axel Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 NGK wires are fine to use, yes or no? 2000 Legacy 2.5L Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Subaru EJ engines are very sensitive to any aftermarket wires. buy Subaru OEM wires, they're cheap anyway. if that's NGK and you dont' want to buy from Subaru then try them. i've seen after market wires new out of the box cause check engine lights and poor running. don't do it. funny this comes up - i actually picked up a legacy this morning for a friend - the check engine light was on and it read "cylinder misfire" - i see new aftermarket wires on it. i haven't fixed it yet but i'm betting just new Subaru wires will fix it. poor guy sold me the car dirt cheap partly because they didn't know this about Subaru EJ engines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortskoolbus Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 +1 OEM. I've always gone with OEM wires on all my cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avk Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 You can only get OEM if you order them one by one using factory part numbers. Boxed sets that have numbers starting with "SOA" are re-labeled aftermarket parts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axel Posted May 20, 2009 Author Share Posted May 20, 2009 (edited) I would assume, possibly wrongly (?), that Sube OEM wires are made in Japan by either NGK or Denso, both manufacturers of quality products and suppliers to Japanese car makers. And if boxed sets prefixed SOA are , in fact,relabled aftermarkets, then they should, of course, conform to Subaru's standards, no? So, OEM wires ARE actually aftermarkets since Subaru likely does not manufacture their own ignition parts (nor many other parts used on Subes), right? Edited May 20, 2009 by axel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avk Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 And if boxed sets prefixed SOA are , in fact,relabled aftermarkets, then they should, of course, conform to Subaru's standards, no? So, OEM wires ARE actually aftermarkets since Subaru likely does not manufacture their own ignition parts (nor many other parts used on Subes), right? The idea is that if someone, for whatever reason, wants OE wires, then a boxed set won't do. If one wants something that meets OE standards, then their options are much wider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axel Posted May 20, 2009 Author Share Posted May 20, 2009 (edited) Well, if the boxed set is aftermarket and has Subaru's name and part number on the box, then it must meet OEM standards, no? And if the single wires are not manufactured by Subaru themselves, then they have to be, in fact, aftermarket. So by the strictest definition, then, there's no such thing as OEM wires. OEM wires are manufactured by a third party.... NGK or Denso, most likely. So NGK or Denso labled wires should be just fine to use, then. Edited May 20, 2009 by axel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster2 Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 IMO, it is not so much the brand name on the spark plug wires, as it is a price factor. I have been very happy with Bosch wires that have cost as much as, or more then Subie dealer wires. Where trouble arises, is buying a set of "cheapie" wires from a discount auto parts store, and having them perform poorly. IMO, if you buy a set of any manufacturer's wires at a cost of around $50-$60, they should work just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avk Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 (edited) The factory-installed wires are not manufactured by FHI but they have some OE-specified features that boxed versions do not have. Add: I just realized I've been talking with the OP. NGK should be fine if you ask me. Edited May 20, 2009 by avk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 i would be fine using the wires you're talking about. that being said, since you got technical i'll point out why you're wrong: So, OEM wires ARE actually aftermarkets since Subaru likely does not manufacture their own ignition parts (nor many other parts used on Subes), right? not correct. what an OEM supplier sends to Subaru and what they send to Autoparts stores does not have to be the same thing. in the case of ignition wires though i'd guess there's little difference, which is why i say go for it. it's actually the same across many business enterprises. many sugars come from the same plant, same supplier...but the "higher quality" sugars are finer and sent to the higher end brands. the cheap-o brands get the lower grade, more granulated sugar. same in the auto parts industry. the same company can supply the same products to various end users, but that doesn't mean they are identical. even if they're produced identically, they can still go through a sorting process that sends higher quality parts to one verses the other. or they can even make minor production changes that might effect quality...but still produce the "same" product. if you don't understand I can give some lengthy examples, but i doubt that's necessary. in this case i'd personally go with the wires. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axel Posted May 20, 2009 Author Share Posted May 20, 2009 (edited) A Sube stealership quoted me about $70 for a set of wires. I can get NGK wires for $42, and NGKs are hardly el cheapos or of compromised quality. I hate and resent being gouged by stealership parts depts. True, I can order lower priced oem parts on-line from a Sube parts place but too often the shipping charge cancels out the savings of lower prices. Rooster 2 is happy with the Bosch wires that he installed so aftermarket does not necessarily mean problems. I may still go for the NGKs unless I hear of folks having problems with them installed on their Subes. Edited May 20, 2009 by axel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rooster2 Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 A Sube stealership quoted me about $70 for a set of wires.I can get NGK wires for $42, and NGKs are hardly el cheapos or of compromised quality. I hate and resent being gouged by stealership parts depts. True, I can order lower priced oem parts on-line from a Sube parts place but too often the shipping charge cancels out the savings of lower prices. Rooster 2 is happy with the Bosch wires that he installed so aftermarket does not necessarily mean problems. I may still go for the NGKs unless I hear of folks having problems with them installed on their Subes. If it were me, I would go with the NGK wires for $42. NGK is a good name, and I highly doubt that they would make junk wires. Suggest using the "vasoline like salve" think it is called dialectric grease on the tips of the plugs, and using anti-seize on the threads upon installation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shortskoolbus Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 Well, i buy them from Subaru then, whether or not they are OEM, they are from subaru geez, picky! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
subsince77 Posted May 20, 2009 Share Posted May 20, 2009 NGK wires were recommended to me be the guys at CCR, and I really like them. I have been very careful about plug wires in this car, and you have to be, but it's hard to imagine that since the manufacturer specs an NGK plug, that the wires that NGK makes for their plugs wouldn't work. Anyway, they have been fine for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted May 21, 2009 Share Posted May 21, 2009 the subaru dealers will match the online pricing. probably not worth it in this case, i'm just letting you know for the future, that's what i do. actually i don't buy any of these. i use Magnecor wires. they are far superior than anything mentioned here and you never need to buy wires again. they are also very reasonable and last the life of the vehicle. i put a ton of miles on cars so that's why i use them, they probably aren't worth it for the average person since you have to probably order them. but i've put 150,000 - 200,000 on one set before and they were still in great condition. my time is valuable, i can make more than shipping costs in 30 minutes so i don't go anywhere or wait in lines unless i have to. clicking a few buttons and having it on my doorstep is the bomb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
axel Posted May 21, 2009 Author Share Posted May 21, 2009 Magnecors look really good. They appear to be available for $100-$120 a set. Ideal for one who puts lots of miles on their vehicle and wants maximum performance. Not worthwhile for me since I travel out of the country frequently and don't get to put too many miles on my Sube. If time is important, there's nothing like having a good, reliable competent shop do needed work on one's car. Saves one's sanity as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aba4430 Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 I have NGK wires on two Nissan Altima's (~$70) and a set on my 87 Brat (~17). No issues. The NGK's are fine wires in my experience. Even after extended use, if the resistance values are acceptable, and there are no cracks/damage to the boots and wire insulation, they do not need changing. You can go for the best and get Magnacore's as well. Best is relative - is it the materials of construction of the cables that is better and help these potentially take abuse and last longer, or does it provide superior measurable electrical performance. Go with whichever, the cost difference normalized over the lifespan will work out to be minimal........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bgambino Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 the "SOA"numbered wire set is NOT OEM? I recently got a price quote from 1st subaru (walker renton) for among other things a spark plug wire set---they listed P/N SOA430Q115---price was only 30.92--which I thought seemed almost too reasonable for OEM wires. When I punched this P/N into thier website...nothing comes up But, the individual wires each come up at 11.48 EA So...what's going on here?? Where is our resident SUbie mechanic to weigh in on this subject I would rather pay 45 for true OEM than 32 for something else.....well...I'd rather pay the cheaper price but since these cars are so damn sensitive, I'd rather pay more for peace of mind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
idosubaru Posted May 22, 2009 Share Posted May 22, 2009 Magnecors look really good. They appear to be available for $100-$120 a set. they are much cheaper than that. if you searched their website or somewhere else, look around some more, they are usually way lower than that. i've never paid anywhere near that, even for 6 cylinder engines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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