Tips And Advices - Replace Spark Plug Wires

Open the hood and locate the spark plug wires. They can be black, blue, red or orange. Most are black. The number of spark plug wires most often corresponds to the number of cylinders your engine has.

Open the box of new spark plug wires. If the new wires aren't labeled ("1," "2" and so on), lay them out in order of length.

Start at one end of the engine and remove only the first spark plug wire: Pull on the boot (at the end) of the plug wire until it pops off.

Follow the wire to its other end, where it's plugged into the distributor cap. Remove the wire from the distributor cap by pulling on the end of the wire.

Check the spark plug. A good spark plug will be lightly coated with greyish brown deposits. If heavy deposits are present, if the spark plug is black, or if the electrode or core nose are damaged, replace the spark plug (see "Replace Spark Plugs" under Related eHows).

Note that most cars have small plastic pieces with slots that hold the wires in place so they don't rub against each other or rest on any part of the engine. Be sure to put the plug wires back into their slots to ensure longer life.

Replace with a new spark plug wire of the same length or number. The plug wire will make a quiet "pop" when it snaps on the spark plug.

Continue with the next spark plug wire, always taking one off at a time and replacing with a new wire until you've replaced all of the wires.