White spots on spark plug wires (archive)

I have recently ran into a problem with large white spots forming on around everything after the coil, including the boot that goes over the coil, the spark plug wires, and the boots for most of the plugs. The spots sometimes cover the whole wire and for a few inches. I can rub the white stuff off with my fingernails after about 10 seconds of rubbing.

The large problem is that I believe this powder is killing the wires and the boots. The boot covering the coil-top is actually deteriorating on one side, the wires are all cracked, and thus can make arcs to the ground where they are is close proximity (I got a nice jolt out of them, too)

I am about to replace the plug wires, but I want to make sure it doesn't happen again (Or I'll be out of 190 bucks!).

The funny thing is I see some white spots on the Electrical Junction Box covering (Passenger side, rear of the engine compartment) that look like something got splashed on it, but I cannot figure out what the material is. My guess is either the gas from the a/c lines, or antifreeze. Could either one of these materials be the culprit?

Thanks,
Ross

Follow Ups:

[ Follow Ups ] [ 5-series (E34) Message Board ] [ Msg. Board FAQ ]

Questions, comments, or problems, please visit the Roadfly help desk.