Spark Plug Wires?

I know the 3.4's have coil packs but I see rockauto has spark plug wire sets. How does this work? Does this just replace the wire going from the coil to the other plug? What about the coil pack itself? Is this something worth replacing after 170k miles?

 

I don't think the coils are really a "wear" item... don't replace them unless you need to if one is bad.

 

No, you don't replace the coil packs unless they go bad. Maybe eventually replace the rubber insulators though.

It sounds like you may not be aware that they only have 3 coil packs rather than 6. They use a waste spark system and have 3 standard plug wires running from the coil over plugs on the passenger side to the drivers side bank.

 

Check the coils for spark leakage if you suspect a ignition problem. Spray a water mist on the coils/wires in a dark garage while running the engine. Look for arcs. Any arc from the coil to ground? Replace the coil. Same goes for the wires.

 

I don't have any issues and I know theres only three coil packs but is it a waste of money to replace the wires from the coils to the other plugs? I thought I heard somewhere that plug wires wear out somehow over time and should eventually be replaced, I could be making this up though.

 

Wires go bad. Some last longer than others. This is why I suggested the water test. Grey arc marks on the wire boots and wire will also show where there has been an insulation failure. Heat and oil kills wires.

 

buy some wires at napa and sleep better

 

Fixed

 

I think I should replace mine.

When I bought the truck, the plugs needed replacing. When I went to change the plugs, they were so loose, they twisted off by hand with just a couple turns.

On the boot/insulator on the front/drivers side cylinder is is loose. When I pulled up to remove the rubber insulator, the boot popped off the top rubber seal. The wires inside the boot didn't come a part, but the top rubber seal doesn't sit well on the valve cover anymore.

I think my coil packs are ok, but I know may need to replace the wires/boots on the driver side.

What do you guys think?

 

Did you ever try the experiment skytower suggested?

Btw thanks for the tip, im going to try this

 

But the NGK ones at napa are BLUE!!!!

 

Most of the dealer parts last longer than aftermarket. My plugs and wires are still going at 77k. I use wash down the engine bay and protect it with a spray down of WD-40 regularly. This helps protect wires, hoses and generally keeps corrosion to a minimum.

 

Do not listen to this. Never spray wd40 on anything that's rubber. It's a solvent. Just because some rubbers are good at resisting solvents and nothing bad has happened yet does not mean it's the right thing to do.

If you want to lubricate any plastic or rubber items, use a silicone based lube. Petroleum based lubricants are in general not good for these kinds of items.

 

Seems to me that silicone spray has more powerful solvents than does wd-40. According to the msds, silicone spray contains trichloroethane which is a very powerful solvent:http://www.generalgraphic.com/msdssisp.htm. Wd-40, on the other hand, has some aliphatic hydrocarbons and base oils. I doubt they reach the solvent stregnth of tric though.
I looked through other manufacturers of silicone spray. Some have no tric, some others use other base oils. So, yes, some silicone sprays are superior to wd-40.
The stregnth and oil resistance of today's hoses is such that they deteriorate from heat before oils and solvents have an effect. If anything, both silicone, with solvents or oil, and wd-40 will keep hoses more pliable and less pront to craking than without.
My point is, use whatever you like that performs the best in your climate/area. Wd-40 is easy to find in bulk, has worked well for me in the past, and it protects against corrosion.

 

I had my plug wires go recently. Caused cylinder #4 to misfire. Not a good sound to hear from your engine. Change them before that happens

 

It's a pretty universally known thing. I never said you should shoot standard silicone spray all over your engine bay. Sure some manufacturers can add any kind of solvents you want to a silicone based fluid. It's not just about the solvents. You just never want to used anything petroleum based on plastics or rubber, always silicone based. Also, silicone based items do not attract dirt unlike petroleum based items.