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BWC Premium Hi Temp Silicone Copper core. Blue, from parts car, in a box for ten years. ( Wires, not the car. ) Hate to toss anything, especially if it may still be up to specs. These look new, soft. etc.

Fluke multi-meter set to Ohms (Resistance, horseshoe symbol). One probe in plug end, one in the center of the distributor boot copper rivet. Six readings between 2350 - 2600. Yes, no, what.

I Googled testing, read about soapy water in the dark. One site said wires last three, four years, another said nothing much goes wrong until the insulation gets crunchy and cracks.

No idea what I'm doing except trying to learn.

New in box? If they were any good new, they still are. IIRC, stock resistance for the spark plug connector is about 1.7K, and near zero for copper core wire. Less than 5K? No problem.

Spark plug cable primer:
Traditional domestic, and often Asian makes, cables use graphite embedded fiberglass conductors. On those the conductor fails, sometimes very early, and less often the jacket around the conductor. German cars use copper conductors, on those either the connector at the spark plug fails, very high, or the insulation on the wires fails, which is when the water method of testing works. On my E28 I occasionally had hard starts in the AM. Couldn't quite pin it down. Then one night the car had sat for maybe an hour, thru a very windy blowing rain, and wouldn't start. Case closed, put on new cables and the problem went away.

Later ones hold up better, but on E12's I'd rate life at ~100K. Not exactly routine maintenance.

What's IIRC.

5K is 5000, so my 2300 to 2600,(copper core printed on wires), is within limits. Except 2300 higher than zero. Another problem is their individual, not in a tube. Switch out to an old style tube carrier will require pulling the distributor ends.

Strange BWC isn't a brand for sale big on Google. Shows up on Porsche sites in one post or another.

I know. Too much hording anxiety. Junk everything and buy a set.

No need to junk everything. As I peek out from my small shadetree, I hope you can open the older tube that wraps the old set of wires with a pair of dykes, lay the newer wires inside & wrap the tube with a coupla plastic locks. You know, the ones that you feed back to itself that once you do that, they need to be cut to access whatever? You can getum from Auto Zone, or whatever. I hope this helps 'cause you've helped me sooo much. Good Luck,,,,,Greg

What's IIRC.

If I recall correctly.

Sorry if I resort to shorthand too much, LOL.

T.Hanson wrote:What's IIRC.

5K is 5000, so my 2300 to 2600,(copper core printed on wires), is within limits. Except 2300 higher than zero. Another problem is their individual, not in a tube. Switch out to an old style tube carrier will require pulling the distributor ends.

Sounds like those wires are good. My car had a black plastic wire carrier that I was able to open without breaking its locks when I replaced the spark plug wires. It latched shut like original when I was done. But wire ties would be a good backup--they're available in black.