Spark plug Wires @ 145k - will it make a difference

[riffman12]

Hi folks,

My 2000 sport has ~145k on it. As far as I can tell, the wires are original.

The truck has felt a little underpowered compared to my last one (same year, same engine). Can I expect the wires to make it run a bit smoother? Or is it more of a preventative thing?

Other info: Cleaned my MAF a little while back, that helped but it still doesn't seem to be running as smooth as I'd like. Also replaced the spark plugs with the Toyota plugs. No CEL or anything. My MPGs seem normal. ...maybe I'm just being paranoid. It's not a sports car after all.

Any other tips to regain some lost power and have it run smoother? Might seafoam it soon.

 

[JayRolla]

Yes.

 

[jkoni426]

I still have the original plug wires on my '99 with 242k miles. If you have a multimeter, you can check the resistance. Spec is less than 25k ohms if I remember correctly. Mine were reading about 16k. If yours read more than 25k ohms, that's your problem.

 

[19963.4lsr5]

Hi folks,

My 2000 sport has ~145k on it. As far as I can tell, the wires are original.

The truck has felt a little underpowered compared to my last one (same year, same engine). Can I expect the wires to make it run a bit smoother? Or is it more of a preventative thing?

Other info: Cleaned my MAF a little while back, that helped but it still doesn't seem to be running as smooth as I'd like. Also replaced the spark plugs with the Toyota plugs. No CEL or anything. My MPGs seem normal. ...maybe I'm just being paranoid. It's not a sports car after all.

Any other tips to regain some lost power and have it run smoother? Might seafoam it soon.

How much slack is in your throttle cable?

 

[gamefreakgc]

There's a few key items and sensors that will start to degrade performance over time (not to mention engine wear!)

1. O2 sensors. These will clog up over time and hamper fuel economy and performance. More so on the front sensor than the rear.

2. Spark plugs. But you probably already knew this.

3. Residue buildup on the MAF and the Throttle Body. You cleaned your MAF sensor, but did you clean up the inside of the throttle body? Seafoam will help here, but nothing beats just cleaning it out with a towel and some carb cleaner.

4. Plug wires. These last a long time but not forever. Check for cracks or resistance that's out of spec like mentioned above. If you replace them, only get DENSO or NGK wires. The rest will fail quicker. These are cheap on Rock Auto's site.

5. Engine sludge. Hard to tell if you've got any unless you've removed the valve covers recently. If you do have some buildup or want to just make sure it's clean, run some Marvel Mystery Oil or Seafoam in the crankcase per the directions (don't keep it in there too long). People will surely chime in on this one, but it does work.

If you want something more aggressive you can use an engine flush product. Used incorrectly though and you can damage seals and rubber components. I had some sludge in mine so I flushed it, will flush again the next oil change (which will be less than 3k miles from now).

6. Vacuum Leaks. Hoses don't last forever, especially when made of rubber. Any suspect hose with cracks or wear should just be replaced. A few bucks and some clamps is all it takes.

7. Wiring. I'm not talking about plug wires, but just your engine's basic wiring and grounds. If these become loose or corroded (especially the battery ground) then you're reducing the amount of "flow" of electricity throughout the engine. Less electricity can result in less power in some cases. Check out the "Big 3" upgrade if you want to take this idea a step further.