Ford Repair: 2001 Ford Mustang question, spark plug wires, spark plug wire

Question
Recently, I've noticed that when I just start the car or when it's accelerating, the engine stutters. Two days ago, when I was driving on the freeway, the "Service Engine Soon" light blinked for a few times and went off right after by itself. I took the car to a local garage and was told that a diagnosis could not be performed unless the "Service Engine Soon" light was still on. What might the problem be? What should I do now? Thanks!

Answer
Hello Elaine,
           The "SES" light flashing is directly related to the engine performance problems. The light blinks when an engine misfire is occuring at that time, which can damage the catalytic converters in the ehxhaust system (big $$$). Sometimes a misfire will occur for a short period of time, which is not enough to set a "trouble code", which is present when the light is on all of the time. My best suggestion is to replace the spark plug wires and spark plugs, because together they are the most likely cause of an intermittent misfire. As a matter of fact, alot of cars and trucks need to have both replaced before the scheduled period. The reasons to replace them together are more than I'd rather explain, but from my experience, changing out one or the other is just a waste of time. I recommend Motorcraft replacement parts(sometimes only available through the dealership in some cities) for longevity, however, the regular parts house "cheapies" will cure your problem short term. Good luck, and I hope this helps!  Shaun.
     P.S.  The way a spark plug wire is routed and positioned has a great deal with how long it lasts, so make sure they are put back on the same way they were put on from the factory, i.e not laying across the exhaust manifold.