Coil Wire Arching!!!!!!!!
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Coil Wire Arching!!!!!!!! Tonight I found out the importance of checking spark-plug wires in the dark! Thinking I would never have a problem using 10.4mm Taylor wires. After poping the hood I found my coil wire arching on the TB's coolent line and saw an arch on the valve cover from a wire! WTF! Luckily, my AC Delco coil wire was in the mailbox! After installing and starting, after a minute the car idled and revved smoother. I also noticed that the GM coil wires are year specific? I think mine is for 93-95 and they changed it later, probably a different length? Is anybody using extra shielding on there wires?
Yep, Taylor wires have recently been found to be prone to arcing although some people won't believe it. MSD’s work well.
I used fire shielding at the plugs when I had the '94.
I used fire shielding at the plugs when I had the '94.
I have gone through 5, maybe 6 coil wires over the past 2 years. Used taylor, stock ac delco replacement, autozone wires (even using insulator socks to prevent rubbing) and I still have had problems with the coil wire arcing on the coil itself. Don't know why I keep having this problem but it's damn annoying. I figured maybe there was resistance in the rest of the ignition system, but it's all been replaced for the most part.
^^^
Fire shielding???
^^^
Fire shielding???
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Joined: Dec 2008
Posts: 4,147
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From: Little Rock, AR
Tonight I found out the importance of checking spark-plug wires in the dark! Thinking I would never have a problem using 10.4mm Taylor wires. After poping the hood I found my coil wire arching on the TB's coolent line and saw an arch on the valve cover from a wire! WTF! Luckily, my AC Delco coil wire was in the mailbox! After installing and starting, after a minute the car idled and revved smoother. I also noticed that the GM coil wires are year specific? I think mine is for 93-95 and they changed it later, probably a different length? Is anybody using extra shielding on there wires?
What you see is an arc-not an arch.
projekt70chevelle is onto something with resistance. Electricity will of course always follow the path of least resistance. So what's downstream from the coil? Distributor, wires, plugs. Downstream from the wires? Just the plugs. Imagine how much resistance is in the shielding & insulation of those Taylor wires and has to be overcome in favor of where it's supposed to go. Not saying go and replace everything by any means, but finding the high resistance is the key (and the challenge). Even a loose plug boot can do it.
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I'm using stock coil which is fairly new. A MSD 6al that really lengthens the spark duration? I think I have a cylinder loading up with fuel on the drivers side. I've got some new plug wires coming too. When I drive it runs awesome, then at idle, like at a stop light or sign for a few moments, when I start to go again it gets very sluggish and I hear a "clunck" under the hood? Then if I spinn it a little it runs fine again?
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From: Tulsa, OK
Hard to insulate something by providing a second conductor. If what you really mean is shielding, what for? Are you getting interference in your radio? That, or interference with some other electronic widget would be the only reason you'd need shielding.
You will learn to ignore his threads in time, It shouldnt take you long
