bigfoo Posted May 10, 2004 Report Share Posted May 10, 2004 Ok before you go.. NOT ANOTHER ONE ABOUT This I have talked to a few people that have installed new spark plug wires by nology.. called 'hot wires' on their 4.6L NS. They said it runs a little better.. smoother idling, teeny bit more low end power. I know (by reading on this board) that most of you support using the original wires and plugs but I must wonder that by using these wires and upgrading to the dual iridium plugs (like some of the newer cadillacs ) that it would help the gas mileage and performance a little bit... really more importantly the gas mileage right now since it's so freggin expensive!! Comments? Can anyone PROVE any of this or is this something I'd have to try myself and test the results and post it? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Posted May 10, 2004 Report Share Posted May 10, 2004 I'm not normally one to discourage anyone from trying mods out on their car.....but.....stay away from Nology Hotwires. I have heard from some that use them that they actually do give you a bit more power but, they burn out coil packs. Apparently, the wires store energy and as a side effect, they will shoot some of it back to the coil packs and eventually burn them out. While the Nology hotwires aren't good to use, I am also not one who would tell you that you should stick with AC Delco wires. If you want a good set of wires and can afford them, get Magnecor wires. I have had very good luck with them in the past. I would stay away from some of the cheap no-name wires but, there are plenty of good aftermarket wires out there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
growe3 Posted May 10, 2004 Report Share Posted May 10, 2004 In my humble opinion using the stock wires would be your best choice. As an alternative use a high quality aftermarket set. I would not expect any horsepower gains from either one. You will only get the car to perform as good as originally designed. I would also advise using a dual platinum plug. I have tried the Bosch Quad Tip and found a slight decrease in power and according to the emission test an increase in pollutants. After changing back to my dual platinum plugs the power was restored. I have no explanation for why this occurred, but I have two 93' STS's and it has the effect on both cars. I use Champion Dual Platinum; AC's are also very good. -George Drive'em like you own 'em. - ....................04 DTS............................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoo Posted May 10, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 10, 2004 Hmm.. it seems for every good thing, there is always a negative aspect.. What about replacing the coil set with something better? There has to be something better than the stock wires/coils that will work.. I'll email nology and see what they say about burning out coil packs, you would think they would have a diode in there preventing feedback.. i'm not sure they would make a product that would destroy coils. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted May 10, 2004 Report Share Posted May 10, 2004 If you want get the MSD coils from summit. If mine over go out, that is where I am getting my replacements. Also, I second the Magnecor reccomendation by Luke. I have a set on my Caddy. No problems with them at all. A bit pricey, but made in the US, plus they look sweet. I got the 8.5mm CN version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
growe3 Posted May 11, 2004 Report Share Posted May 11, 2004 I changed my coils a couple of years ago to MSD. Trying to get rid of a small misfire. (The real problem turned out to be head gasket leakage.) I got no noticeable increase in power or gas mileage, but... I like the look so I am keeping them on. See attached image. -George Drive'em like you own 'em. - ....................04 DTS............................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ranger Posted May 11, 2004 Report Share Posted May 11, 2004 darn, I thought MY engine was clean. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoo Posted May 11, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2004 Do they have the Coils for the 99 version? I can find 10 times more stuff for the earlier versions than I can for the 99 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
growe3 Posted May 11, 2004 Report Share Posted May 11, 2004 darn, I thought MY engine was clean. Thanks, I clean it two or three times a year, not to much trouble after the first time. -George Drive'em like you own 'em. - ....................04 DTS............................ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinW Posted May 11, 2004 Report Share Posted May 11, 2004 It is likely that those aftermarket wires will emit more radio frequency and electromagnetic interference than the stock parts, which could affect some PCM inputs. The voltage required to fire a plug varies as a function of gap and cylinder pressure and I'm sure a factory system in good operating condition is well up to the task for your application. ___________________________________________________ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigfoo Posted May 11, 2004 Author Report Share Posted May 11, 2004 I guess I'm just used to the older cars with distributors and all that 'nonsense' eh Where you could put on a much better ignition system and get a decent power boost out of the engine .. I would 'assume' that would be the case with any engine.. the bigger the spark the more fuel gets burned and less is wasted therefore improving power and performance and reducing emissions at the same time. Why wouldn't that be the case with the NS? I can't think of any reason why unless it's computer related. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JasonA Posted May 11, 2004 Report Share Posted May 11, 2004 I guess I'm just used to the older cars with distributors and all that 'nonsense' eh Where you could put on a much better ignition system and get a decent power boost out of the engine .. I would 'assume' that would be the case with any engine.. the bigger the spark the more fuel gets burned and less is wasted therefore improving power and performance and reducing emissions at the same time. Why wouldn't that be the case with the NS? I can't think of any reason why unless it's computer related. That probably is true -- if you had a lot of mods to the Northstar and you were still running the stock ignition. You might be able to pick up more power due to the spark not being sufficient. But if your engine is stock (and I'm not talking "mods" like air filters, I'm talking camshafts and superchargers), the factory ignition system has plenty of power to ignite the mixture. You may put wires or plugs on there that have a bigger "capacity" than stock, but if your engine isn't supplying more air and/or fuel to the mixture, it's going to be the same resultant flame. Do a search for spark plug wires or something similar. I know this has been discussed here before, but I can't recall exactly when. Jason(2001 STS, White Diamond) "When you turn your car on...does it return the favor?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinW Posted May 13, 2004 Report Share Posted May 13, 2004 I guess I'm just used to the older cars with distributors and all that 'nonsense' eh Where you could put on a much better ignition system and get a decent power boost out of the engine .. I would 'assume' that would be the case with any engine.. the bigger the spark the more fuel gets burned and less is wasted therefore improving power and performance and reducing emissions at the same time. Why wouldn't that be the case with the NS? I can't think of any reason why unless it's computer related. When an ignition component is changed and a significant power increase is observed, the original part was likely worn or defective, in most cases. Even a points setup can function adequately, but it will not stay in an optimal state without regular attention. Due to fuel economy and exhaust emission requirements, I'm certain that if a "bigger spark" would yield a more complete burn, it would have been designed that way from the beginning. ___________________________________________________ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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