Hello All,
Just got a quote from Audi and I was shocked to say the least (not really !! ) at the price for a set of ignition leads for my car, £25.40 + vat per lead x6 (A4 2.4 V6). I've had a good google and I can get a set of resistive leads for £40 delivered or a set of copper core leads for £76 delivered (still dear ! ).
I'm guessing that resistive leads do not generate as good a spark ?
Has anyone used both types (on any car) and could you tell me if there was a noticable difference,
many thanks
Benno
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Has anyone used both types (on any car) and could you tell me if there was a noticable difference
Yes, many years ago I tried a copper set. Car went fine but radio interference was marked.
Learned my lesson and went back to standard resistive leads.
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I would use the correct leads. Using copper leads may create too much electrical noise under the bonnet causing interference with other sensors! & ending up with all sorts of problems. To give you an example there is a make of car that if you don't use the manufactures recommended plugs the emisions tend to wander. In the past a high percentage of emision & idling faults I have found to be caused by pattern leads or sperious plugs! ( & I know some bright spark will comment on the fact that car manufactures don't make plugs !) well thats right but they do make sure that the ones branded through the dealer are within a specified electrical tolerence! ( FACT)
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>>In the past a high percentage of emision & idling faults I have found to be caused by pattern leads or sperious plugs!
Fully agree. In the past I've waited too much time in diagnosis, when the first thing I should have done would have been to sling the spuriae in the bin.
For my own cars, I'm reasonably happy to find out what the original equipment was, and then buy the same parts without the manufacturer's fancy box via other outlets, like the local motor factors.
I certainly wouldn't mess about with non-original plug leads on modern cars. Not worth the hassle, and cetainly not worth messing with if you are paying for someone else's time to fit them.
Number_Cruncher
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Copper core leads not only give rise to more interference. Your plugs will also wear out more quickly. The wear is caused by capacitance discharge --- the leads have an associated capacitance. Discharge takes place so rapidly it erodes plug metal. Having lead resistance avoids this.
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And if you happend to zap your coil(s) then any saving would be long gone.
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have you tried gsf ,ecp or any other vag specialists for some oem qualitiy leads at a lower price?
golf ones are priced similar if bought seperatly , but you can get a quality set for much less if you shop around
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Thanks for all the replies. I've been googling a tad more and believe that the original leads are of the copper core variety. Ignition car parts offer 3 types for my car :
1. resistive type (£40)
2. copper core (oem spec) (£76)
3. super duper 10mm blah blah (toooo much)
As I'm a bit of a tight git I'm drawn towards the cheaper resistive type so I'd like too know if these will be detrimental to my car, surely if they are offered for sale then they should be ok ??
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Years ago it was standard practice by VW group to fit Beru Ignition Wire sets as OE. These consisted of 1 k ohm resistors at each end of a copper core lead.
I am sure you will be OK with resistive leads as long as they are of good quality.
The weakness of resistive leads is not the resistive core, but the method of termination. Poor termination design will eventually allow arcing between termal and core, leading to misfire.
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...cheaper version it is then.
thanks to ALL for your input, as always it's spot on !
cheers
Benno
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I agree.
Also, before resistive leads were in use, the copper ones were fitted with a resistor of about 10k near to the plug end. This was a black plastic rod of insulating material, having the resistor inside, and each end of it had a wood screw spike, in a recess, such that the lead could be screwed on to it.
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Copper core leads wont work well enough with the modern electrical requirements of the engine.
Dont fit them, may be cheap but will be wasted money
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