There is a letter in Car Clinic in today's Sunday Times from a reader whose wife's Audi TT has just had another coil go. Car Clinic's reply reads:

'Audi has acknowledged that it has a continuing problem with ignition coil failures in cars built in 2002 with 163bhp 1.8T and 130bhp 2 litre four-cylinder engines and 220bhp 3 litre V6s (these are available across the whole Audi range except in the A2, the A8 and the Allroad). These engines use an ignition coil for each cylinder. Should one of these fail, one cylinder will stop providing power and unburnt fuel will pass into the exhaust system. The engine management warning light will come on. Continuing to drive without fixing the problem may damage the catalytic converter.

Audi says that it currently knows of at least 1,000 cars in the UK that are affected with this problem and accepts that this number will increase. However, it has not issued a factory recall as it is not a safety issue and not all cars are affected. Repairs will be carried out at no cost to the owner and a loan car will be supplied for the time your Audi is off the road, though not necessarily the same model.

Audi also insists that the supply of replacement parts, which it says are more robust than those they replace, is increasing dramatically and that it expects to catch up with demand "in the next few weeks". There is still some confusion, though, and Audi can't yet say how many weeks it will take to get your (ie the reader's) car back on the road.'

My RS is running at the moment on all 4 cylinders (Had one coil pack failure), but because the coil pack problem can occur at any time my local dealer has agreed to give me a hire car at Skoda's cost to allow me to take the RS off the road completely until four new design reliable coil packs are fitted - can't complain at that. Expected wait is 4-6 weeks. My dealer is situated in Cramlington - Newcastle Upon Tyne :lol: :lol: , they have been outstanding. Hire car is a Vauxhall Vectra, us RS owners have no threat from these motors...ehhhh!!!

How can VAG say that a coil pack failure is not a safety issue?

I'm sure if you get one going while you are in the fast lane of a motorway that's a safety issue I would say.

:mexwave:

Morning,

Just to let you know, my vRS went in for a service last week, & I asked the servise manager the coil question? ( can you still drive etc) to which he replied NO!!!!! you will damage the cat.

So make sure you have the rescue services number handy.

Ta.

PS Service was

For those who have Skoda Assistance cover, the answer then is to call out the AA each and every time you suffer coil pack failure, and to make the maximum use of the cover provided. Don't try and drive to a dealer because, to quote the Owner's Manual "....the catalytic converter may be damaged as a result of overheating." Looks like we will all need to start putting pressure on Skoda UK.

Hi, I've a 2002 octavia vRS in yellow (great colour !). My no. 4 coil failed last Friday afternoon when i got in the car at work. Strangely enough it had been peeing down all day (wonder if the adverse weather affected it?). Anyways, fortunately I didn't have to drive the usual 70 miles home as was staying with a mate over-night. It was spluttering like a sick dog and the cat was smelling bad when I pulled over to check it (that's the cat converter!) LOL!:P . Luckily: 1) I'm an AA member and 2) I've just joined BRISKODA and managed to get loads of info from you good folk on ignition coil failures and the symptoms. I rang the AA and told them what I thought it was, he brought one with him and bingo...as sweet as.

Just wanted to let you know this forum ROCKS! Oddly, it's the second thing to go wrong since I bought it at start of April 2006, (1st thing was airbag module failed...replaced under the extra warranty from the dealer...phew!). It still didn't tinge my adoration for this truly GREAT automobile!!