Best Spark Plug Wires [2024 Review]

Are you tired of the hassle to find the right spark plug wires for your engine? We understand your needs, that’s why to cut down the process and save your time, we have compiled the best spark plug wires of 2021.

Our Top Best Spark Plug Wires Reviews

Since this guide isn’t highlighting a specific engine type, it is vital to note down what you are looking for on a piece of paper. Primarily, all of the spark plug cables work the same. However, some vital elements like length and durability make a difference.

NGK

NGK spark plug wires have variable pitch winding and a deficient resistance level. They deliver a powerful spark to the spark plugs, resulting in an instant and potent start.

The wires are also corrosion resistant and have optimistic locking. The stainless steel terminals of the cable fit perfectly and safely with the spark plugs, leading to disturbance-free ignition.

Each wire is convenient to use, and a tracking system for each spark plug, which we found helpful. Each one is also a color scheme, making it easy for you to tell what goes where.

The wiring is protected by a robust silicone jacket that is resistant to damage from moisture, oil, gas, and cracks. It can remain fully functional in temperatures as high as 482°F.

While there is no lapse in the quality of these wires, they may not cover the sleeves of your car’s engine head adequately. It could result in dirt and water getting into the plug sleeves.

The company provides a wide range of uses through its spark plug wires. The design of the spark plug wire series is specific for noise reduction and superior conductivity.

As per NGK, the durability of these wires uplifts the resistance value of the cable, giving a ‘high power backbone’ on which the manufacturer can assemble many layers of the threads.

The majority of NGK’s spark plug wire sets feature high-quality EPDM and silicone coverings resistant to heat, oil, and chemical damage, resulting in increased durability. Each spark plug wire has a corrosion-resistant stainless steel terminal end that ensures a perfect seal and the highest resistance to vibration and division.

Pros:

• The NGK spark plug wires offer a tight grip.
• It ensures quality performance.
• It has a coating of high-quality EPDM and silicone.

Cons:

• The length of the wire can sometimes be different while ordering online.

Denso 671-4239

Denso’s top-quality spark plug wire sets are the same as the OEM style found in most vehicles. As a result, they are familiar and simple to install once you take out the old spark plug wires.

However, the Denso wires are different, in that they are made from higher-quality materials. This makes the wires more durable.

The wires have a fiberglass weave that quickly and efficiently transfers a spark to your spark plugs.

The copper wiring and cabling housing are thick and sturdy to protect against punctures and extreme temperatures. Another benefit is that the wires are less costly than the factory-installed exact match set.

While they are more affordable, the ignition wires are SAE J2031 Class E rated, making them some of the best wires in the market in terms of quality.

They can withstand temperatures ranging from -40°F to 428°F and have passed all tests ranging from electrical properties to reduction to chemical resistance and hastened life evaluation.

The spark plug wires can handle high temperatures due to the “Class E” silicone jacket used. The design of the spark cables protects it from cold, chemicals, and moisture. Moreover, it has a reinforcing member for added durability and terminal preservation. 

Furthermore, the silicone insulation makes for excellent dielectric efficiency. Not only that, its EMI/RFI noise suppression and fiberglass braces guard it against any disturbances. 

The Denso spark plug wire has the disadvantage of being too small to fit the OEM routing clips. You should, however, be able to extend them to work correctly. You may also have difficulty latching onto the engine side gasket.

Pros:

• It is SAE J2031 Class E rated.
• The Denso spark plug wires have silicon insulation.
• It has a carbon-impregnated fiberglass core along with a Kevlar-reinforced core.

Cons:

• The wires don’t fit tightly.

MSD 

It’s not easy to find a spark plug wire which is not low quality but reasonable price. Guess what? MSD spark plug wire has made it possible. The brand MSD is very famous in the spark plug industry. They produce almost everything, including ignition boxes, ignition coils, and distributors. 

The Super Stock, Spiral, graphite, Extreme 9000 ceramic 8.8mm, Ferro-Spiral, stainless steel, and graphite wire sets are best-selling wire sets with a customized length available at MSD.

The Superconducting spark plug cable set has a snap-lock grip for the plug for a good fit. Furthermore, the cables part the crimp tabs for the conductor. The large crimp tabs grip the sleeve, and its 8.5 mm jacket layer guards it against very high thermal energy. The layer also prevents the damaging of the cable and offers very heavy glass intervening and good dielectric insulation.

The dual crimp terminals on these spark plug wires, as the name implies, have two crimps—the first one for the wire sleeve and the other one for the conductor. The conductor should not be bent more than 180 degrees.

Moreover, the conductor shouldn’t squeeze between the terminals and sleeves because of the separate crimps. The individual conductor crimp creates a safer crimp, lowering the risk of spark damaging the vehicle.

Pros: 

• It has dual crimp terminals on its 8.5mm Super Conduct model.
• The MSD spark plug cable comes at an affordable price.

Cons:

• Longer than required for most vehicles.

JEGS

For domestic automobiles, JEGS spark plug wires are a good match. It is because, with their high power, they can work out the best for your system. Moreover, you can pick one of your favorites from the available colors: red, yellow, and black. 

The JEGS Pow’r cables are a definite deal sealer. These power pack performers come at a very reasonable price. The wires have a strand of Kevlar wrapped with a fiberglass glass strand in its spiral core design.

The Kevlar string’s length is approximately 32 winds per inch coated in an alloy of stainless metal with another coating of conductive latex. The unique design of the wire minimizes the resistance to about 350 ohms per foot.

Meanwhile, the RFI suppression offers four times less resistance than an OE carbon conducting wire. The EPDM/silicone jacket restricts the cable from damaging under elevated temperature, fuel, and oil exchange. In addition to this, the separation between spark plug boots by fiberglass allows additional pull strength.

The nylon pull tape of the JEGS spark plug cables parts the two outermost layers to impart high pull strength and high terminal retention.

Finally, these wires boast stainless steel terminals, which are connected with fold-over crimping. This ensures that the wires never shake loose.

Every JEGS spark plug cable has wire separators, numbered wire markers, and dielectric grease in its package. Unless otherwise specified, all sets will consist of the coil wire.

Pros: 

• It is very affordable with this many qualities (some brands may charge higher for the given features).
• The JEGS spark plug cables have an EPDM coating.
• It has stainless steel terminals.

Cons:

• The wires discolor when they encounter excessive heating.

Features To Consider When Buying Spark Plug Wires

You probably already know how vital spark plugs are to your engine, which adds to the pressure of getting the right ones.

Knowing what to look for in spark plug wires and understanding what your car needs is key to making the right purchase decision.

Here are four features you must consider when buying spark plug wires:

#1 Wire Type

There are three main types of spark plug wire sets available:

Distributed Resistance Wire

This wire set is made up of fine carbon strands bonded with fiberglass, which is its most distinguishing feature. This material is exceptionally resistant.

That high resistance benefits, especially in vehicles with many computers and electronics involved in the engine’s operation. Radiofrequency interference, or RFI, is reduced as a result of this resistance.

RFI does not affect your radio’s reception, so you don’t have to be concerned about that. It is, however, powerful enough to disrupt the array of computers and sensors involved in the operation of your engines.

As a result, RFI can interfere with voltage transmission from the distributor to the spark plugs indirectly. High-resistance wires help to prevent RFI and keep your electronics working correctly.

The distributed resistance spark plug wires are ubiquitous in American cars, and nearly all are compatible.

Inductance Wire

Japanese manufacturers primarily created this wire set for Japanese automobiles. These wires feature a spiral core that has a nickel or copper alloy wire around it.

It is deliberate, as the outer wire’s winding around the inner spiral core creates an electromagnet that blocks RFI and allows the engine’s electronics to function correctly.

These wires block RFI just like the distributed resistance wires do; however, the resistance is significantly lower. There is another hidden benefit of this quality of inductance wires.

It means that when you start or run the engine, you won’t need a lot of currents to get power to the spark plugs. As a result, they are pretty effective. MSD and JEGS are inductance spark plug wires.

Fixed Resistor Wire

It is the most common type of spark plug wire found in European vehicles. These spark plug cables are made up of copper or steel wires and have resistor-filled plug boots.

It functions similarly to an inductance-style spark plug wire, with a few minor differences.

#2 Compatibility

When purchasing spark plug wires, you must consider the set of spark plug wires that your vehicle already has. It is because they are compatible.

Different cars will typically have other spark plugs, which directly impact the wire sets that they will accept, as each wire set will only fit specific types of spark plugs.

Examine the spark plug wires you already have on your vehicle to help you choose the ones you’ll need.

Also, keep in mind that most spark wires are sold in pairs. That means you’ll need the appropriate number of cables for your vehicle.

There’s nothing to be concerned about here because the spark plug wire set will come with the correct number of wires if it’s compatible with your vehicle.

However, it’s a good idea to inspect your engine and count how many wires are in your current settings so you’ll know what to look for when purchasing a new set.

It would help if you also think about how long the wire should be. Are the cables long enough to fit into your engine safely? As soon as you receive the new product, compare the length of the new product to the size of your factory wires.

Lay them out and compare them to the new ones, making a note of which wires go where. It’s pretty simple to install them once they’ve been matched.

#3 Brand Reliability

If you want high-quality spark plug wires, you should also consider the brand. You don’t have to worry about quality because all of the brands listed here are well-known. However, you should select the brand with which you are most familiar.

If you own a BMW and adore everything about it, you should consider purchasing spark plug wires made by BMW or the third-party manufacturer supplying to BMW.

Purchasing high-performance spark plug wires can be very tempting. They do, however, have advantages and disadvantages.

They are unquestionably excellent and improve a vehicle’s performance. They may, however, be ineffective at blocking out RFI.

They are thus appropriate for racing cars and other vehicles with few electronics, but not necessarily for the typical consumer vehicle.

#4 The Core Material

The core largely determines the performance of the spark plug wire. Again, some cores have low resistance while others suppress EMI/RFI better. The core of the spark plug cables is available in the following types:

The Carbon Core Spark Plug Cable

One of the most common spark plug cables found in most automobiles this date is the carbon-core spark plug cable. It is known for its RFI suppression and for creating extra resistance.

The only limitation of having a carbon core plug is its less durability. Hence, you have to change the wire frequently. Denso spark plug wires have carbon-fiberglass core material.

The Solid Core Spark Plug Cable

The core of these wires includes metal wires like stainless steel and copper, known for their high conductance of electricity. As a result, solid core wires have a lower resistance than other wires in order to deliver the maximum amount of energy to the plugs.

The limitation of these wires is their common EMI/RFI suppression that makes them unfit for vehicles that have sensitive communication systems and electronic ignition structures.

The Spiral Core Spark Plug Cable

The Spiral core cables are built using an alloy that is swirled around the core to limit the RFI while keeping the resistance low. The alloy is made of stainless steel, copper, and tin.

However, even this cable has a drawback. The excess number of coils around the core minimizes the disturbances and increases the resistance of a wire. 

Choosing The Right Wire

So, which type of spark plug wire is best for your vehicle?

OEM-style carbon core wires are probably fine if you’re running a stock vehicle or daily driver. Carbon core wires require replacement more frequently than other wire types, and worn wires can cause misfires, reduced acceleration, and voltage leakage.

A good pair of carbon-core spark plug cables, on the other hand, will give adequate electricity for the stock automobiles without making any disturbances in the system.

If you own a vintage race car that has an old ignition system (point-style or magneto), then you should go with solid core cables as they will save your bills. But if you have a car with an MSD ignition box, then using a solid core cable won’t add to your benefit.

Here’s a quick comparison of the shortlisted options for your convenience:

Conclusion

To make sure that you land up having premium-quality spark plug wires, use your owner manual at its best. Note down the specs that should be present in your new spark plug wires and check the features mentioned in the guide above.

Lastly, be precise about the length of the cables. Don’t buy short-length wires as they will be of no use. Hence, it’s better to go for a slightly longer bunch of wires that perfectly fit the system. You should also regularly clean your spark plug to avoid serious problems.