Try to find some wires that are SAE J2031 Class E rated. Denso makes wires that are rated like that, and I am sure there are others. The Denso SAE J2031 Class E rated are high quality, and I have a set of these on my Volvo. On my Oldsmobile, I installed a set of premium Autolite over a year ago that are still doing good, but they are not the same quality as the Denso wires.
 
Originally Posted By: zzyzzx
Throw out the Bosch wires and get Motorcraft wires. It's what I use in my Escort.


I'm going to order some Motorcraft today.
I was just driving around this morning and the engine started ideling rough.

Originally Posted By: Donald
Have you or anyone pulled a wire off via the wire and not the boot?

I changed the plugs the other day. But I would say 'No'.
 
Purchase the pliers made for crimping spark plug connections and some good wire like ACCEL et al and make your own or order a set from one of major suppliers of quality wiring. The OEM is junk.
 
Done 100's of tune ups. I've only had good luck with wires that use Packard resistance wire. Poor l;uck with $$ NGK wire on a mazda miata and general Bosch junk. When I did ford and Gm I used genuine Delco remy and Motorcrpft.

Many Japanese cars spec OE Packard wire and champ plugs.

High energy racing wires are another matter. Usually require at least a 1/2" dia Si/latex jacket due to the wide radius EMP.
 
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Well, depending on conditions you can have a corona effect around high voltage sources. Don't see why plug wires would have their own physics. If the glow was on a wire, maybe there might be an internal fault in that wire. Interesting though.

If you ever have a question about a plug wire arcing, get a spray bottle, fill it with water, add a dash of dish soap, and hose the wires, coil, and/or distributor down and look for arcs/see if engine runs rough. Kept a spray bottle on my tool box just for that.
 
I use all OEM parts on things like this. I've been burned (or shocked) too many times with aftermarket parts on important components. The price difference usually isn't significant. If it is, call another dealer. I've actually found genuine parts CHEAPER than aftermarket on many occasions.
 
I have never seen what you describe, but if I did, I would definitely replace the wires.

I did have some Prestolite wires go bad quick on my 2002 Ranger. A couple developed cracked boots within a couple years. I got them on closeout from RA for something like $7 for the set, so no big loss.
 
Originally Posted By: Johnny2Bad
NGK or Magnecor; the former are excellent OEM equivalents, while the latter are the best on/off road wires, period.


I've been running Magnecor wires on my 98 chevy K1500 for years because of arcing wires. For years I was having many problems with arcing on my wires and my coil. I was using all AC-Delco replacement ignition components and they would not last. I have never discovered what was causing this but the Magnecor wires seemed to help and last. I have not checked them in years so they could be arcing and me not know it. I guess I should check them.

Wayne
 
The way to diagnose this issue is to hook a circuit tester (the needle type) to the negative post on the battery, and then run the needle along the wires. Any potential "leak" will spring an arc out toward the needle as soon as it gets close.
 
What's the difference where in the wire the leak is? Just go out and buy a quality(motorcraft) wire set, put them on and sleep well.All that fooling around with probes is a good way to land on your keister.
 
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