how often should you change your plug wires
#11
04-20-2008, 05:30 PM
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RE: how often should you change your plug wires
The wires should last a long, long time. But sooner or later they will need to be replaced. The wires on my XS 650 Yamaha had gotten cracks in them from old age and my left leg got an electrical shower of shocks when I was caught in a bad thunderstorm. I replace the wires and no more spark leak.
Tnicean
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#12
04-20-2008, 05:46 PM
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RE: how often should you change your plug wires
Thank you, Thumpn. You may advance to the head of the class...
Tnicean and xxx are on the money. Something like a sparkplug wire may fail over time because of corrosion or splitting of the insulator due to age, weathering, etc, but they'll give indications of imminent failure, which is the cue to replace them. Even given that, they should last a hell of a long time if the bike is generally looked after properly and you don't have any other problems with the ignition system.
Tnicean and xxx are on the money. Something like a sparkplug wire may fail over time because of corrosion or splitting of the insulator due to age, weathering, etc, but they'll give indications of imminent failure, which is the cue to replace them. Even given that, they should last a hell of a long time if the bike is generally looked after properly and you don't have any other problems with the ignition system.
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04-20-2008, 06:47 PM
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RE: how often should you change your plug wires
Test them for resistance with an ohm meter 
to be sure
to be sure
#14
04-20-2008, 06:49 PM
RE: how often should you change your plug wires
I always pitch the stock Harley crap wires, I bet they must pay about .50 a set for those. I upgrade to MAGNACORE wires on everything I own anduse them forever.
#15
04-20-2008, 08:04 PM
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RE: how often should you change your plug wires
ORIGINAL: Pitts2112
Unless you've got a definite problem (like one cylinder not firing reliably), and you've traced it to the wire, I can't think of any reason why you would EVER have to change out the wires. As Uncle Scrooge said, they don't wear so there would be no reason for them to stop working.
There's a theory in maintenance about replacing things at a certain lifespan, regardless of actual performance, kinda like what you're asking. In aviation, they're known as "lifed" items. Their "lives" are normally determined statistically or through experience based on known (or predicted) failure modes and are usually on things which fail without warning and are critical to a safe operating system. The idea is that if you think (or experience has shown) that a part will typically fail at point X in time, replace it at, say, 80% of X, so you never risk getting too close to the end of it's normal servicable life. Logic says this would mean you would never have failures of these components.
The only downside of this is another factor known as "infantile failure". If you look at a failure analysis of most components or assemblies, they are more likely to fail within the first few days/cycles/hours of usage and normally down to manufacuring or installation failures (which is why extended warranties are basically a scam). So, there is actually a chance that, by replacing a servicable and reliable item with a brand-spanking new one, you are installing a defect that wasn't there before. Lifed items are normally bench tested to run them out of the infantile failure period before being put into service.
Sparkplug wires are neither wear items, nor are they lifed, for the reasons alluded to above.
All of which means, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! And that applies to anything on the bike, car, refridgerator, washing machine, etc. (or have I just said a bunch of stuff you already knew??)
Unless you've got a definite problem (like one cylinder not firing reliably), and you've traced it to the wire, I can't think of any reason why you would EVER have to change out the wires. As Uncle Scrooge said, they don't wear so there would be no reason for them to stop working.
There's a theory in maintenance about replacing things at a certain lifespan, regardless of actual performance, kinda like what you're asking. In aviation, they're known as "lifed" items. Their "lives" are normally determined statistically or through experience based on known (or predicted) failure modes and are usually on things which fail without warning and are critical to a safe operating system. The idea is that if you think (or experience has shown) that a part will typically fail at point X in time, replace it at, say, 80% of X, so you never risk getting too close to the end of it's normal servicable life. Logic says this would mean you would never have failures of these components.
The only downside of this is another factor known as "infantile failure". If you look at a failure analysis of most components or assemblies, they are more likely to fail within the first few days/cycles/hours of usage and normally down to manufacuring or installation failures (which is why extended warranties are basically a scam). So, there is actually a chance that, by replacing a servicable and reliable item with a brand-spanking new one, you are installing a defect that wasn't there before. Lifed items are normally bench tested to run them out of the infantile failure period before being put into service.
Sparkplug wires are neither wear items, nor are they lifed, for the reasons alluded to above.
All of which means, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! And that applies to anything on the bike, car, refridgerator, washing machine, etc. (or have I just said a bunch of stuff you already knew??)
#16
04-20-2008, 08:18 PM
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RE: how often should you change your plug wires
ORIGINAL: jose409
yes i have a gas leak out of my overfill hose still haven"t blown up yet lol
yes i have a gas leak out of my overfill hose still haven"t blown up yet lol
#17
04-20-2008, 08:38 PM
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RE: how often should you change your plug wires
ORIGINAL: Pitts2112
Unless you've got a definite problem (like one cylinder not firing reliably), and you've traced it to the wire, I can't think of any reason why you would EVER have to change out the wires. As Uncle Scrooge said, they don't wear so there would be no reason for them to stop working.
There's a theory in maintenance about replacing things at a certain lifespan, regardless of actual performance, kinda like what you're asking. In aviation, they're known as "lifed" items. Their "lives" are normally determined statistically or through experience based on known (or predicted) failure modes and are usually on things which fail without warning and are critical to a safe operating system. The idea is that if you think (or experience has shown) that a part will typically fail at point X in time, replace it at, say, 80% of X, so you never risk getting too close to the end of it's normal servicable life. Logic says this would mean you would never have failures of these components.
The only downside of this is another factor known as "infantile failure". If you look at a failure analysis of most components or assemblies, they are more likely to fail within the first few days/cycles/hours of usage and normally down to manufacuring or installation failures (which is why extended warranties are basically a scam). So, there is actually a chance that, by replacing a servicable and reliable item with a brand-spanking new one, you are installing a defect that wasn't there before. Lifed items are normally bench tested to run them out of the infantile failure period before being put into service.
Sparkplug wires are neither wear items, nor are they lifed, for the reasons alluded to above.
All of which means, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! And that applies to anything on the bike, car, refridgerator, washing machine, etc. (or have I just said a bunch of stuff you already knew??)
Unless you've got a definite problem (like one cylinder not firing reliably), and you've traced it to the wire, I can't think of any reason why you would EVER have to change out the wires. As Uncle Scrooge said, they don't wear so there would be no reason for them to stop working.
There's a theory in maintenance about replacing things at a certain lifespan, regardless of actual performance, kinda like what you're asking. In aviation, they're known as "lifed" items. Their "lives" are normally determined statistically or through experience based on known (or predicted) failure modes and are usually on things which fail without warning and are critical to a safe operating system. The idea is that if you think (or experience has shown) that a part will typically fail at point X in time, replace it at, say, 80% of X, so you never risk getting too close to the end of it's normal servicable life. Logic says this would mean you would never have failures of these components.
The only downside of this is another factor known as "infantile failure". If you look at a failure analysis of most components or assemblies, they are more likely to fail within the first few days/cycles/hours of usage and normally down to manufacuring or installation failures (which is why extended warranties are basically a scam). So, there is actually a chance that, by replacing a servicable and reliable item with a brand-spanking new one, you are installing a defect that wasn't there before. Lifed items are normally bench tested to run them out of the infantile failure period before being put into service.
Sparkplug wires are neither wear items, nor are they lifed, for the reasons alluded to above.
All of which means, if it ain't broke, don't fix it! And that applies to anything on the bike, car, refridgerator, washing machine, etc. (or have I just said a bunch of stuff you already knew??)
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