A lot of people assume that ignition coil wires and spark plugs wires are the same thing, but this is not necessarily the case. The two parts serve different purposes. Ignition coils transmit voltage to the spark plugs commonly with a coil wire connected to a distributor which distributes voltage through the spark plug wires. The spark plug wires, in turn, is what creates the spark for your engine ignition. Coil wires are commonly replaced on racing vehicles due to excessive under hood heat, or accidental damage when swapping motors, or replacing a distributor.