Just started up from cold. Car felt a bit rough but i thought hey ho it'll sort itself out in a minute. Wrong! - the cars misfiring badly and after turning round to come back home 'check engine' light starts flashing...

Get it home and switch off and there's a definate burning smell.

Does this sound like coil pack failure? If so, can I drive it to a dealer or should I ring up and get it towed?

Would you believe the dealer refused to replace the coil pack when i bought the car, saying that it was too new to have coils that are prone to fail. I am not happy

Yup that's a coil pack. Don't drive it and get the AA out. The patrol that came to me carried a spare! My dealer then replaced all 4 packs.

Steve

Yep, coilpack for sure. I am suprised they didnt check and change them before you took delivery.

Yep, coilpack for sure. I am suprised they didnt check and change them before you took delivery.

I was specifically told that 'they do not fail on cars this new' after I asked for them to be changed as a precaution. At the time, I accepted that because I didn't know any different. Guess what sort of review i'm gonna post for this dealer.

Sounds like my ex-dealer. Who was it?

Sounds like my ex-dealer. Who was it?

Riding & Co Preston.

No not mine, that means now there must be 2 bad Skoda dealer in the UK.

To give them some benefit, it was the salesman who told me that, not someone from service / parts dept. Maybe if the question was put to them, I may have got a different answer.

Sorry if I sound dense, but what is a coil pack?

Am picking my new VRS up next week, is this something I should worry about?

Cheers

Ventmore

Others may correct me if i'm wrong, but as far as i understand it, each sparkplug lead has its own coil and they are prone to melting due to a manufacturing fault or just bad design?

My advice, buy some spare ones before you get a problem...

@fastVeRSion

If I buy spares, will this eradicate the problem for good?...should I make the dealer change these FOC before taking the car away?

Cheers

Ventmore

There are serveral versions of these coilpacks on all VW 1.8T engines, not just the vRS. They were originally fitted with the "H" coilpack, like mine. These were the really prone to failure ones, usually on damp days for some reason. Then came the "J" ones, these were better and this is what I now have. VW changed supplier, and then came "L" I think which is the current one. So if its a brand new car, shouldnt be a problem, simillarly late 02 on should be ok. I still carry a spare since my 1st one failed. I had 2 failures before the skoda tech bulletin, its posted somewhere in general.

@fastVeRSion

If I buy spares' date=' will this eradicate the problem for good?...should I make the dealer change these FOC before taking the car away?

Cheers

Ventmore[/quote']

There's 2 or 3 versions of the same part out there (any will work) and some are more prone to fail than others. Even if you get new ones, you may still have one fail at some point. If the car's under warranty, a dealer will replace FOC but only _after_ one has failed...

I wish I had some spare ones to hand at the mo - i'd be out there putting a new one in right now....

I still carry a spare since my 1st one failed.

Mannyo, have you got any idea on pricing for a spare set? Also, I am sure I saw a replacement procedure on here somewhere, any ideas where I saw it 'cause i can't find it now... :confused:

@fastVeRSion

If I buy spares' date=' will this eradicate the problem for good?...should I make the dealer change these FOC before taking the car away?

Cheers

Ventmore[/quote']

If your car is a new(ish) model, then you don't need to worry much.

The problem coils packs (identified by the suffix "H" after the serial number) came from a single supplier and were fitted to cars built from early 2001 to (mid? late?) 2002. They are (were) prone to breakdown, resulting in misfires and other engine problems.

Earlier ("G") and later ("J" and "L") variants are much more reliable.

ANY part can fail.

However the new type coilpacks are LESS prone to failure than the old ones.

Nothing is 100% reliable, if your car has the "new" coils then your dealer is absoloutely correct. You may well be one of the first to have a failure.

Alternatively, your car may have been fitted with older coils at the factory, in which case your argument is with Skoda, not your dealer

Cheers guys...appreciate the advice.

Ventmore

If your car is a new(ish) model' date=' then you don't need to worry much.

The problem coils packs (identified by the suffix "H" after the serial number) came from a single supplier and were fitted to cars built from early 2001 to (mid? late?) 2002. They are (were) prone to breakdown, resulting in misfires and other engine problems.

Earlier ("G") and later ("J" and "L") variants are much more reliable.[/quote']

Wrong I'm afraid.

Mine was a Oct 2003 car and no.3 pack melted! My car was from Ridings too. They are a strange bunch. The salesman takes you out in their REVO'd demo then the service manager tells you any mod (even brakes) invalidates the whole warrenty. I've taken my service business elsewhere, even though I had 2 years free servicing :eek:

Steve

Check the 1st post in this thread

http://www.briskoda.net/forums/showthread.php?t=4286&highlight=coilpack

Steve, I suppose its possible that before you bought yours, the dealer had to change another customers coilpacks and may have swapped them with yours. When my 1st one failed They were going to get the replacement from the brand new one in the showroom, except it was sold to someone.

Mannyo, have you got any idea on pricing for a spare set? Also, I am sure I saw a replacement procedure on here somewhere, any ideas where I saw it 'cause i can't find it now... :confused:

OK, I'm not mannyo, but...

"L" coilpacks were (IIRC) around

(buyer collects),

If I had a car that would run.....

Replacement is dead easy. I cant find the post either. You need to diagnose the failed pack 1st, easy if you are a dealer with the right tools otherwise

1) Remove engine cover.

2) the coilpacks are now visible along the top of the cylinder head.

3) gently disconnect the left most pack.

4) get in and start the car, does it idle more roughly than before? if no then bingo you have found the broken one. if yes then,

5) switch off, remove key.

6) reconnect the 1st one, then move onto the 2nd, then the 3rd and 4th if required. To check the 4th you will need to remove a plastic cover.

Its worth remembering the most common ones to fail are in cylinder 3 and 4 for some reason.

Then gently ease the coil from the cylinder head, insert new one and reconnect. its possible the coil has broken in half (mine had) and you will need to retrieve the part still stuck on the sparkplug with a pair of long nose pliers.

If I had a car that would run.....

Called the AA out yet?

Called the AA out yet?

I'm gonna phone Gorner's (Warrington) in the morning first, let them do all the legwork. Either way, the AA will be called to get the car there.

PS: thanks Manny. If all else fails i'll do it myself tomorrow, I need the car Monday morning - can't be pi*sing around then.

The AA patrol might have a coil on board, as they see failures on plenty of other VAG cars.

Tis worth a try.