Spark plug arcing - how much is normal?

My 91 Golf was cutting out at acceleration. Suspecting possible
ignition spark bleeding I started my car at night and saw arcing
around the spark plug-spark plug boot, around the spark
distributor-wire boot and arcing between plug wires and the water
hoses. I checked on the prices of replacement wire sets and found
good wires selling for around $70. Brainstorming produced the
solution of jacketing my present wires inside larger hosing. I
found some 3/4" rubber oil hose that the plug wires fit into
perfectly. That stopped the wire-water hose arcing. But the ring
around the spark plug and distributor boots remains. Is this
normal? Is there any way to avoid it ... or does it matter?

Carl

----------------------------------------------
Posted with NewsLeecher v2.0 RC2
* Binary Usenet Leeching Made Easy
* http://www.newsleecher.com/?usenet
----------------------------------------------

you are nuts wrote:
> My 91 Golf was cutting out at acceleration. Suspecting possible
> ignition spark bleeding I started my car at night and saw arcing
> around the spark plug-spark plug boot, around the spark
> distributor-wire boot and arcing between plug wires and the water
> hoses. I checked on the prices of replacement wire sets and found
> good wires selling for around $70. Brainstorming produced the
> solution of jacketing my present wires inside larger hosing. I
> found some 3/4" rubber oil hose that the plug wires fit into
> perfectly. That stopped the wire-water hose arcing. But the ring
> around the spark plug and distributor boots remains. Is this
> normal? Is there any way to avoid it ... or does it matter?
>
> Carl
>
> ----------------------------------------------
> Posted with NewsLeecher v2.0 RC2
> * Binary Usenet Leeching Made Easy
> * http://www.newsleecher.com/?usenet
> ----------------------------------------------

Replacing spark plug wires is normal maintenance.


--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

Avoid it! Yes fix the car the correct way and replace the needed parts.

"you are nuts" > wrote in message
news:mzAKe.7738$0d.1071@trnddc06...
> My 91 Golf was cutting out at acceleration. Suspecting possible
> ignition spark bleeding I started my car at night and saw arcing
> around the spark plug-spark plug boot, around the spark
> distributor-wire boot and arcing between plug wires and the water
> hoses. I checked on the prices of replacement wire sets and found
> good wires selling for around $70. Brainstorming produced the
> solution of jacketing my present wires inside larger hosing. I
> found some 3/4" rubber oil hose that the plug wires fit into
> perfectly. That stopped the wire-water hose arcing. But the ring
> around the spark plug and distributor boots remains. Is this
> normal? Is there any way to avoid it ... or does it matter?
>
> Carl
>
> ----------------------------------------------
> Posted with NewsLeecher v2.0 RC2
> * Binary Usenet Leeching Made Easy
> * http://www.newsleecher.com/?usenet
> ----------------------------------------------
>

Woodchuck ) wrote:
: Avoid it! Yes fix the car the correct way and replace the needed parts.

: "you are nuts" > wrote in message
: news:mzAKe.7738$0d.1071@trnddc06...
: > My 91 Golf was cutting out at acceleration. Suspecting possible
: > ignition spark bleeding I started my car at night and saw arcing
: > around the spark plug-spark plug boot, around the spark
: > distributor-wire boot and arcing between plug wires and the water
: > hoses. I checked on the prices of replacement wire sets and found
: > good wires selling for around $70. Brainstorming produced the
: > solution of jacketing my present wires inside larger hosing. I
: > found some 3/4" rubber oil hose that the plug wires fit into
: > perfectly. That stopped the wire-water hose arcing. But the ring
: > around the spark plug and distributor boots remains. Is this
: > normal? Is there any way to avoid it ... or does it matter?
: >
: > Carl

..... or save your money to buy gas instead.

None of the above is 'normal', and good quality spark plug wires seldom
fail.

Arcing is almost always caused by dirt on the surface of the wires and or
distributor cap. remove them and clean them thoroughly with a good
detergent and water. Once they are clean, dry them with paper towel and
then warm them in an oven just enough to get rid of residual moisture -
ie. no more than about 90 deg. C - and reinstall.

IF the distributor cap has had arcing aling the surface for an extended
time, it may have burned in some carbon tracks (often mistakenly described
as being 'cracked'), more often on the inside than outside but can be on
either.

Once this is done, try your 'run it in the dark' test again. IF, and only
if, you still have arcing with everything *clean do you need new parts.

[My 'escape' clause follows]
It may be that the spark plug wires available now, or used by VW from the
factory, are of vastly inferior quality as compared to a few decades ago
when I was an active 'British and european auto' specialist mechanic. If
that is the situation, ignore all of the above - but try to find some
wires that are not junk.

Ben F.

If you got arcing then the insulation has failed! Doing the above is a short
term fix.

"Ben Fullerton" > wrote in message
...
> Woodchuck ) wrote:
> : Avoid it! Yes fix the car the correct way and replace the needed parts.
>
> : "you are nuts" > wrote in message
> : news:mzAKe.7738$0d.1071@trnddc06...
> : > My 91 Golf was cutting out at acceleration. Suspecting possible
> : > ignition spark bleeding I started my car at night and saw arcing
> : > around the spark plug-spark plug boot, around the spark
> : > distributor-wire boot and arcing between plug wires and the water
> : > hoses. I checked on the prices of replacement wire sets and found
> : > good wires selling for around $70. Brainstorming produced the
> : > solution of jacketing my present wires inside larger hosing. I
> : > found some 3/4" rubber oil hose that the plug wires fit into
> : > perfectly. That stopped the wire-water hose arcing. But the ring
> : > around the spark plug and distributor boots remains. Is this
> : > normal? Is there any way to avoid it ... or does it matter?
> : >
> : > Carl
>
> .... or save your money to buy gas instead.
>
> None of the above is 'normal', and good quality spark plug wires seldom
> fail.
>
> Arcing is almost always caused by dirt on the surface of the wires and or
> distributor cap. remove them and clean them thoroughly with a good
> detergent and water. Once they are clean, dry them with paper towel and
> then warm them in an oven just enough to get rid of residual moisture -
> ie. no more than about 90 deg. C - and reinstall.
>
> IF the distributor cap has had arcing aling the surface for an extended
> time, it may have burned in some carbon tracks (often mistakenly described
> as being 'cracked'), more often on the inside than outside but can be on
> either.
>
> Once this is done, try your 'run it in the dark' test again. IF, and only
> if, you still have arcing with everything *clean do you need new parts.
>
> [My 'escape' clause follows]
> It may be that the spark plug wires available now, or used by VW from the
> factory, are of vastly inferior quality as compared to a few decades ago
> when I was an active 'British and european auto' specialist mechanic. If
> that is the situation, ignore all of the above - but try to find some
> wires that are not junk.
>
> Ben F.

Today I pulled each wire, swabbed it in 409 type cleaner, swabbed
it in clean water, then swabbed it in Armorall. I also swabbed each
boot's interior with an alcahol soaked Qtip. After reassembling it
all I started up after dark and the light show is over. I juste
saved $70 to put in my tank instead of spending on new plug wires.

----------------------------------------------
Posted with NewsLeecher v2.0 RC2
* Binary Usenet Leeching Made Easy
* http://www.newsleecher.com/?usenet
----------------------------------------------

To test your repair, spray a fine mist of water on the wires. If it
continues to run the rejoice. If not be cautious the next time you're
driving in rain.


"you are nuts" > wrote in message
news:MMVKe.11648$0d.2094@trnddc02...
> Today I pulled each wire, swabbed it in 409 type cleaner, swabbed
> it in clean water, then swabbed it in Armorall. I also swabbed each
> boot's interior with an alcahol soaked Qtip. After reassembling it
> all I started up after dark and the light show is over. I juste
> saved $70 to put in my tank instead of spending on new plug wires.
>
> ----------------------------------------------
> Posted with NewsLeecher v2.0 RC2
> * Binary Usenet Leeching Made Easy
> * http://www.newsleecher.com/?usenet
> ----------------------------------------------
>

you are nuts wrote:
> Today I pulled each wire, swabbed it in 409 type cleaner, swabbed
> it in clean water, then swabbed it in Armorall. I also swabbed each
> boot's interior with an alcahol soaked Qtip. After reassembling it
> all I started up after dark and the light show is over. I juste
> saved $70 to put in my tank instead of spending on new plug wires.

My guess is within a few weeks you will pay that $70.00 and then it will
be fixed right.

>
> ----------------------------------------------
> Posted with NewsLeecher v2.0 RC2
> * Binary Usenet Leeching Made Easy
> * http://www.newsleecher.com/?usenet
> ----------------------------------------------

--
Joseph Meehan

Dia duit

Joseph Meehan ) wrote:
: you are nuts wrote:
: > Today I pulled each wire, swabbed it in 409 type cleaner, swabbed
: > it in clean water, then swabbed it in Armorall. I also swabbed each
: > boot's interior with an alcahol soaked Qtip. After reassembling it
: > all I started up after dark and the light show is over. I juste
: > saved $70 to put in my tank instead of spending on new plug wires.

: My guess is within a few weeks you will pay that $70.00 and then it will
: be fixed right.

Some people just can not accept the voice of decades of experience when it
conflicts with their unnecessary spending of money. :-)

Seriously though, if you want to play it really safe, spend the $70.00 for
those new wires. If you keep the VW long enough or get tired of cleaning
the wires from time to time, there will - someday in the future - be a
time when the cleaning will no longer be the cure. .... so put the new
wires in a corner of the trunk and use them *only when the cleaning fails
to help ..... or mention them as a bonus to the next owner when you sell
or trade the car.

(And spend all the other $70.00's that you save on the purchase of ever
more expensive gasoline!) :-)

Ben F.

ps. If I had the time I would tell you some stories about driving in rain
that had stopped a lot of other cars (with newer wires), or the time that
I won a bet by turning a garden hose on my engine for three minutes and
then starting it up without a sign of a miss, or the car (with four year
old wires) that I drove in all kinds of weather with the engine hood
removed, .... or several other similar experiences that give me the
confidence of my recommendations. :-)
I was too poor for new cars or money wasted on things that needed only a
bit of attention - rather than replacement!