Just went out and got about 1/4mile to first junction when I noticed that the car was misfiring, swiftly followed by smoke from under the bonnet. I reversed it back from the junction (very busy and dangerous) carefully opened the bonnet to be greeted with flames coming from a hole in the engine cover I bashed the flames out and pulled the cover off and could see that the fire had come from one of the coil packs - or at least its connection. I drove the car back home (no misfire until in my drive). One of the wires appears to be live all the time and if it touches anything you get a good spark - the insulation is burnt off. I guess I will need a new coil pack but was wondering if anyone knew how far back I would have to go to get to an easy to replace bit of the wiring to the pack, or if I will have to join it.

I will try and post some pix on a seperate post as this is the second time I've typed this with a slightly charred finger only for it to crash

Part of me wishes I'd let it burn but swmbo was a bit panicked so I just reacted.

Now that sounds like a good coil pack failure!

At least I hope this works

My link

My link

My link

Edited 23 February, 201016 yr by musky

eeeeeek. dodgy coilpack by the looks of it

eeeeeek. dodgy coilpack by the looks of it

Original ones - now 7 1/2 years old. Wouldn't mind it failing, catching fire seems a bit extreme. Surely thats not normal?

eeeeeek. dodgy coilpack by the looks of it

Looks like the coilpack but play it safe and dont get a new 1,but instead get 1 from a scrappy if the price is ok.

This way you can conferm it was just the coilpack and not wate cash on burning up a new 1.

just a coil pack failing but in abig way

i have the wiring loom and a spare couple of coil packs if you want them buddy ??

let me know asap as the car is going to the scrapper this week

Edited 23 February, 201016 yr by westallc

just a coil pack failing but in abig way

i have the wiring loom and a spare couple of coil packs if you want them buddy ??

let me know asap as the car is going to the scrapper this week

That would be great - how much do you want for them? I'm dropping it in to the garage in the morning so I'll know more then but I'm pretty sure the loom is wrecked at that end. Don't think there is enough spare to get new connectors on to. Where does it connect to? I looked in Haynes not much help. I spent ages trying to get pix on here and it got dark before I could look :S

send me your address buddy and i will send you as much of the loom back may need to cut and solder not sure yet will have alook tomoz and a coil pack as well

£10 its yours buddy will save you a fortune lol do it your self aswell if its plug and play...

send me your address buddy and i will send you as much of the loom back may need to cut and solder not sure yet will have alook tomoz and a coil pack as well

£10 its yours buddy will save you a fortune lol do it your self aswell if its plug and play...

I'll pm you thanks

Topics merged

I managed to do a repair on my loom with tape but some sites say that you can either replace the loom all the way back (at least one wire to the ECU) or splice in just to the right of the block. And I agree that is a proper coilpack failure :( (must be one of the really ****ty ones to catch fire)

At least I hope this works

My link

My link

My link

Holy shattington!!!!

Never seen/heard of that one before!

My coilpacks are the same age so I'll keep an eye out for the smoke......

Fairly obviously I've got 3 more as well

Woo thats not nice! I would be concerned about the others too having had one go like that!

Topics merged

I was wondering why the page I had opened earlier was not loading?

As long as you "tin" the joins you will have no problem just cutting off the wires of the damaged plug and then reassemble with the 1 plug off the loom from Clive. While you have the loom off the block just wrap all the individual wires with tape to stop any shorts as well .

Look on the bright side though mate... At least you didn't have to work out which coilpack had failed...

Topics merged

Thank you

Just went out and got about 1/4mile to first junction when I noticed that the car was misfiring, swiftly followed by smoke from under the bonnet. I reversed it back from the junction (very busy and dangerous) carefully opened the bonnet to be greeted with flames coming from a hole in the engine cover I bashed the flames out and pulled the cover off and could see that the fire had come from one of the coil packs - or at least its connection. I drove the car back home (no misfire until in my drive). One of the wires appears to be live all the time and if it touches anything you get a good spark - the insulation is burnt off. I guess I will need a new coil pack but was wondering if anyone knew how far back I would have to go to get to an easy to replace bit of the wiring to the pack, or if I will have to join it.

I will try and post some pix on a seperate post as this is the second time I've typed this with a slightly charred finger only for it to crash

Part of me wishes I'd let it burn but swmbo was a bit panicked so I just reacted.

Normal Electrical tape will unwrap itself ,after a while,especially as it will get very hot on top of the engine. I would solder the join,and seal in two layers of Heatshrink.

GOT MY CAR BACK

I dropped it in the garage last week and due to various reasons, nothing to do with catching fire, I only just got it back. Been driving swmbo's Xsara 1.4 :( Got a couple of hoses fixed as well as new coilpack and reconnecting loom bits so my wallet is a bit lighter :'( Its nice to drive something again that can out accelerate a cold rice pudding.

Now for 4 new tyres - I'm not popular at the moment on the financial front

At least you are mobile again

Just an update - just replaced the other 3 coilpacks as another just packed up last night, fortunately without exploding and catching fire this time

Been an expensive month - put 4 tyres on mine, 2 on my daughters Fiesta just before she rolled it, plus all the exploding fiery bits on mine and now the insurance is due - oh and I've got to get another car for the child, and swmbo's needs 2 tyres, along with a service and mot start of next month

Better buy a Euro lottery ticket