RE: Magnecor wires, cont.

["Mark Nelson" <tahoe@msn.com>]

Brandon,

How was this diagnosed?  Did you try changing them out wire by wire, to
narrow down the bad wire?  It sounds like it was a problem with the wire
between the ignition and the distributor.  It's possible that the wire may
have been stretched at one point, causing the problem.  If it was a flaw in
the design of the insulators, you would have had this problem LONG before.
There's nothing particularly special about the insulators on these wires;
they're just standard silicone insulators.  Again, just consider how
unlikely it is they ALL could have gone bad.  I've had plug wires that have
been resting on a header pipe on another vehicle, and burned through the
silicone on several wires, but they still didn't arc.  Arcing seems to occur
most often when the wire between the ignition and the distributor goes bad.

Regards,
-Mark Nelson
mailto:tahoe@msn.com
http://www.quattrosport.com

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Brandon Hull [mailto:brandon@cardinalventures.com]
> Sent: Friday, April 16, 1999 9:36 AM
> To: Mark Nelson; 20VT List; Audi 20v List; Quattro List
> Subject: Re: Magnecor wires, cont.
>
>
>
> >What doesn't make sense is why you replaced the entire wire set, and not
> >just the wire that was arcing??  This simply doesn't make any sense; the
> >entire wire set couldn't have been bad
>
> As far as I could tell, most or all of them were arcing.  To restate the
> original post:  The insulator on the distributor end of each wire _barely_
> covered the brass connector beneath.  The stock insulators, by contrast,
> extend about 3/4" longer onto the wire.  I believe that current
> was leaping
> through what is, in microscopic terms, a huge gap.
>
> Again, this post originated as a "high load miss" question.  The
> shutoff of
> power under full boost was so complete, I believe _all_ the wires were
> dumping current directly to the block.   The fact that it was observable
> (sporadic but consistent crackling sound, tiny lightening bolts) at _idle_
> suggests something is wrong with the insulator design, not any one wire.
>
> Brandon H.
>
>