Hiey all,
Live in Toronto and looking to have my plugs and wires replaced as the car is getting older now. Got a quote from local shop and advised for replacement of sparks and wires, all AC Delco, would run around $250!!

Is this standard price? I would do it myself however have liittle in terms of tools to use.

Even with labor included that sounds a tad high. I know the plugs are a B**** to change on these cars though.

I thought so. Hoping the plugs even come out. The previous owner was my uncle however I am not too sure if he has ever replaced them. In terms of maintenance he did everything else he was supposed to however, the wires do look original. The plugs may be melted in after 13 years!!

Well, maybe he never replaced the wires, but if he "did everything else he was supposed to do" I'm sure your uncle replaced the spark plugs a few times in that cars life. I bet those plugs come out relatively easy. But, yes, if you have never replaced the plugs yourself, you might want to leave it "to the pro'*" this time. If you have the time, and the service tech lets you watch, you might learn a few things(and a couple of words that aren't in Webster'* Dictionary) so you can do this job yourself the next time.
Sears Craftsman Tools are calling your name :wink2:

I replaced all 6 plugs on my car and the wires without ever having serviced anything larger then a lawnmower. It takes a bit to get the routine down, but I didn't find it all too difficult. Although I do have an '89, which has an older version of the 3800 then what you have.

You can use this and this for reference. If you follow them carefully you'll be fine. I think thats really overpriced. You can get the parts for +/-$50 CAD, and it shouldn't take any expierienced mechanic over a hour to complete. Try asking around to other places first.

Speaking of which, can anyone tell me the correct AC-Delco part number for plug wires on a '93 SSEi? I want to get new wires and plugs in before my emissions test. Thx...

For under 50 bucks (I don't remember the exact amount) I used autolite double platnium plugs and Beldin wires.

It took about 1.5 hours if I remember correctly. They were in there for 9 years and before chainging them on the bonne the most spark plug work I had under my belt was a push mower and weedwacker.

Okay, I found the spiffy AC-Delco website, got all the right part numbers, etc., phoned my local Lee Auto Parts outfit, verified that everything was in stock, and I'm stopping by there as soon as I get off the train tonight.

Next question: The car'* got 115K on it and the engine seems to be in excellent health; I'm only doing this because I've got the emissions test scheduled for tomorrow afternoon and it only just squeaked through a couple of years ago. The wires are almost certainly original AC-Delco, the plugs probably so as well, as is the rest of the ignition system.

So... Should I splurge the money on platinum plugs instead of regular, because the engine'* already got 115K on it, or should I get the regular plugs instead of platinum because, well, the engine'* already got 115K on it?

Put it another way: does a platinum plug give distinctly better performance than a regular plug, or this strictly a long-life advantage? The website is vague on that point, and offers a listing for both kinds (whoops -- three listings; they've got a RapidFire number available too)...

Comments welcome...

If I remember right, the SSEi'* don't particularly care for platinum plugs. WIll will know for sure...

yup...no platnium for supercharged bonnies.