 Like everything else in life, you get what you pay for. So what, exactly, are you getting when you plunk down $20.00 for a cheap set of wires? You’re getting a headache, that’s what. Actually what you’re getting is a very cheap set of carbon string wires that probably produce OHMS resistance near the 10,000 mark. What this means to you is that you’re not only taking away from the peak performance of your automobile, you’re also ensuring a wire replacement the next time you change out your spark plugs. These cheapie wire sets are just that, I can’t stress it any other way. Because of the way they are made, they break down quickly in the heat that builds up in your engine’s compartment. The actual carbon string wires themselves tend to break inside their thin rubber insulation thus causing even more ohms resistance and problems. In short, they suck. Definition of Ohms Resistance: It is the amount of resistance the electricity or “spark” receives while traveling along the spark plug wire. More resistance means that the spark, which started out from your distributor or coil pack has degenerated in the time it takes to get to the actual spark plug. In layman terms, you can have the best spark plug ever made and it’s not going to perform like it should if it is not receiving the best spark possible. Having a cheap set of wires will cause that to happen. Most mechanics recommend an OHMS Resistance of 300-1500. A Good carbon string set of wires/cables will produce about 3000-5000 OHMS Resistance. What you should look for when you go shopping for a new set of wires/cables are the “wire wound and heat resistant” type of cable. Once again, brand name won’t make a lot of difference, but I would recommend you stick to the bigger brand names and stay away from the chinky fly by night brands. Also, there are some fairly good brands out there that aren’t widely known because they stick to producing products for the racing circuit, one such as this would be the LiveWire brand of plug cables. Expect to pay $80.00+ for a good set of wire wound and heat resistant cables that will produce less than 1500 OHMS resistance. These wires can and will last several years over the $20.00+ brand X wire that may not even last until your next tune-up. When you look at it this way, it begins to seem like a pretty good investment, doesn’t it? |
|||