What happens if I mix up spark plug wires?

[YLW DRM2]

Lets say I mixed up and crossed over two spark plug wires. What is the worst that could happen and how the car will behave to show me that I missconnected wires to the wrong cylinders?

 

[bluesrt]

are you high or serious?

 

[Fatboy 18]

It will not run right! The car will be misfiring, the valves / pistons will not be in the correct position for the spark detination

 

[bluesrt]

hey-lets say i weld some wings on my car-will it fly?

 

[YLW DRM2]

are you high or serious?

Yes, yes, I know stupid question, I don't think I ever had the issue of crossing wires, so I don't know how the car should behave in case I did.

 

[v10enomous]

You could potentially destroy the intake and/or blow the gaskets or worse especially if you ignite the intake stroke...

 

[plumcrazy]

What makes you think you have a wire installed wrong ?

 

[Flexx91]

As others have mentioned, the car will run like crap (rough idle and misfire). And if you don't know what 'runs like crap' means, you'll know that it now doesn't sound or feel (shakes more) the same as it did before. Rule of thumb when changing wires: Change them one at a time!

 

[YLW DRM2]

As others have mentioned, the car will run like crap (rough idle and misfire). And if you don't know what 'runs like crap' means, you'll know that it now doesn't sound or feel (shakes more) the same as it did before. Rule of thumb when changing wires: Change them one at a time!

Ok, thank you guys. I am safe for now .

 

[Smokin' 2]

"Whatever you do, don't cross the streams!"

 

[Chelseasnake]

it will run like a corvette

 

[snakem04]

it will run like a corvette

Ive got to tell the corvette owners in my family that one.

 

[VENOMAHOLIC]

it will run like a corvette

LMAO That was the best laugh I had this week. Like the above poster said, change one at a time. I have in my youth crossed wires on my old DD and the results weren't catastrophic because I turned it right off rught away but lets just say it didn't sound good.

 

[Coloviper]

If you have to ask this very question, I would say maybe someone else should fix your wires for you. The answer is simple, pull them all off and install them one at a time according to the firing order. They are geneally length specific to the cylinders.

If you get them wrong, the car will A.) not start at all or B.) Run like crap. If B.) then shut car off immediately and figure out where you went wrong. That very brief few seconds runtime on improperly wired coils will not hurt it, just don't let it run forever and start reving it up. You should know within 1/2 a second if it is wired wrong. If you can't figure it out, again maybe you should not be working on that part and get someoe else to do it for you.

 

[Venomiss]

Get a picture of your engine before starting to change them out so you have a reference for yourself.



Don't cross the streams-too funny. Is he the keymaster or the gatekeeper?

 

[Tony2]

Hmmm I thought it would just sound like it had a large cam in it??

Tony2