Hi All.

 

Anyone knows what values i should get on between pins in ignition coils? I measured all 3 in my 1.2 and they all same. With meter set to 20kohms I read 0.38 between 1 and 4 and 16.0 between 2 and 3. Is that ok? Any advise please

 

Thanks 

The only measurement suggested in the workshop manual (for mk1 3-cyl engines) is to measure resistance between pins 2 and 3, with the allowable range of 370-410 Ohms at 20°C. I happen to know from experience that this is wrongly specified in terms of the pin numbers, which should actually be 1 & 4. 

 

So at a glance, all your coils are within spec.

 

Why did you decide to measure them?

 

Hello mate.

Thank you for reply.

I was just doing standard service on the car and when I had coils out on the bench i thought i test them before going back in  to car to see if degrading after 10 years of use. Resistances look absolutely fine. I was just wonder what book says. In mine Haynes manual not says anything.  Thanks for support

No problem.

I've only experienced one failure, and it was sudden, and dramatic, rather than any sort of noticeable degradation.  That was at about 12 years/140k miles on my partner's mk1 Fabia htp. Changed it at roadside for a spare and carried on. 

 

My 2003 Polo soldiers on at 17 years of age and about the same mileage, with all four original coils (different engine, but exactly the same coils) . I do carry a spare in that too though.

If I had a choice when buying NOS or slightly used genuine coils, I always preferred to buy VW Eldor branded coils, once  couldn't buy an VW Eldor used one as back up, and had to make do with a used VW Beru coil, when I needed to use that VW Beru it only worked okay for a month, by then I had managed to buy a used VW Eldor and swopped it, so that 2002 Polo with the BBY engine, only ever in its 13 years with us and 105+K miles did it have 2 VW Eldor coil failures.

 

So, maybe these coil failures were happening or happening more frequently back in the early 2000's.

 

I do agree with what @Wino said that as far as these coils are concerned they work and then don't work, generally no warning is given.

 

Edit:-  the spare used VW Eldor we carried in the 2002 Polo, was kept in my daughter's late 2009 Ibiza 1.4 16V from August 2015 until August 2019 - unused, until that car was traded in, now it is kept in a friend's son's 2005 Polo 1.4 16V as a spare.

Edited 5 April, 20206 yr by rum4mo