Notes on Honda Ignition Systems and Aftermarket Parts

If your Honda has OE wires on it, leave them alone. In all the years I’ve worked on Hondas, I’ve very rarely seen any issues with Honda ignition wires, even at very high mileage. I’ve seen plenty of issues with aftermarket wires. So if you’re doing a tune-up and you have Honda wires on your engine, skip replacing them and save yourself some money.

In addition, Hondas don’t like aftermarket spark plugs. Use NGK or Nippon Denso plugs only!  I’ve seen several issues with aftermarket plugs in Honda engines, so stick with the OE and avoid this trouble. In addition, it seems that anytime a Honda has an ignition-related issue, the tendency is to just replace the distributor sub assembly.

Admittedly, Honda distributors do have issues, but not nearly the issues the aftermarket distributor sub assemblies have. My inbox is full of people stating that they’ve replaced their Honda’s distributor sub assembly only to find they now have other issues as a result, most notably cam and crank sensor codes, and sometimes even a no-start condition caused by faulty cam and crank sensors. The cam and crank sensors for many Honda engines are located inside the distributor sub assembly.

Stick with OE ignition parts for your Honda and avoid these issues. It’s frustrating to see people with the best of intentions trying to tune up or service a performance issue on a Honda using aftermarket parts. I will say that a good substitute for Honda wires are NGK wires. Those are the only aftermarket wires I’ll stand behind for Honda vehicles. For everything else, you’re on your own.

Video Title: Notes on Honda Ignition Systems and Aftermarket Parts – Solving Automotive Performance Issues – EricTheCarGuy Video Description: In this Article, Notes on Honda Ignition Systems and Aftermarket Parts, we look at how this can impact Engine Performance. Thumbnail: http://www.ericthecarguy.com/images/faq_buttons/Large_FAQ_Images/Performance-and-Driveability-icon-1200.jpg