Miata Mailing List: April 1996, Message #173
sponsored by



     


   From: Mx5mike@aol.com
Subject: Spark Plug Wires - A Greek Tragedy
   Date: Tue, 2 Apr 1996 17:09:57 -0500

Cast of characters:
Michael Pablo, the dashing hero
JM1NA3530R0500440, a 1994 Mazda Miata
Spark Plug Wire Demon #1
Spark Plug Wire Demon #2
Spark Plug Wire Demon #3
Spark Plug Wire Demon #4, the villians

Act I:
Open on our hero, Mike Pablo, as he triumphantly drives away from Browns
Mazda, Alexandria VA, proud owner of a new red convertible.
Cut to 15 months and 18,298 miles later.  His car, sputtering and hesitating,
has become inflicted with demons.  Research tells him that the demons like to
make a home in the plug wires.  Our hero replaces the stock spark plug wires
with a set of NGK Blue Premium Wires.  He drives away, having vanquished the
demons, triumphant once again.

Act II:
(7 months and 8,406 miles later)  Our hero's car has become plagued once
again.  He rushes off a message to NGK, hoping that they will provide relief
for his ailing chariot.  They do, as do the car's makers.  A month later, he
has a set of new NGK and Mazda wires.  He decides to use the NGKs, and once
again the demons are slain.

Act III:
(present day, 30500 miles) Our hero speeds along in his bright red car, happy
as can be.  But, ho, what's this?  A sputter?  Surely not.  A little later,
was that a hesitation?  What was that?  A cough?  No, in the name of all that
is holy, NOOO!!  Like the tireless tides that crash ceaselessly along the
water's edge, the foul Spark Plug Wire Demons have returned once again to our
hero's beloved steed.  He looks skyward, cursing the mischevious spirits that
have come to haunt him again.  He shakes his fist at the gods' home in
Hiroshima and falls to the ground, a tortured, dejected man.  Fade out. . .


Seriously, folks, I've got a problem.  What in the world is causing my car to
eat spark plug wires so quickly?  When I went to the dealer to ask them, the
only thing they said they could do is "take it in and look at it."  Big deal!
 I can do that!  Time to reach out to the collective knowledge of hundreds of
Miata gearheads for answers.  Here's the appropriate stats:  Car bought new
1-14-94.  Bad stock wires replaced with NGKs 4-4-95, 18298 miles.  NGKs
replaced with new Mazda wires 12-8-95 27731 miles.  Stock wires replaced with
NGKs 1-29-96 28672 miles (no reason, just wanted to change to the NGKs).
 Noticed new hesitation today 4-2-96 approx 30500 wires.

I checked Gary's FAQ page on ignition, plugs, wires, etc. and I can't seem to
find any definite solution to my problem.  I think that I'm going to switch
my Splitfires to Bosch Platinum.  (A friend from the BMW club said that
Splitfires burn hotter and could be deteriorating the ends of the wires.
 True or false?)  I don't know what kind of wires to get yet.  For some
reason, my car just doesn't seem to like the fairly common setup of NGK wires
and Splitfire plugs.

Mike Pablo
Red '94 base
Springfield, VA
Capital Chapter, MCA
MIATA 96 #170