2 minutes ago, nta16 said:

Does it say where to coat these "ignition coil sealing hoses"?

I take it back I wouldn't buy the VW (G 052 565 A1) labelled grease! - https://www.lllparts.co.uk/product/g052565a1/silicone-paste

I have not checked the price of that, but as usual "special" greases etc do tend to be priced quite high by VAG UK or maybe even VW Group AG.

Stops the riff raff from getting ideas?

Edit:- I've gone and added a comment to my last posting - again!

Edited 5 May, 20251 yr by rum4mo

3 minutes ago, rum4mo said:

then went back to check it closely, it is Liquid Moly's offering for use on injectors and glow plugs - from that intended use I'm guessing that it is a high temperature anti seize paste for use on metal-metal threaded parts so that removing them can be a bit more predictable/possible/easy.

So, now I'll remove that from my "might buy for this job" as it might not "agree" with the plastic/rubber contact extension's body and that would be counterproductive next time round.

The screen size for too small for my eyes I only saw it was Liqui Moly (a brand German car fans seem to favour).

Quite right, always check and cross reference for yourself any information you get from any source (including manufacturers) but especially from a bloke of the internet - and erven more so if that bloke's me.

7 minutes ago, rum4mo said:

I have not checked the price of that, but as usual "special" greases etc do tend to be priced quite high by VAG UK or maybe even VW Group AG.

Stops the riff raff from getting ideas?

Certainly does! £37.80 (20g tube) on that LLL Parts link. - https://www.lllparts.co.uk/product/g052565a1/silicone-paste

Changing spark plugs used to be so easy. 😄 Gawd knows how much more difficult it'd be if you had to change those longer lasting plugs with years and tens of thousands of miles more use and heat cycles. VW do seem to introduce more levels of 'fun' (or PITA faffing and farting about to me) into their products often I think just to be 'clever', throwback to when they used to do engineering or as you put keep the riff-raff away. But then with any car anything other than driving is a loathsome chore to me and the amount of driving you can do gets more and more restricted as the cars get newer, probably not worse or better overall just different and they do get you from A to B.

26 minutes ago, rum4mo said:

Edit:- also showing people how to use a ratchet and/or torque wrench single handed is not being too clever, better if he used a stand for his camera so that proper ways of using tools could be employed.

Yes I agree but that's how things are with internet vids, the guy's probably not making much (if anything) out of the video, I did put the video was better than many but I didn't think it was without flaws but it's better than the ones you and I haven't put up. I've very, very limited experience of cameras and videos but know a little of their limitations and making a video/film (just from watching the telly) example last night, three shots in a program taking a night to shoot with loads of people working on it, minutes or seconds on the screen, then there's the editing . . . . The video had flaws but was better than most I've seen about jobs on cars.

An ex-neighbour shot some videos very quickly for his YT channel with s/h cheap Go-Pro copy camera(s) and I was very surprised at the quality (from free editing software) but then he told me how long he'd spent editing the video, and once it's up on YT that's it for editing further so mistakes and flaws stay in.

I edit my posts, usually more than once yet they're still a mess, I'd not want to do a video, 30 seconds would be a lifetime's work for me.

How many DIYers have a torque wrench that goes down to 8 Nm let alone accurately or regularly checked, not me for one.

40 minutes ago, nta16 said:

Does it say where to coat these "ignition coil sealing hoses"?

I take it back I wouldn't buy the VW (G 052 565 A1) labelled grease! - https://www.lllparts.co.uk/product/g052565a1/silicone-paste

A bit pricey for some grease haha!

It just has an arrow pointing to the inside of the tip, I literally coated probably the first CM (maybe even less) as I was scared of getting it on the top part that mates with the electrode on the plug.

1 minute ago, skinnypete45 said:

It just has an arrow pointing to the inside of the tip, I literally coated probably the first CM (maybe even less) as I was scared of getting it on the top part that mates with the electrode on the plug.

Have you got an illustration (screenshot, pdf) you can put up to show this for future info please?

CM? - Got it, I think, first centimetre?

Yes I'd worry about getting anything on the plug cap, but then I expect there are some "greases" that might be good for the plug cap and "ignition coil sealing hoses" but who knows if it's the VW labelled stuff or any other stuff without knowing what the "ignition coil sealing hoses" are made of and suitable with and without information or instructions from VW, hence relying on the limited information they let slip.

It looks like you also have to get your chakras aligned for good calmer (sic).

All as clear as mud.

25 minutes ago, nta16 said:

Have you got an illustration (screenshot, pdf) you can put up to show this for future info please?

CM? - Got it, I think, first centimetre?

Yes I'd worry about getting anything on the plug cap, but then I expect there are some "greases" that might be good for the plug cap and "ignition coil sealing hoses" but who knows if it's the VW labelled stuff or any other stuff without knowing what the "ignition coil sealing hoses" are made of and suitable with and without information or instructions from VW, hence relying on the limited information they let slip.

Yeah I was indeed talking about Centimeters :D

I think it's this one the text refers to

3 minutes ago, nta16 said:

It looks like you also have to get your chakras aligned for good calmer (sic).

All as clear as mud.

Yeah I think whoever wrote these manuals done them half cut

That insert image (94 of 205) is the illustration briefly shown in the video and to me clearly shows the way the guy in the video applied the white Liqui Moly stuff, to the bottom face of "ignition coil sealing hose" and not to the inside or outside of the rising side, which makes sense to me as that is probably the surface that touches and is slightly compressed when screwing the coil pack retaining bolt.

ETA: forgot the image

Whether the above took over from whacking some G 052 565 A1 grease on "the ignition coils with power output stage" because the venerable VW engineers got it wrong in the earlier times, I don't know but [others] might very well think that; I couldn't possibly comment. 😄

Perhaps you need both some on the bottom face and ribbed top, what does it say in a 2025 manual, I'm sure the VW engineers would have it sorted. 😄

Try loosening two and three first, after using compressed air or GT85, or anything else you think might help.

I'd (shake)quick spray with GT85 and leave as many hours as possible to soak then try rocking them out.

Edited 5 May, 20251 yr by nta16

There is a taper/bowled/lead-in section at the end of the contact tube, so I think the intention is to run a ring of "stuff" in/round that depression, when you remove the spark plugs, you tend to find very slight traces of that stuff at the lower end of the ceramic - that, I think, is where I got the original stuff along with on the end of the contact tube, and redistributed it back around/inside that area of the contact tube - for reuse, until I eventually got round to buying the Prematex.

Plugs were replaced by my local garage last week on partners 1.2 110 bhp TSI. @NigelC95 exactly same issue with the rubber bits stretching and not coming off. In the end he got them off but they were not further use and new ones were fitted. The replacements came with lubricate to facilitate removal. Our Fabia is 10 years old, 19,500 miles only the second time the plugs have been replaced. I guess age and heat caused them to stick.

On my TSI I have changed them three times and never had a problem at all.

Always just come out, without using any special tools / tricks.

Thanks. AG Falco

I attacked them today, and got them all off, plugs changed, new coils fitted, all working well.

Cyl 3 was the easiest for access, so attacked first. Rubber boot was stuck tight, and just stretched. Tried compressed air, no joy. So just severed the boot with a sharp knife. That left me with about a centimetre of boot above the plug top. Filled the centre with WD40, then slid a pick down between the boot and plug, working my way around. Still stuck. Got the fatter, long pick, and pushed that down, all around. Suddenly it let go, and the remaining boot could be twisted and lifted. Absolutely no trace of silicone grease on boot or plug. As these were the original coils, and the plugs have been changed just once before, it appears that they were not just fitted without grease, but probably wiped clean. This being a Skoda specialist, that used to be a dealer. No point shaming them, owners retired, garage shut.

Having got the first one out, it was apparent that the coil can be separated from the boot. For the rest, I gently levered the boot off the coil, leaving just the boots in the head. That gave a larger reservoir for WD40, which may have helped, or just made more mess. Long-nosed pliers pulled the springs gently out. Then large pick pushed gently in, all around to separate boot from plugs. Took a lot of time, but at last all four removed. All clean of grease as the first one.

All boots damaged by the pick, as there is little control over it, so scrap anyway. They show a VW part number, I'll research tomorrow to see if new boots are available without coils.

Plugs came out ok, a bit tight, but the new ones went in fine, so no thread damage to head. New coils, properly greased, all back together and running well. Took about 3 hours, for what should have been 30 minutes.

This is a job for taller mechanics. Knees pressed against the bumper, leaning over and stretching a little, is not comfortable. I now ache across the shoulders, my neck, and the backs of my knees. Happy days.

Well done, and thanks for reporting back.

The 'rubber' "plug connector" (1) looks like it's separate part from the drawing below, also note the fitment alignment ventilation duct (2).

The pick initially separating the getting the connector from the plug is the start of breaking the seal between and lining up the ventilation duct as shown would also allow air movement rather then getting a vacuum like seal which can make the plug connector harder to remove, the coils being bolted down would compound this seal.

Up to you of course but for future (cleaning and) lubrication where you'd normally use WD-40 Multi-Use I would recommend you use GT85 as it's a better and longer lasting lubricant than the Wd-40 Multi Use and is also a penetrating/releasing fluid, has PTFE, and smells nice. Give the WD-40 Multi-Use away (to someone you care not too much for).

I know exactly what you mean about aching after bending into an engine bay for hours, always best avoided if possible (as with all farting about on cars) so to avoid this next time take your time and do the job properly - two things many professional technicians/mechanics/auto-electricians don't do or aren't allowed to do, as you've discovered. Absolute PITA, and elsewhere, working on cars but sometimes you have to do it yourself as others can't be trusted to do a decent job let alone good job.

Good luck keep us informed of developments.

The boot has a VW part number moulded in, which is: 04C 905 199 C. A Google search finds an OE replacement at around £23, and Autodoc offering several, ranging from £11 to £19.

https://www.autodoc.co.uk/hitachi/18496016#plug-coil

So it looks like we can have replacements, once we've destroyed existing removing them, but at around half the cost of a new coil each, plus Autodoc's delivery charge of £8.45, so £50 for a set. Autodoc takes a week to deliver, so definitely not an emergency purchase.

I've got presumably four years to decide whether to buy a set, ready for the next plug change.

Having a couple of decades experience of p1ss-poor rubber rubber parts or on parts (and other parts) I would be very careful about some of the suppliers' parts to Autodoc and other such car parts suppliers.

If you have a Dealership nearby I would contact them and with my charm, good looks and modesty, chap with the parts department guy and see what cost they have them for, you might be surprised, and ask if there are alternative numbers for the (exact) same part as they may be at lower cost.

I've no idea how good the following is but I've seen they can offer good prices (check the part is actually in stock and not on back order), if you've not already checked them. - https://skodapartsdirect.co.uk/

Again if you've not already checked them, there's also these people, again I've not dealt with them. -

https://tps.trade/products

(postage costs?) https://www.skoda-parts.com/online-store.html

https://www.lllparts.co.uk/catalogs/skoda/CZ/FAB?currency=GBP&language=en

I was a bit confused and now even more confused - I thought you had destroyed the 'rubber' "plug connectors" so coil packs can't be fitted until you get replacement 'rubber' "plug connectors" this time - but it doesn't matter if you're already sorted.

1 hour ago, nta16 said:

I was a bit confused and now even more confused - I thought you had destroyed the 'rubber' "plug connectors" so coil packs can't be fitted until you get replacement 'rubber' "plug connectors" this time - but it doesn't matter if you're already sorted.

I have destroyed one boot, and split the other three, so I now have four good OE coils without boots.

I did however get four new coils (Bosch) prior to attacking the job, as from my initial attempt, I knew at least one boot was going to be destroyed.

If I suffer coil failure in the future, I have four spares. Someone will have to clear them from my garage when I die, along with lots of other assorted stuff.

Sorry thinking about it, now you've put it I do now remember something like that from the start of the thread (I think IIRC, I think). 🙃

Just be grateful with VW that you don't have to program new coils! 😁

I'm not a Tosch fan just for the sake of the name, always prefer Japanese brand for electrics/electronics. I've seen the VW labelled box spark plugs are NGK so I would feel more reassured about that if I ever got them instead of NGK. 😄

Let's hope you've got shot of the car and VWs many years before you die. 👍