do auto discount store like auto zone or advance auto sell quality spark plugs wires.
Yes. They also sell cheap ones.
And very overpriced “high tech” plugs with all manner of weird electrode configurations, none of which is as good as an OEM replacement and some of which can cause problems in some vehicles.
My recommendation is to be sure you get the listed “OEM” plugs with platinum or iridium electrodes, which ever is the OEM configuration for your car. The parts guy can help you with this.
For spark plug wires, be sure to get OEM quality wires, not high performance wires. Often the high performance wires have less resistance which may not work well with the OEM ignition coil. Those wires are meant for aftermarket, high performance ignition systems to which they are matched.
Each wire should have 2-4k ohms of resistance for your stock ignition system to work properly.
“And very overpriced “high tech” plugs with all manner of weird electrode configurations, none of which is as good as an OEM replacement and some of which can cause problems in some vehicles.”
+1
Multi-electrode plugs have been a marketing “gimmick” unsupported by any scientific or real-world evidence since…at least…the '70s. And yet, some companies–especially Bosch–are still flogging this concept. I have lost count of the number of people who have posted on this site about drivability problems after installing Bosch multi-electrode plugs, so…Caveat emptor!
I strongly advise that you use the exact same mfr’s spark plugs as are specified by the vehicle manufacturer. If your car is from Japan, that will most likely be an NGK plug, but–in any event–you should take a look at the spark plug specifications in your Owner’s Manual, and you should buy exactly what is specified therein.
VDC, I’ll bet my morning muffins that someone will post to this thread saying how wonderfully some magic plug worked for them, the “Thunder of Thor hepa-furcated unobtainium electrode” sparkplug or some such foolishness. I still recommend against them.
In my experience, using fancy, “better than stock” plugs is a waste of money
Stick with the plugs that are listed in the owner’s manual, or the factory service manual
@the same mountainbike–Just as with the toilet paper oil filtration that is being promoted in a different thread, these multi-electrode plugs are something that has been promoted for…decades…without any actual evidence that they work. Worse, these wacko products may do actual harm, rather than just going with a conventional approach.
As someone who grew up in the '60s perusing the J.C. Whitney and Warshawsky catalogs, I can tell you that multi-electrode plugs and toilet paper filters have been around…at least…since the '60s. And, despite any actual evidence that these products work properly, some folks continue to fall for hokum that is no more accurate today than it was 50+ years ago.
What’s next?
Will somebody come to this site to promote Fish Canadian Carburetors?
(Only people–like me–who owned VW beetles or Karmann Ghias are likely to recognize that reference.) ;-))
I might point out that some cars came from the factory with those multi-electrode plugs
I would use them in an engine that was designed to use them
I have heard of one or two cars that come from the factory with trifurcated center electrodes. Or maybe they were ground electrodes, I forget. If that’s what they came with, I agree that’s what they should continue with.
OEM all the way.
Trifurcate, huh? Sounds like something you could get arrested for if you do it in the wrong place.
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Momma dont allow no trifurcating round here, but seriously ,gimmicks are just gimmicks-Kevin
As someone who grew up in the '60s perusing the J.C. Whitney and Warshawsky catalogs, I can tell you that multi-electrode plugs and toilet paper filters have been around...at least...since the '60s. And, despite any actual evidence that these products work properly, some folks continue to fall for hokum that is no more accurate today than it was 50+ years ago.
And don’t forget products like Slick-50…also been around since the 60’s…And total garbage also. But it turned itself into a multi-billion dollar a year business.
If people stopped wasting their money on these bogus products…and lottery tickets…we could probably pay off the National Debt.
Ahh yes, JC Whitney products, the home of the Fuel Line Magnets that align your fuel molecules for a better burn, Greater Power, Improved Mileage, Cures Hemorrhoids!
Or the ever helpful device you attach to your vacuum line that causes a leak and a lean fuel condition to Improve Mileage in ANY car or truck!
Don’t forget the floppy spring loaded pushrods used to make a V6 out of your gas hogging V8!
All up there with the hydrogen generators (oops, did I open the door to start THAT discussion again!!)
And let’s not forget water injection.
The good old days are gone where “one size fits all” spark plugs. My parents’ 1954 Buick, 1952 Dodge, LawnBoy mower, and roto-tiller with a Lauson engine had spark plugs that all cross-referenced to the Champion J-8. We would buy a big quantity of J-8 spark plugs and tune up everything.
When I bought the 1954 Buick from my dad, I tried some spark plugs that I bought at Western Auto that were dual electrode. These plugs didn’t work well at all. I gave up after a couple of thousand miles and bought the AC 44 recommended in the manual. The engine ran beautifully even at 150,000 miles. Although the engine also ran well with the Champion J-8, I became a believer in following the recommendations in the manual. I cleaned up the Western Auto dual electrode plugs and tried them in the LawnBoy mower thinking that these plugs might not oil foul as badly in a 2 stroke engine. They fouled worse than a regular plug so I finally threw them all away.
I have had good results at NAPA purchasing OEM plugs and wires.
If I remember correctly my 99 Camry 5S-FE had dual electrode plugs from the factory. But then again memories fade, sometimes quickly.
Trifurcation is perfectly all right, if the twins are of legal age. I’d definitely go with OEM plugs. Modern engines are designed with very tightly controlled combustion, and the precise design of the plugs is part of that. Using ‘wrong’ plugs may not cause major harm, but you’re not getting the full benefit of the engine’s design.
Ha ha, JC Whitney. I remember seeing that bottle of something or other you poured into your dead battery to bring it back to life. And the paint that looked just like chrome-not. Must be somebody buying the stuff. Although I do enjoy looking through the catalog once in a while.