Solved a spark plug wire engine miss problem

[smelly_cat]

This is just me bragging but maybe it can save someone some time

 

My Gl has had a stutter problem for 2 years that i figured was a gas starvation problem. The problem is that it would only stutter the engine under heavy acceleration now and then and it would self correct if I let off the pedal a bit.

 

I found a major problem with my spark plug wires. some how, some time, I must have pulled real hard on a plug wire either taking off the air cleaner or doing water hoses . I had pulled the end with the contact out of the distributer cap but the rubber boot stayed on. so the spark had to jump a half inch to light up the plug. . Cheers. SC

[bwraven]

I had the same symptoms with my truck.

 

Thought it was EGR valve or O2 sensors.

 

Turned out I needed new plug wires.

[subaruguru]

might be just me but shouldent you change the spark plug wires more often than every 2 years?

[TheSubaruJunkie]

I cant tell you how many times ive chased engine problems only to find it was a plug or a plug wire.

 

Anything from a simple miss, to engine's stalling. ECU codes, to backfiring...

 

Now if I experience any type of engine problem, I replace the plugs and wires first... and if it doesnt solve the problem, then I start chasing down other parts.

 

-Brian

[NorthWet]

I once put some Techtron injector cleaner into the tank of an EA82T, and all of a sudden it had misfires in various parts of its rev range. Problem continued after tank ran empty and refilled. After a couple weeks of scratching my head, I replaced the wires and all was instantly well again. The cleaner probably just stressed the ignition enough to finish off some marginal wires.

[smelly_cat]

suburuGuru, I did not know the wires need to be changed so often. is that what everyone else does? When I changed these I though they were the hardest plug wires I had ever replaced. Heck even the distributer cap is wedged under the air cleaner and is kind of picky about coming off SC