15 Year Old Plug Wires

[jmb106]

Ok, here is the info, 95 Honda Accord w/ 214,000 miles on the odometer. I bought the car in June w/ 206k on it, i have no service history what so ever! The wires have 1995 marked on all of them, I believe these are the original plug wires and cap and rotor. Runs great, gets 30mpg hwy, 24 city. What do you think, time to retire them? Or if it isn't broke don't fix it?
Joe

 

[jorton]

Replace the rotor. If it fails it can leave you stranded.

 

[Quest]

replace cap, rotor and wires.

I wouldn't trust any spark plug wires that are over 6 yrs in service.

But then again, it's your call whether you want to do this or not.If you got stranded because of faulty wires and/or cap and rotor (or even spark plugs worn), that's your problem and not mine nor manufacturer's fault.

Afterall: automobile manufacturers don't provide guideline and specific maintenance routines w/o a reason behind it.

Q.

 

[citationxeleven]

I had nearly the same thing on the 95 Civic I bought. It had 168,000 miles-original cap and rotor. Original fuel filter also which I changed. Ran great before the tuneup, ran even better after.

 

[demarpaint]

If the cap wires and rotor have 214,000 miles they've served above and beyond. While we can post of record miles from these parts there is the practical side of things. If the cap or rotor fail it can leave you high and dry in the dead of winter. You can limp home with a bad wire or two. Treat the car to a full tune up, why tempt fate?

 

[mechtech2]

With light loading, they will probably be fine for a longer time.
But...
Replace them, and might as well get the other critical parts in there.

 

[wn1998]

For roughly $75 you should be able to replace everything. You will note your mileage now and after the change. I would be interested to see the results.

I am always an advocate of changing my cap, rotor and wires every other tuneup (60k).

 

[jmb106]

Thanks, everyone took the plung and replaced cap, rotor,and all the wires w/ Honda OME parts list w/ tax would have been $150 walked out the door for $100 w/ tax. I know I could have saved $25 or a little more by going aftermarket but i was so impressed w/ the quality of the genuine Honda parts that I thought i would spend the exrta $25.
Thanks
Joe

 

[Tosh]

Devil's advocate say:
Just cuz they're marked 1995 doesn't mean they've been in use since then. The cheapskate in me says take them out and measure the resistance/inch (Ohms/inch) to see if they're all the same. Wiggle them while they're hooked to the ohmmeter to see if there are breaks in the conductor. IF you decide to replace them, then go OEM again. And replace the cap and rotor (use OEM) if they appear worn (which should be pretty obvious once you look inside).

If it runs as good as you say, it might not even need plugs yet. But it depends on your attitude: Are you a 'Better safe than sorry' or a 'Don't fix what ain't broke' person?

edit: I guess the former?! What, no new plugs?

 

[jmb106]

Originally Posted By: wn1998
For roughly $75 you should be able to replace everything. You will note your mileage now and after the change. I would be interested to see the results.

I am always an advocate of changing my cap, rotor and wires every other tuneup (60k).


wn1998,
will post any results in MPG's. Can't wait to see if they increase any!What a difference in the way it starts! Can't wait to take a drive.
Joe

 

[Mr Nice]

You might see a very small increase in gas mileage, but don't expect too much.

 

[berniedd]

Replacing the capa bd rotor is best for your peace of mind. However, Honda says the high tension wires should be within 25,000 ohms resistance. If you haven't thrown out the old set, could you use an ohmeter to measure their resistance? I'd be curious to find out their resistances.

 

[Scdevon]

I'm a cheapskate, but this is one time I'd urge you to use OEM Honda stuff or at least the original supplier (probably Denso). Most aftermarket cap/rotor/wires are of really poor quality.
You can find OEM Honda stuff pretty reasonably online if you shop around. The dealer will overcharge you like always on stuff like this. Shop around online.

 

[JustinC25]

My wires are 15 years old, and work fine. They are the original Sumitomo wires that came with my car 251k ago. They ohm out perfect, and the car runs great. No need to change them. Plugs however are a different matter. I change mine every 60k with Denso OEM Double Plats. I'd also change that rotor. It must be getting thin by now. But If you've got the cash, then do it all
(plugs, wires, cap, & rotor) but please use OEM HONDA parts.
Aftermarket wires (other than Denso, NGK, and Sumitomo) are junk and I've seen them start to arc in as little as 5k.