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VW Ignition Coil Problems? - READ ONLY

243 messages,  Last post on Aug 11, 2003 at 7:24 PM

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What is this discussion about? Volkswagen Passat, Volkswagen Golf, Volkswagen Jetta, Audi A4, Audi TT, Volkswagen New Beetle, Electrical, Engine, Sedan

#127 of 243 it is likely that every 1.8T with H or prior WILL have bad coils by swschrad Feb 28, 2003 (6:41 pm)
because it appears to be a production design issue. from articles posted, when read, sounds like the potting compound shrinks and cracks open in heat, allowing moisture to short the coils out. run long enough and hot enough, with those coils bolted to the back of the block, and you will have failures.   that's why the recall for replacement letter is the only thing VW could have done to restore confidence in the product. once all vehicles are shed of the old coils, the clock starts anew on a fresh clean world.
#128 of 243 by Mr_Shiftright HOST Mar 01, 2003 (10:59 am)
Have you all seen this site? It's interesting. It monitors 152 coil failures and the circumstances surounding them.   http://forums.audiworld.com/a4gen2/msgs/232444.phtml   It doesn't shed light so much on which percentage of VWs will exhibit coil failure but it does shed some light on the worst production dates, the dealer's success rate in fixing the problem and also seems to be the "safety" issue to rest.   One interesting fact is the relationship to cold weather I thought.
#129 of 243 by newcar31 Mar 01, 2003 (11:31 am)
Thanks swschrad. Are those of you who haven't had a coil failure yet not going to get coils replaced at VW under the recall?
#130 of 243 Recall by pkradd Mar 01, 2003 (11:56 am)
If and when there's a recall I'll certainly get my coils changed even though they haven't failed. Better safe then sorry. I note the chart doesn't include my manufacture date of March 2001 (2001.5 Passat).
#131 of 243 swschrad...Source of Info re: defect by altair4 Mar 02, 2003 (6:58 am)
That's an interesting comment regarding the actual cause of the malfunction. I've read lots of articles on this and, at best, most people have drawn conclustions on their own as to the actual cause. Most simply describe the symptoms, without analysis of the actual defect.   What article definitively describes this? Would love to read it. Thanks!   pkradd: I'll be in line right behind you! Just because I haven't had a failure yet, doesn't mean I don't fear having one occur at an inopportune time.   PS: Mr Shiftright...do my eyes deceive me? You posted a link to, gasp!, another automotive website!! I got a lovely note from one of your cohorts explaining that I violated the usage agreement from Edmund's for doing the same thing on another thread on these boards! Hah!
#132 of 243 I did it for YOU :) by Mr_Shiftright HOST Mar 02, 2003 (3:35 pm)
Ah, busted. I just thought it was very important information. There are a few times when we do allow links to other forums strictly for the conveyance of important info that we can't provide. Host's call here. Sometimes "links to other forums" do get deleted because it is interpreted as an actual solicitation to post there regularly. See the distinction?   You are all on the honor system never to post there
#133 of 243 altair4 and others from missouri... ;) by swschrad Mar 02, 2003 (5:36 pm)
>> "What happens when a coil pack goes bad – how do I know if I have it? The problem is reported to be caused by inadequate sealant which leaks and lets in moisture which in turn causes the coil pack to short out."   from http://clubb5.zeroforum.com/zerothread?id=33587   and http://www.autonews.com/article.cms?articleId=42523   says   >> "Volkswagen of America Inc. and Audi of America Inc. last week said they are voluntarily recalling the cars because of the faulty coils. Sources say the German parts supplier had problems with the insulation material of the coils. If the plastic becomes brittle, spark plug failure can result."   it is possible for HV coils to fail because of gaps in the insulation material... RCA had a legendary series of tube color-TV sets in the late 1960s or early 1970s in which the flybacks got too hot, melted out their potting compound, and some caught fire. the only good flybacks for those sets were from Thordarson-Meissner. the other way HV coils fail is exposure to water or water vapor when it penetrates inadequate insulation. I had a friend who built a half-million-volt tesla coil in high school, and his glass-plate capacitors exploded all the time until he submerged them in oil. that's something siemens learned from X-ray transformers around the turn of the century, and it made their reputation.
#134 of 243 VW Passat Engine Fire by dpbreenmd Mar 02, 2003 (7:46 pm)
I recently lost my VW 2002 Passat to an engine fire. I recently had the coil pack replaced. The car was running well until 2 days ago. It started the same as the last time with the blinking engine light. After a few minutes it quit running while I was on the interstate. I pulled over and the engine burst into flame and the car was engulfed in a matter of minutes. Does anyone know of similar stories or reasons for this. The car had 14,000 mile as was not one year old yet.
#135 of 243 by Mr_Shiftright HOST Mar 03, 2003 (6:06 pm)
Well for one thing you'd need to have had leaking fuel somewhere.   Are injectors normally disturbed in the coil replacement process? Anyone know?
#136 of 243 Engine Fire by altair4 Mar 04, 2003 (6:22 am)
On another automotive website (which I can't mention by name unless Mr Shiftright wants to give me absolution), at least one member had a fire directly related to a coil pack. He provided pictures of the melted coil pack in his note. Another member (on this other site) is a fireman and related two fires to the coilpack issue. I'd guess that perhaps it wasn't the coil pack taht was replaced but one of the original ones that went bad (but only a guess).   A fire doesn't necessarily have to have leaking fuel as it's initial source. The coil packs have plastic components and are located under the plastic engine shroud and have high electrical voltage involved. Once you have an ignition and fire started, then a fuel line could be involved, as well, I guess. Check some other Passat-dedicated websites for additional info. I'd e-mail dpbreenmd directly, but he doesn't have an e-mail address posted.

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