When to replace accord ignition wires / what will clean them?

Maintenance/Repairs
1

I currently have NGK spark plug wires on my car. I was going to take them off and test the resistance with a multimeter, but I am not sure what sort of readings to look for. Here are the only specs I have found so far on the wires:



http://www…resets.asp



So it says 8K ohms/meter.



Do I measure the resistance then measure the wire length, convert to K-ohms/meter and then what?



Do those type of wires increase in resistance over time, then when they hit some limit, time to replace?



They do look grimy and simple green and ajax dishsoap did not clean them up…any suggestions what will clean off the grime on ignition wires?



I do not recall how many miles are on them.



Thanks.

2 
Why not just replace any questionable plug wires?  I would recommend OEM grade wires.  I my experience they are the best bang for the buck.  Those fancy plug wires that come in designer colors don't seem to function as well as the OEM wires.  OEM are cheap enough to just replace them say every 50 - 100,000 miles.

Anyone who washes their plug wires has entirely too much time on their hands and I would guess may have reduced the life of the wires by trying to do so.
3

I ohm check all my plug wires, and look for all the wires to give me similar results. If one is twice as much resistance as the others, I’ll replace it. If I can pump 9V through the wire to get a resistance reading, I figure the wire can transport 40,000V without a problem.

Also, I agree with Joseph. Washing spark plug wires? Is this a show car? What’s up with that?

4

A simple resistance check will not tell you how much breakdown there has been in the wire insulation. Your resistance may be fine, but if the wire has any weak points in the insulation where it’s easier for the spark to short to ground, then you’ll miss it.

As others have said, just replace them.

5

Checking the resistance with an ohmmeter is not always a sure fire way of determining if the wires are good or not.
In the old days of much narrower spark plug gaps and comparatively rich-running carbureted engines a dubious wire may still fire the plug fine. In today’s world it doesn’t take much to upset the cart.

If the engine is apparently running fine, fuel mileage is not down, no CEL etc. and if the wires have 40-50k miles on them I’d say leave them alone and replace them at the 100k miles mark.

I’ve cleaned wires with a rag and Berryman B-12 Chemtool carburetor cleaner.

6

I’m a firm believer that plug wires should last the life of a vehicle…I’ve had 5 cars over 250k miles and only one did I have to replace the wires.

At least once a year I would take a damp cloth and wipe them down. Never had a problem.