Help! Can't Remove GM Plug Wires

[Jim 5]

My 04 Avalanche with the 5.3L v8 needs new spark plugs.

The plug wires are stuck on the plugs like they've been epoxied on. I have tried 4 different kind of spark plug wire removal tools, can't get them off.

I've got at least 2 hours into trying to remove a single wire. I've pretty much given up on trying to remove them without damaging them, but I can't even cut them off because they have an aluminum sleeve around them at the spark plug.

What kind of ridiculous infuriating GM design plan is this? I've changed spark plugs 100's of times and have never seen anything this crazy. The truck only has 48k miles on it.

Can anybody offer any suggestions? I've tried everything, and even the spark plug boot "pliers" will bend and get deformed trying to pull these off. I can't get the hook tool behind them.

I'm dying over here! Please help!

 

[MrCritical]

Why does your Avalanche need new plugs at 48k?

 

[Jim 5]

Because I like to over do it. Any suggestions here?

 

[Lonnie]

Go buy those special pliers for removing spark plug wires. Give them a twist and pull. Some auto parts stores have a tool section, but if you look around and ask you will find them.

 

[Jim 5]

Quote:

---

Go buy those special pliers for removing spark plug wires. Give them a twist and pull. Some auto parts stores have a tool section, but if you look around and ask you will find them.

---

Bought them, tried them, bent them. Plug wires did not come off.

 

[GMBoy]

I feel your pain. If it were me being at the point you are now - I'd say screw it and rip the wires off and just put new ones on. Be sure to use die-electric grease on the wires so they'll come off next time

 

[GMBoy]

Oh - if you decide on ripping them off - just use razor blade to cut the boot on the plug - it'll come right off.

 

[levi]

I'd go to a Chevy service dept and ask them if they have had similar experiences with plug wires on your vehicle/motor. Ask if there's anything they know that you don't. Worth a shot.

*

 

[mechtech2]

You can cause internal and external damage to the wires, if you keep at it. Maybe you already did.
A new set of wires with a liberal application of boot grease , seems in your future.
You can use caveman techniques, if you know that you will replace the wires and plugs. Hammer the plug sideways to break it, if necessary.

 

[Travis99LS1]

I have the same plug wires on my Z28....And yes..they were a PITA to remove..You just have to keep twisting and wiggling, and pulling harder than you ever thought possible and they might come off. To be honest with you..i wouldnt try it with out having replacement wires to put back on. Odds are your going to damage atleast one or 2. I had to use a vice grips on one of them to get it off. But i can honestly say, that i changed the plugs and wires on my Z28 at about 85K miles..and the plugs were still fine. The platinum, and now Iridium plugs that GM uses really can go 100K miles before needing a change. My stock GM wires had a huge amount of resistance..way more than the MSD wires i replaced them with.

 

[Jim 5]

Thanks for the tips. Glad to hear I'm not the only one.

I have a good mind to snap off the spark plugs the separate the broken plug from the spark plug boot with a needle or something.

Since this is not something that is expected to occur during manufacturer's warranty, I'm certain GM will not correct this problem.

 

[MrCritical]

He's 12k out of warranty on mileage, if not time.

 

[doitmyself]

Don't add more pain to your misery by doing what I did. One of my Caravan wires was stuck/glued on (@30K/copper plug replacement interval). After 30 minutes of cussing, etc., it came flying off with the final attempt and my elbow flew into the MAF or MAP sensor, breaking it off. $90 bucks added to this DIY job! Not too cost effective this time around.

 

[JTK]

Jim, did you try a long nose pair of needle nosed pliers? Grab as much rubber as you can at the closed end of the boot, twist and pull. Once they twist, they should pop off. Good side is, you have the 8 identical shorty wires that should be easy to replace. Throw a little silicone grease in the new wires.

Joel

 

[alreadygone]

If I was into wasting money replacing perfectly good parts, I'd replace the wires at your present mileage. The wires will degrade before the plugs do.

Bob

 

[PF52]

Quote:

---

If I was into wasting money replacing perfectly good parts...

---

I'm with the original poster; sure, maybe the GM maintenance schedule says to replace the plugs at 100,000 miles, but for the cost of a few bucks I can replace them at the halfway point and be certain they aren't siezed into those aluminum cylinder heads. However, he'd need to pull the wires even if he wanted to check the gaps on the plugs, so regardless of the reason, the wires are still unnecessarily difficult to remove.

 

[Cutehumor]

Quote:

---

If I was into wasting money replacing perfectly good parts, I'd replace the wires at your present mileage. The wires will degrade before the plugs do.

Bob

---

I'm the opposite, I don't overdo, I squeeze the mileage out of parts. my 92 mirage didn't get spark plug wire change until 14 yrs/132k miles

 

[wantin150]

Imagine how much more difficult the wires would be going out to 100k! Heck, I'm sure the plugs would be stuck too.

 

[Mike_dup1]

Be careful removing plugs on GM engines with aluminum heads. The engine should cool down for about 1 hr before removing them to avoid damage to the head, which will be very costly.

I went to change the plugs in my 2004 GMC 5.3L at about 30,000 miles because I wanted to use Iridium plugs as I knew there were service issues with Platinums not holding up. Lo and behold, the truck already had AC Delco Iridiums in it and the truck was built early in the 2004 build out. All the parts catalogs and GM info said, Platinums were the OEM plugs. I had a AC Delco service center do the work and I watched him remove the first plug. He had some kind of tool I did not recognize and they seemed to come off easy. Guess what, the plugs after 30,000+ miles of using WM fuel looked brand new and we compared them to the new ones. Aborted the change.

 

[meep]

poke a hole in boot and inject WD40.
You'll have to replace, but there's less banging and flailing involved.

M