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IGNITION CABLES

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What's an ignition wire set for?
- The ignition function - A vehicle that works well is first and foremost an engine where energy circulates correctly. Therefore, the condition of the ignition wire set is highly important. Its job is to transmit high voltage current from the coil to the distributor and from the distributor to the spark plugs.
- Suppressing interference - The stainless steel conductor wound in a spiral around the ferromagnetic core carries high voltage current without any energy loss. Interference is absorbed throughout the length of the cable, thus protecting television, radio and telephone reception and any electronic equipment in the vehicle.
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How long does an ignition wire set last?

In principle, an ignition wire set does not wear out, but, in fact, all sorts of aggression such as sudden changes in temperature, humidity, oil, ozone, fuel, vibrations and variations in voltage accelerate its normal ageing process.

For better performance it is recommended, that as part or the cars preveventative maintenance care, the ignition leads be replaced every 50'000 km or every three years - depending on what comes first. It is recommended that this be done before the winters months commence.
- As time goes by
  Under these aggressive conditions, the ignition lead crack, the boots become porous, the terminal become oxidised. This result in poor voltage transmission and incomplete combustion.
- What do you notice?
  Increased fuel consumption, difficult starting, soft black sooty deposits (carbon built-up) on the spark plug's electrodes, sluggish engine performence, and disruption to radio reception.
- What you cannot see
  At the onset, damage to the ignition lead; cannot usually be seen. Microscopic cracks result in lost energy.
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How can you tell that an ignition wire set is not working properly?
- Your car is difficult to start, especially in cold and damp weather. As you keep attempting to start the engine, the battery runs down.
- Abnormal amounts of carbon dioxide, sooty exhaust gases are seen at the exhaust tail pipe.
- You can feel flat spots in the car's acceleration.
- Fuel consumption increases.
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What are the consequences of an ignition set not working properly?
- Inadequate interference suppression may perturb electronic equipment on board (ABS, injection, airbags, alarm, ESP, etc.).
- Ignition problems may shorten the life of catalytic converters.
- A cable that does not work properly cannot guarantee that the quality of radio or telephone reception is optimal.
- All these malfunctions cause increased atmospheric pollution.
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What is the difference between an ignition cable and a set of ignition wires?

An ignition wire set is made up of several cables (usually four or five) depending on the type and number of cylinders in the engine.

A cable, also called a lead, is therefore a part of the set.
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Why choose SENTECH?

All Sentech wires are manufactured with ferrite core (do not confuse with low quality magnetic core) which guarantees top reliability and excellent conduction. Proper insulation secures lack of failures of both the wires and the rubber screen. All the parts are made to high standard which has been certified by ISO 9001 and QS 9000 and by many awards granted by car manufacturers.

In case we have decided to use other products and the wire set does not meet our requirements the reason may be as follows:

A totally flawless product must be supplied to avoid these problems. Thanks to original design features and its quality of manufacture, the Sentech® ignition wire set is a reliable solution for all these problems.
- Electronic apparatus is perturbed
- Poor combustion is a cause of excessive consumption and pollution
- It is impossible to start the vehicle.
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What are the different grades of cable for?

Grades indicate the different temperatures that the cable can withstand. Depending on their engine specification, vehicles require ignition wires cable that can withstand more or less heat. Grade F is designed for withstanding the highest temperatures.
- see paragraph technical information on ignition wire sets.
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When should the ignition wire set be changed?

For better performance it is recommended, that as part or the cars preveventative maintenance care, the ignition leads be replaced every 50'000 km or every three years - depending on what comes first. It is recommended that this be done before the winters months commence.

Whether you require high or standard performance, whether you drive a car or a utility truck that is either made locally or imported, you have every chance of finding a Sentech® product.

Be cautious!!!
Some manufacturers promote their products with extended warranty (even up to 5 years), which is not usually justified by the real durability of their products.
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JHow should I change my ignition wire set?

To ensure that you install your new ignition wires correctly, we would like to offer the following installation instructions and tips:

Installation tip: When you attach the wire end onto the spark plug, distributor cap, or coil, listen for and feel for a click. This click indicates that the snap lock terminal has fully engaged.
- Make sure the engine has cooled down before attempting to remove any of the ignition leads.
- To assure correct firing order, remove and replace only one ignition lead at a time, starting with the longest lead first The numbers on the leads match to the cylinders and assure a correct firing order.
- Remove any clips and wire separators, and then grasp the ignition lead end terminal and boot, do not pull the cable. Remove with a steady rotating pull. (Avoid the use of pliers, screwdrivers, or other tools to remove the spark plug boot.) Clean off any excess grease found on the spark plug end or coil tower with a soft cloth and isopropyl alcohol.
- Attach new wire to the spark plug. Reattach clips and route the new wire back through the separators again to the distributor cap or ignition coil. This will assure that you have followed the original wire routing which is designed to keep the wires away from all linkages, the exhaust manifold, other hot surfaces, and any sharp edges.
- Place distributor end terminal and nipple over the distributor cap or ignition coil and firmly attach new wire.
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What types of ignition cable technology can be found on the market?

There are three types of cable technology. The differences between them are to be found in the cable core, which may be made out of:

These three types of technology all fulfil the same function, but the most reliable one is the ferrite core system used by Sentech®.

The technology of the carbon core can bring particularly many difficulties. These wires have very high initial resistance which results in more troublesome process of spark generating in a spark plug. Moreover due to high voltage particles of carbon undergo a proces of gradual burning which in turn brings ultimately a complete loss of conductability.
- copper,
- carbon,
- or ferrite.
- see paragraph technical information on ignition wire sets.
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Are Sentech wires silicone?

Depending on the job they have been designed for and the class of the wire various materials are used as inner or outer insulation. One of those materials is silicone. Yet despite many strong points silicones are not the perfect materials to be used in ignition wires. Their usage is dependent on many factors. And that is the reason why we use silicone too but only when it is necessary. The materials must always be carefully selected to meet both the technical requirements as well the requirements and wishes of the customer.
- See also our Advices.