V6 Discussion and questions about the base carbureted or MPFI V6's and the rare SFI Turbo V6.

Can spark plug wires get heat soaked??

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Oct 11, 2003 | 01:37 PM
  #1  
Damien00677's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
 
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 613
Likes: 0
From: Dubuque, IA
Car: 2006 'Nox 91 Camaro RS 91 1500 Silv
Engine: GM 3.8L, 305 SBC, 350 SBC
Transmission: Auto, auto, auto
Can spark plug wires get heat soaked??

The title says it all.
I am wondering if spark plug wires can get heat soaked. Especially cheap ones from autozone.
I stopped at autozone to get some polish and wax for my car and when i went back out it would only crank. I am 90% sure it has something to do with the wires because the distributor is less than 2 months old, the coil isn't the problem ( I just happen to have an extra one in my car and tried that one on the car too), it had fuel ( i useda screwdriver as a makeshift fuel pressure tester), and I know there was electricity to is since I could probably have cranked it all day.
I do however have crappy autozone wires.

Anyway, the car started up after probably 30-45 minutes with no trouble.
Reply
Old Oct 11, 2003 | 07:18 PM
  #2  
Nixon1's Avatar
Supreme Member
 
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 3,931
Likes: 0
From: Palm Bay, Florida, USA
Car: 95 E-150 & 07 Kawasaki ZX-6R
Engine: A slow one & a fast one
Transmission: A bad one & a good one
Axle/Gears: A weak one & a chained one
Nope. The wires are just conductive elements. They'll still conduct whether hot or cold. Sounds like some other item is your problem. Maybe your ICM is overheating (caused by either a crappy ICM or not enough dielectric grease applied to the base).
Reply
Old Oct 13, 2003 | 02:19 AM
  #3  
2_point8_boy's Avatar
Supreme Member
 
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,832
Likes: 1
From: Castaic, CA
Car: 1988 Camaro RS
Engine: 2.8L of Raw POWER!!!
Transmission: Stick Shift
Axle/Gears: 3.42's
well i don't know if that is completly true nixon. i had a horrible problem with hesitation on my car after it heated up. i didn't have any problem at all while the engine/underhood was cool, but the minute it heated up, BAM, problem city. i tried for days to figure out what the problem was, but to no avail. I ended up changing a couple of wires and the problem went away. My theory is that once the wires heated up, thier resistance went up and mad the spark in them a lot weaker. That might be the problem described here.
Reply
Old Oct 13, 2003 | 09:57 AM
  #4  
ede's Avatar
ede
TGO Supporter
 
Joined: Aug 1999
Posts: 14,811
Likes: 1
From: Jackson County
i'd suspect a fuel delivery problem, check the preasure
Reply
Old Oct 13, 2003 | 10:23 AM
  #5  
Doward's Avatar
Supreme Member
 
Joined: Aug 2002
Posts: 3,827
Likes: 1
From: Gainesville, FL
Car: 1988 Chevy Camaro Hardtop
Engine: Turbocharged/Intercooled 3.1
Transmission: World Class T5 5 Speed
I'm with Nixon... check the ICM. Pop the distrib cap, and have AZ check it.

Which wires did you get? Their el-cheapo's suck, but the Bosch aren't so bad!
Reply
Old Oct 13, 2003 | 11:49 AM
  #6  
Nixon1's Avatar
Supreme Member
 
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 3,931
Likes: 0
From: Palm Bay, Florida, USA
Car: 95 E-150 & 07 Kawasaki ZX-6R
Engine: A slow one & a fast one
Transmission: A bad one & a good one
Axle/Gears: A weak one & a chained one
2_point8_boy.....well if the wires fixed the problem I guess I can't contradict that statement. But those wires were in pretty crappy condition right? They were probably JUST giving enough spark as it was, before they got heated for any heat to affect them. Still that's just an operating problem...his problem was a no-start condition.....

Damien....my advice...check out that ICM like me and Dow said, and carry a fuel pressure gauge with you like ede suggested when it doesn't start next time. It's gotta be either fuel or ignition, so if you eliminate one possibility, you've already got the system nailed down--then it just comes down to finding where the problem is. You mentioned you had already done a screwdriver fuel pressure test....but that won't tell you how much, just that you have pressure at all. It might be that you only have maybe 10 psi of fuel pressure....enough to shoot it out that little fitting but not enough to run the car. Hey, might as well cross out as many potentials as we can.

Last edited by Nixon1; Oct 13, 2003 at 11:51 AM.
Reply
Old Oct 13, 2003 | 02:43 PM
  #7  
TomP's Avatar
Supreme Member
 
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 13,414
Likes: 6
From: Central NJ, USA
Car: 1986 Firebird
Engine: 2.8 V6
Transmission: 700R4
I'm with Nixon; I think the wires probably had bad crimps at their terminals that the heat affected. The ignition control module sounds like the guilty suspect.
Reply
Old Oct 13, 2003 | 02:56 PM
  #8  
Damien00677's Avatar
Thread Starter
Senior Member
 
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 613
Likes: 0
From: Dubuque, IA
Car: 2006 'Nox 91 Camaro RS 91 1500 Silv
Engine: GM 3.8L, 305 SBC, 350 SBC
Transmission: Auto, auto, auto
Well, I haven't any problems since I picked up a set of those Bosch wires.
I am hoping it was something to do with the cheap-o wires, I had been through 2 sets before ( the metal things kept coming outta the boots) so I was maybe something in there.
Reply
Old Oct 13, 2003 | 05:59 PM
  #9  
2_point8_boy's Avatar
Supreme Member
 
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 1,832
Likes: 1
From: Castaic, CA
Car: 1988 Camaro RS
Engine: 2.8L of Raw POWER!!!
Transmission: Stick Shift
Axle/Gears: 3.42's
i had the Bosch wires, and they were like brand spankin' new (only about 2 months old or so). I don't know, maybe they did have a defect in them, but all I know is that they were fine before they warmed up, but the problwm came after they were nice and toasty warm.

Everything else was checked and turned out to be just fine, so that's why I decided to change the wires and see if that helped.
Ah, who cares, i got new ones for free and they have been fine for the last month or so, so screw it.
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
eightsixseven
Tech / General Engine
2
Dec 16, 2024 01:50 PM
1992 Trans Am
History / Originality
27
May 10, 2023 07:19 PM
apo_bailon15
TBI
4
Mar 28, 2016 05:20 AM
Bryan F
Tech / General Engine
2
Aug 18, 2015 02:28 PM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:26 PM.