sparks and wires 87 325ic 225K mi

needs major tune up. can't afford it, so starting with plugs and lots of hope. i read a post where poster's mileage plummeted from 18 ish to 13 ish. i'm now at 13.3 according to computer. hate it. car's running -and sounding- like a leaking tugboat.. why should i switch to NGK? it has the LCRs in now. why do dealers call for W8LPR or LCR but plugs are stamped WR8LP ? and if there's a good reason to go with the ZGR5As, i'm gonna try. but i want to know why. do bavauto's 8mm wires make a difference or just get new OEs?
thankS

Just go with OE sparkplug wires - they work just fine; for non-racing applications I really don't think you will see any noticeable differences.
Aren't NGK spark plugs cheaper then Bosch? (I might be put of date on that one...).
Numbers and markings on the sparkplugs can be confusing so see What do numbers on the spark plug mean

Ngk plugs work right, buy them.

Maybe a compression test would be a good idea, might answer a few questions before you waste money throwing parts at your car.

Rick

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rkj

Maybe a compression test would be a good idea, might answer a few questions before you waste money throwing parts at your car.

Rick

That's a sound advice. If your car was running fine and now it's not, then probably something broke or went bad.
Aged spark plugs don't go bad overnight. Before spending any money, pull the plugs one by one, look at them. There is an article with pictures on how old plugs should look like, and what problem they may indicate when they are black or greasy. Clean and put back in. While doing that, check the wires and plugs for bad contacts pr rust, and clean them. Check the distributor, and clean it.
Check the vacuum hoses, a broken or leaking hose can make your car impossible to drive, and is cheaper to fix than a set of spark plugs.

Good luck, keep us posted.

diagnostic aid for spark plugs

This may help.

When the engine is warm, what does the exhaust smell like?
It is wreaks of fuel, that obviously it isn't all getting burned up, and I'd look to make sure you are getting proper spark on all cylinders first.

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1989 - E30 - M20 - Manual. Approximately 270,000 miles
2000 - E46 - M52TUB28 - Manual. Approximately 110,000 miles

thanks guys. went with a fresh set of W8LCRs. and all is well again. one of the old ones was clogged in the gap. filthy. i'll try posting a pic.
one of my wire contacts to the dist. is bad but revving and idling back to normal. 225K and steady as she goes. this cars had to last me acouple more years but i'd keep if forever if i could.

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stirv
thanks guys. went with a fresh set of W8LCRs. and all is well again. one of the old ones was clogged in the gap. filthy. i'll try posting a pic.
one of my wire contacts to the dist. is bad but revving and idling back to normal. 225K and steady as she goes. this cars had to last me acouple more years but i'd keep if forever if i could.

Well, if the plugs hadn't been changed in forever, maybe it could do that...
If I were you I'd pull the plugs after a few days of driving, and see if the all look good (and similar). If one spark plug is getting "clogged in the gap" faster than the rest, it could be a sign of a bigger problem.
I've always been told that spark plugs are a great early warning indicator for other problems.

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1989 - E30 - M20 - Manual. Approximately 270,000 miles
2000 - E46 - M52TUB28 - Manual. Approximately 110,000 miles

good idea. thanks i'll do that.