# Spark plugs and wires poorly changed on a 2000 ford explorer 5.0 **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [May 27, 2014, 12:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/spark-plugs-and-wires-poorly-changed-on-a-2000-ford-explorer-5-0/85185 "2014-05-27T00:45:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ktka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c6cbf5/32.png) [@ktka](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ktka)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 12:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/spark-plugs-and-wires-poorly-changed-on-a-2000-ford-explorer-5-0/85185/1 "2014-05-27T00:45:53Z")
Hey all, I just had my wires and plugs changed 2 days ago. I kept getting an engine misfire code…when I looked under the hood the wires were leaning against the engine and were melting through. I zip tied them off the block, but I won’t be able to take it back to the mechanic who did the work until after the holiday. The vehicle is still misfiring and is running badly, would changing the wires be enough or do you think there may be damage to the cat as well? Any advice would be most welcomed. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![MikeInNH](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a587f6/32.png) [@MikeInNH](https://community.cartalk.com/u/MikeInNH)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 1:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/spark-plugs-and-wires-poorly-changed-on-a-2000-ford-explorer-5-0/85185/2 "2014-05-27T01:21:17Z")
I doubt the cat was damaged. That’s inexcusable for that sloppy work. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 2:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/spark-plugs-and-wires-poorly-changed-on-a-2000-ford-explorer-5-0/85185/3 "2014-05-27T02:33:33Z")
Is the Check Engine light flashing? Tester ---
**Author:** ![ktka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c6cbf5/32.png) [@ktka](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ktka)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 2:43am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/spark-plugs-and-wires-poorly-changed-on-a-2000-ford-explorer-5-0/85185/4 "2014-05-27T02:43:06Z")
Check engine light is flashing. And the check gage indicator came on and went off a few times, but less than the check engine light blinking. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 2:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/spark-plugs-and-wires-poorly-changed-on-a-2000-ford-explorer-5-0/85185/5 "2014-05-27T02:58:11Z")
Then stop driving the vehicle. A flashing Check Engine light indicates a major misfire. And a major misfire can destroy a catalytic converter. Tester ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 4:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/spark-plugs-and-wires-poorly-changed-on-a-2000-ford-explorer-5-0/85185/6 "2014-05-27T04:49:06Z")
Yeah it took me about 10 minutes with a misfire to get the cat red hot and ruin it. Mine was $700. ---
**Author:** ![ktka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c6cbf5/32.png) [@ktka](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ktka)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 6:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/spark-plugs-and-wires-poorly-changed-on-a-2000-ford-explorer-5-0/85185/7 "2014-05-27T06:35:49Z")
Thanks guys…obviously it is parked now I am not that much of an idiot. I will let you know what happens once I get it to the shop. ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 7:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/spark-plugs-and-wires-poorly-changed-on-a-2000-ford-explorer-5-0/85185/8 "2014-05-27T07:33:23Z")
Do not drive the truck to the shop. Doing that may destroy the cat. Have it towed. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2014, 8:34am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/spark-plugs-and-wires-poorly-changed-on-a-2000-ford-explorer-5-0/85185/9 "2014-05-27T08:34:43Z")
I would be disinclined to take the car back to that shop. I’d spend some extra cash and do the wires myself. Pick up some “looms” while you’re there to help route the wires change them one at a time. Any decent mechanic should know better than to do that. Normally I’m an advocate of bringing bad workmanship back to the culprit, but I wouldn’t trust anyone that sloppy to touch my engine again. This isn’t a mistake, it’s negligence. ---
**Author:** ![ktka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c6cbf5/32.png) [@ktka](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ktka)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 6:50am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/spark-plugs-and-wires-poorly-changed-on-a-2000-ford-explorer-5-0/85185/10 "2014-05-28T06:50:55Z")
Okay y’all so I got it back to the shop, the manager apologized saying it was sloppy work but ended up changing all the plugs and wires and put a new coil pack. Would the lack of resistance caused by the arcing lead to damaged coils? ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 8:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/spark-plugs-and-wires-poorly-changed-on-a-2000-ford-explorer-5-0/85185/11 "2014-05-28T08:25:44Z")
@ktka‌ The answer is yes And congratulations for getting this problem resolved Although the manager may not have said this, he was probably grateful that you give his shop the opportunity to fix their mistake, versus going to another shop and talking smack, etc. ---
**Author:** ![the\_same\_mountainbike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@the\_same\_mountainbike](https://community.cartalk.com/u/the_same_mountainbike)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 8:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/spark-plugs-and-wires-poorly-changed-on-a-2000-ford-explorer-5-0/85185/12 "2014-05-28T08:33:35Z")
I too tip my hat to you for getting it resolved. Have you checked the new routing? Are the wires properly secured? ---
**Author:** ![Rod-Knox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a183cd/32.png) [@Rod-Knox](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Rod-Knox)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2014, 4:39pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/spark-plugs-and-wires-poorly-changed-on-a-2000-ford-explorer-5-0/85185/13 "2014-05-28T16:39:39Z")
The sloppy work was inexcusable and I would have been wary of returning there but as it turns out it appears the manager went the extra mile in an effort to fully correct the sloppy work plus replace the coils that can be damaged by high voltage resulting from arcing of damaged wires. Good for you. And definitely, a good shop appreciates the opportunity to correct their errors.