monkey man wrote:
Can anyone else verify that a bad plug wire could cause a blinking CEL, or does the electrical problem need to reside in the guts of the ignition?
  As I mentioned in one of the other umpteen threads you've started on this topic :rolleyes:, the owner's manual for my 1996 Mystique says that a blinking CEL means that the engine is misfiring.  Nothing there indicates anything about why the engine is misfiring ? just that it is, indeed, misfiring.  I think the answer to your question is very clear.  A bad spark plug wire could certainly cause misfiring, and if it does, I think that it is to be expected that the CEL will be blinking.

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Moonlight Blue 1996 Mercury Mystique GS , Zetec engine, ATX.  No mods. (Well, OK, one mod.  Before I got rid of my previous car, a 1994 Tempo, I swapped radios.  I liked the Tempo's radio better.  That counts as a mod, doesn't it?  I also kept one of my Tempo's wheels to use as a spare.  I hate those stupid ?compact? spares that come with modern cars.  Does this count as a mod?  If so, I guess I have two mods.  Replaced burned/melted blower switch and connector on 19 February 2002 with a 1P3T toggle switch from Marvac and a Molex connector from Rat Shack; I guess this now makes three mods.)