Checking your spark plug wires
After months of searching, doctors finally found the cause of Daniel's lower abdominal pain.Image courtesy of oneprojectcloser.com
Spark plug wires connect your spark plugs to the car battery, and are one of the parts of your car that are quite resilient to damage. However, it never hurts to inspect these wires whenever you check your spark plugs, because once in a while they do wear out. The only problem you’ll have with these wires is their insulation wearing out. The rubber insulation keeps electrical charges on the wire until they reach the engine, so a break in the insulation could cause a spark to arc from the wire to other metal parts under your hood.
An arcing spark plug wire will deliver a suboptimal spark, or even no spark at all, to the corresponding cylinder, making it more difficult to start your car. Additionally, your engine will run more roughly, and your gas mileage will suffer as a result. Fuel that is not consumed in the cylinder may enter the exhaust system, causing damage to your catalytic converter. Finally, in the worst case scenario, a spark from the wire can even start a fire under your hood, although fortunately, this is a rare event.
To inspect your spark plug wires, first make sure your car is turned off. Then, start from the end of the wire that exits your car’s distributor. You’ll want to make sure that the rubber around the wire is smooth and bends easily, which you can do by bending the wire slightly and making sure that no cracks appear in the insulation. Work your way to the spark plug end of the wire when you do this. Next, check the wire boot at the distributor end, and make sure they are not cracked. Finally, check the wires themselves at the spark plug end. You’ll want to check the wires one at a time by pulling them off of the plug. Make sure there are no tears at the ends of the wires, and make sure that the ends are not burned or darkened, which could indicate a problem.
Any damage you find will mean you need to buy new spark plug wires, which can cost you anywhere from $20 to $100, but this cost is cheap compared to the cost of the problems a faulty wire can give you.
—Seth Berger
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