Front Wheel Drive Newlsetter March 2010

Annual ipd Garage Sale

May 15, 2010 is when the 27th Annual ipd Garage Sale, Swap Meet and Car Show will take place. We look forward to this event each year and we’re excited to have games, prizes, giveaways, sale pricing on most of our stock and much more. Doors will open to the ipd sales desk from 9:00am until 1:00pm and the swap meet and car show has been extended to run until 3:00pm. We hope to see you here for this great event.

Garage Sale is 9:00am to 3:00pm Saturday May 15, 2010For information on displaying your Volvo or to reserve a swap meet spot call 800-444-6473 or e-mail our show coordinator Cameron Daline at cdaline@ipdusa.com

Over the past 26 years that we have put this event on we have had about 3 years with “perfect” weather. Last year was one of those years and probably had a lot to do with the great turn out we had. Over 70 show quality Volvos squeezed into our parking lot and another 100 or more lined the streets and parking lots for several blocks around our shop. The models were pretty evenly spread with great stock and modified examples ranging from 1960’s 544 models all the way up to the latest R models. We hope you can mark your calendar and join us for another great event.

To see video and photos of last years ipd garage sale, follow the link below.https://www.ipdusa.com/Garage-Sale-2009-Recap/blog-91

Featured Product: ipd Spark Plug Wires

by ipd staff

Spark plug wires may not be as exciting as turbochargers, downpipes, or air intake systems but they are just as critical to proper engine operation and performance. Believe it or not spark plug wire technology has actually progressed, albeit slowly, over the years with little to no fan fare. So in an effort to give spark plug wires their 15 minutes of fame, let’s take a look back at how they’ve evolved over the years and what those changes have mean to you.

In the early days of automotive engines, spark plug wires had to simply provide a conduit for the spark energy to reach the spark plug. With such a rudimentary job the wires themselves were quite simple in their design; typically no more than a solid copper wire that connected the spark plug to its respective terminal on the distributor cap. It wasn’t long until insulating material was added to aid in combating misfires as the ignition components wore, but this basic design was around for a number of years and worked quite well for its time.

Fast forward to the early adoption of electronics to the automobile, namely radios. It became apparent that the high energy from the coil that transmitted through the solid plug wires created significant radio frequency (RF) interference. Manufacturers responded with a myriad of solutions, the most successful was limiting the spark energy through added resistance. This was done in a few ways, primarily through resistor type spark plugs and through a design change in plug wires. The change in plugs wires was from the previously used solid core wires to a carbon impregnated fiber wound wire surrounded by a rubber coating. This resulted in an increase of resistance in the plug wire which resulted in reduction in spark energy and aided in reducing the amount of RF that was transmitted to the radio. This became even more important as fuel injection systems came to market.

Fuel injection systems rely on a number of electrical signals fed to the ECU so that it can then inject the correct amount of fuel given the current needs of the engine. Many of the sensors used in fuel injection systems work on a lower signal range than the vehicles normal operating voltage of around 13 volts. Typically they will provide a 0-2 volt signal for the more critical signals like crank position or in some cases cam/distributor position. These signals are more prone to stray electrical energy and are therefore designed to use shielded ground wires that help capture and direct any stray RF in the engine bay. The ignition system is the primary cause of RF in the engine bay and as such, the design of spark plug wires must yet again be revisited. This time around, engineers found that if the carbon impregnated fiber was wound in a helix fashion it would make the wires act as pseudo inductors ‘holding’ the spark energy in a magnetic field rather than broadcast it like a radio antenna. This was helpful not just to the lower voltage signals found in the fuel injection system but also in the ABS systems that were becoming more and more prevalent.

Unfortunately, by and large, all the design changes to spark plug wires over the years haven’t contributed to increased spark energy but rather reduced it. This is undesirable from both a performance and efficiency standpoint, however the aftermarket has seen this and responded in kind. The sharp increase of available materials for plug wire construction has helped tremendously where we now see spiral wound wires with silicone jackets more common place and helping to bring back some of that lost performance and energy. ipd’s wires are no exception, with the same spiral wound technology and advanced material use, we are able to bring to market wire kits that offer original equipment fitment with greater energy transfer, all the while keeping unwanted stray RF energy at bay. Our 8mm silicone jacket helps reduce the likelihood of misfire meaning better transmission of spark energy to the spark plugs and increased performance and efficiency. If you’re looking for the best for your Volvo or maybe it’s simply tune up time and you want a higher performance wire kit, we’ve got the answer for you!

ipd Spark Plug Wires

Our custom spark plug wires are made with a high quality 8mm silicone jacket and feature a spiral wound core for maximum electrical efficiency. Each wire set is custom designed for each application covering over 40 years of Volvo models. Engineered to meet and surpass OEM quality, our wire sets include factory style metal end connectors (where applicable). Each wire set includes spark plug and coil wires as well as dielectric grease used on the plug boots for easy removal at tune-up time.

Bougicord OEM Spark Plug Wires

A properly tuned ignition system is one of the most important factors of any engine. It will keep your engine running smoothly, economically and will deliver the most power. The increased heat under the hood may lead to premature degradation of the ignition wires. These wires are made by the original equipment supplier to Volvo so you are assured of the best quality in replacement wires. Coil wire is included.

1999-2007 models have distributor-less ignitions and do NOT use plug wires.