Diagnosing 1.8t coil pack failures
09-10-2006, 09:27 AM
#1
AudiWorld Super User
Thread Starter
Diagnosing 1.8t coil pack failures
Well, after a year of driving my 1.8t coil pack conversion experiment, I finally (inevitably?) had a coil pack fail. Its been coming on for awhile, i.e. some missing/ hesitation under boost (24 psi plus) but nothing in "normal" driving. Just like a "real" coil failure mode.
Like the OE system and a POS failure, you can't find the offending cylinder until you get a total failure, i.e. a failure at idle. As a result, diagnosing which cylinder is the problem is the same as tracking down a OE POS channel failure:
1) Remove the injector cover
2) Start the engine (in neutral with the hand brake on)
3) pull the injector connectors one at a time.
Since you will be going from a 4 out of 5 cylinder mode to a 3 out 5 mode, it is very clear which cylinder has the problem. In my case, based on other failures, I was willing to bet it would be no. 5. Wrong: No. 3. Hmmm... no rhyme nor reason to these...
Solution:
1. Disconnect the coil pack from the harness,
2. Pull coil pack,
3. Remove rubber "seal" ring from dead coil pack, 4. Add seal ring to new coil pack,
5. Check torque on spark plug (tighten only) - it was fine.
6. Insert new coil pack (to engage the hex part of the plug),
7. Reconnect to harness,
8. Start car.
9. Enjoy engine Purrrr.....
Total time from removing injector cover to finish: 10 minutes (and some of that was wiping dirt off the fuel rail).
Now to find out whether the 115 R coil packs are really any better. And put another spare 115 L in the trunk. ;>
Like the OE system and a POS failure, you can't find the offending cylinder until you get a total failure, i.e. a failure at idle. As a result, diagnosing which cylinder is the problem is the same as tracking down a OE POS channel failure:
1) Remove the injector cover
2) Start the engine (in neutral with the hand brake on)
3) pull the injector connectors one at a time.
Since you will be going from a 4 out of 5 cylinder mode to a 3 out 5 mode, it is very clear which cylinder has the problem. In my case, based on other failures, I was willing to bet it would be no. 5. Wrong: No. 3. Hmmm... no rhyme nor reason to these...
Solution:
1. Disconnect the coil pack from the harness,
2. Pull coil pack,
3. Remove rubber "seal" ring from dead coil pack, 4. Add seal ring to new coil pack,
5. Check torque on spark plug (tighten only) - it was fine.
6. Insert new coil pack (to engage the hex part of the plug),
7. Reconnect to harness,
8. Start car.
9. Enjoy engine Purrrr.....
Total time from removing injector cover to finish: 10 minutes (and some of that was wiping dirt off the fuel rail).
Now to find out whether the 115 R coil packs are really any better. And put another spare 115 L in the trunk. ;>
09-10-2006, 04:22 PM
#2
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Have your opinions changed or at least, do you plan to stick with the...
1.8t coils in the future? I mean, obviously the coil packs are cheaper, but failure at a one year; do you plan to adopt any changes?
09-10-2006, 05:18 PM
#3
AudiWorld Super User
Thread Starter
Put it this way, I am still $600 plus ahead of the curve with the conversion vs OE. Diagnosing ....
and fixing a 1.8t coil pack failure is WAAAAY easier than fixing either a OE POS or coil failure. That being said, the OE system is obviously good for 100,000 plus miles. When I started this experiment, I just wanted to have an alternative to the OE system in case the OE coils became NLA. I accomplished that.
Now to find out, somehow, about the latest iteration, the 115 R coil pack (L, N, P, Q, ...)
Now to find out, somehow, about the latest iteration, the 115 R coil pack (L, N, P, Q, ...)
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