Autozone plug wires

[SHOSIG]

I just picked up a set of spark plug wires from Autozone(ultraspark). They look and seem like the Motorcraft wires as well the same size plug boots, but these have a lifetime warranty for $49.99. They seem to seal the plug wells pretty good too. They are also 8mm. PN#4142 I just installed these yesterday and will keep everyone posted if these crap out on me.

 

[LaTechSHO]

i hope it works out well for you.... ultraspark wires have a BAD reputation for longevity of life.... VERY BAD.... but that doesn't mean that everything coming off of their assembly line is garbage....i hope its a good find for you

Louis

 

[SW SHO]

SHOSIG:
I just picked up a set of spark plug wires from Autozone(ultraspark). They look and seem like the Motorcraft wires as well the same size plug boots, but these have a lifetime warranty for $49.99. They seem to seal the plug wells pretty good too. They are also 8mm. PN#4142 I just installed these yesterday and will keep everyone posted if these crap out on me.

Just wondering SHOSIG, how do you like the KYB/Intrax set-up?

Also, why not spend and extra $40 (yes I know it's double) for the recommended plugs. I'm not bashing you here, just seems like such a chore to change the wires more frequently if those don't work out.

I'm sure they'll do fine, and am curious to see hear about the results.

 

[SHOSIG]

My KYB/Intrax setup is not bad for me. The ride is still pretty smooth considering the 18 wheels/tires. Handling is awesome, the new full lenth subframe connectors are great(THANKS TWRSHO!!!!).
If I have bad luck with these wires...I can get my money back. I have had decent luck with these types of wires in general. I know people will always get a bad set of wires or wire. As far as replacing wires....I've only had my SHO 3-4 months and pulled the intake off 3 times already...no problem! THANKS EVERYONE!

 

[shojuan]

SHOSIG:
I just picked up a set of spark plug wires from Autozone(ultraspark). They look and seem like the Motorcraft wires as well the same size plug boots, but these have a lifetime warranty for $49.99. They seem to seal the plug wells pretty good too. They are also 8mm. PN#4142 I just installed these yesterday and will keep everyone posted if these crap out on me.

For the effort that's involved to replace the rear plug wires I would only trust the tried and true stock Motorcraft wires or the small list of aftermarket wires with a good track record (Vitek, Taylor, I suppose the new IPT wires although I'm not sure about their track record since the change from Vitek to another supplier is fairly recent I think)

But it's a good sign that you mention you've had your intake off 3 times in the last 3-4 months. If you run into problems with the wires then it won't be a big deal for you to go in there and replace them. For the masses that don't expect to be touching their wires for at least 60,000 miles after replacing them you can see why sticking with the tried and true is important.

 

[twr]

I should be getting a new set of Iptech's wire here soon - I let you all know the quality of the wire when I get them

Handling is awesome, the new full lenth subframe connectors are great(THANKS TWRSHO!!!!).

Hey - thanks for the good deal on the tires thumb

 

[jasonty]

I've heard bad things about those ultraspark wires. Not only with the SHO, but with a couple of buddy's who own Honda's too... Could just be a fluke though. If they work out, let me know... wink It'd be nice to have a cheaper replacement.

 

[SHOpar]

jasonty:
I've heard bad things about those ultraspark wires. Not only with the SHO, but with a couple of buddy's who own Honda's too... Could just be a fluke though. If they work out, let me know... wink It'd be nice to have a cheaper replacement.

What problems have you guys heard about these wires? Are the defective when new, or do they just die quickly?

The reason I'm asking is that I just bought these for a '96 Jetta 2.0. I wanted the Bosch wires, but the Autozone rep said their supplier was out of stock, and it would take a week or more. The Ultrasparks were only $10 less than the Bosch wires, and the rep said Ultrasparks were "really good" wires. At $90, they better be! eek! And we thought OUR wires were expensive!

They did look pretty decent - they had the same type of "metal" boots that VW is famous for.

 

[jedhead]

I found you get what you pay for and lifetime warrentee does not guarantee quality. My best example was a fan clutch for a Toyota PU. The part had a lifetime warrantee and cost about $40. After replacing the clutch three times I bought the OEM one for $100. Although the replacements were free, it wasn't worth changing it just about every time I changed the oil.

Bob

 

[jasonty]

<strong>

What problems have you guys heard about these wires? Are the defective when new, or do they just die quickly?

The reason I'm asking is that I just bought these for a '96 Jetta 2.0. I wanted the Bosch wires, but the Autozone rep said their supplier was out of stock, and it would take a week or more. The Ultrasparks were only $10 less than the Bosch wires, and the rep said Ultrasparks were "really good" wires. At $90, they better be! eek! And we thought OUR wires were expensive!

They did look pretty decent - they had the same type of "metal" boots that VW is famous for.

A friend of mine put these wires on his Honda, and they didn't last too long. I think it was about 6 months before the wires started showing signs of death. Then I knew a mechanic at a Ford dealership who told me these wires were no good for the SHO. He told me that he's had to change the wires on a couple SHO's after a short time period because they used Ultrasparks... But hey, people aren't always right, and the Honda might've been a fluke, so let me know how they work out in about 6 months...

<small>[ April 17, 2003, 06:50 AM: Message edited by: jasonty ]</small>

 

[sdpatt]

I'll add to the statement that the lifetime warranty doesn't guarantee quality. I tried to "save a little money" back when my car was younger (120,000 miles) and I hadn't yet learned much of my SHO knowledge the hard way. I bought a set of Borg-Warner spark plug wires for the SHO. Borg-Warner was a name brand and they were around $40 and came with a lifetime warranty.

After about 5,000 miles my car developed a misfire. The Motorcraft plugs were only 5,000 miles old also and were found to be gapped correctly. A warranty exchange for a new set of wires cured the misfire. For another couple of months. Same story. Already tired of this. A set of Motorcraft wires lasted me through the 225,000 mile valve gapping service when I replaced them as a preventative action.

Moral of the story: Quality is as quality does.

 

[Mike Kopstain]

Scott,

I think my eyes just popped out of my head... Reading your sig, it says 271K clutch. Is that the original clutch?

 

[shojuan]

Mikeys_Taurus:
Scott,

I think my eyes just popped out of my head... Reading your sig, it says 271K clutch. Is that the original clutch?

Haha! You're funny! You remember Scott replacing his clutch at 271K miles back in December don't you Mikey?

 

[haydenm315]

To keep my 93 Ford Tempo V6 from getting jealous I've been getting some work done on it while my sho sits pretty waiting for me to finish installing my speaker board and wait for a front motor mount. My mileage has been steadily declining in the tempo so it seems. Last tank I got around 20mpg with mixed driving which is a recent record. The temperature outside was between 60-80 for a few days which helps out more than people realize. For a 3 speed automatic I don't think that's too bad, but for a car that has 108k miles and original plugs,wires,cap, and rotor (to my knowledge), it's to be expected.
I did the whole deal last night under halogen lights. Since the car was a lease vehicle, the dealer may have replaced these parts with oem which would make it hard for me to tell. The plugs looked fairly clean. No sign of detonation, deposits, heat damage, or bridging. The gap was a good deal larger than spec on all of the plugs. I think this is from electrode wear. You can tell that the electrode is slightly unevenly worn towards the side where the tip is connected.

I bought the car with 60k on it and no maintenance history from Len Stoler Ford (of course). THe haynes says to replace plugs, wires, cap, and rotor every 24k miles. I wonder why the interval is so low? Non platinum plugs is probably one reason. That seems somewhat extreme to me.

While a lot of people on here preach that the only way to go on the SHO is motorcraft, I decided that what the store carried was good enough for me. Salvo and Advanced Auto Parts didn't have what I needed so I cruised down to Autozone. I picked up a Bosch premium wireset for $29.99. The ultraspark set was $24.99 and also came with the lifetime warranty. The lifetime warranty is never bad unless you have to enforce it often on a hard to reach spot. I chose Bosch Platinum +2 plugs at $4 a piece. I think the +4 is a bunch of publicity and am just hoping for improved gas mileage and continued reliability with the new plugs. I had to settle for a brand I didn't recognize for the rotor and cap. It's made by Conrad Industries. The cap is red and has brass tower contacts. I picked up a few cans of B12 and skated out of there $78 poorer. I feel much better knowing that my Tempo is happy with all of the attention I've been giving it. All that's left to do is a coolant flush, o2 sensor replacement, and a transmission fluid change before the hot summer would be good.
GOod luck with those plug wires!

To be honest I dont' notice any if much of a performance increase. The engine starts just as effortlessly as always, and acceleration seems to be smooth as always. Bosch has a satisfaction guarantee. "If you dont' feel the difference with Bosch Platinum2, we will pay for the plugs." The wording is kinda uncool. They won't really pay for the plugs. They will just refund you the money back like any normal legitimate business would. I would have no problem letting them pay for my plugs while still using them.
How do you people feel about Bosch products?

 

[bigjoe]

I only buy Ignition parts from 2 companys. Standard Ignition, and Echlin. Wires from those two and Prestilight. Having sold many brands of parts for a few years now, I have seen the fewest warranty claims from those brands. Those brands are expensive, and you can't get them at The Zone, but if you mind replacing things its worth it.

just my .02

BIGJOE