How do I check my coilpack?

[matt_mcmhn]

My engine's running really rough and I'm almost positive it's a coilpack. I read a bunch of threads about the same problem but none actually said HOW you check them. So how?

[JDBG1.8t]

do you have a CEL? Buy a vag or go to autozone and scan your car. If you get misfires then play musical coils and find out which one is bad. i.e. if your misfire changes from cylinder 1 to cylinder 2 when you switch the coil from one to two then you found the bad coil.

Lots of things can cause your car to run rough....

[matt_mcmhn]

Oh yeah I have the blinking CEL and all the symptoms line up with coilpack failure. I'd do the VAG/scan thing but I'm leaving for a week tomorrow. I needed just a quick way to test them if possible

[kjgarreau]

That is the quick way to test them.

[JDBG1.8t]

DO NOT DRIVE your car. With your symptoms I bet your ICM is bad. Same thing happened to me. Its located on top of your airbox. you could also have some bad coils though.

http://www.germanautoparts.com/Audi/...lectrical/62/1


Search ICM. or ignition control module.

[MikeWasHere05]

DO NOT DRIVE your car. With your symptoms I bet your ICM is bad. Same thing happened to me. Its located on top of your airbox. you could also have some bad coils though.

http://www.germanautoparts.com/Audi/...lectrical/62/1


Search ICM. or ignition control module.

Not necessarily. On our model cars (I believe all before 2000? Someone correct me on this) the ICM is the weak link. Hence our ICM failures, however the later models had some of the electronics from the ICM moved to the coilpack. Those electronics still failed, just now in a different spot.

What year car do you have?

[matt_mcmhn]

DO NOT DRIVE your car. With your symptoms I bet your ICM is bad. Same thing happened to me. Its located on top of your airbox. you could also have some bad coils though.

http://www.germanautoparts.com/Audi/...lectrical/62/1


Search ICM. or ignition control module.

Those are for 96-00. Forgot to say, I have an 01. And isn't the ICM just another word for coilpack? I read that somewhere on here. Not driving it won't be a problem, I have another car I can take for the week.

[JDBG1.8t]

For ndbw cars, with a blinking CEL and a random multiple misfires code than you have a bad ICM. I dont know with the dbw cars and coilpack is not another name for the ICM for ndbw cars, two different things.

Those are for 96-00. Forgot to say, I have an 01. And isn't the ICM just another word for coilpack? I read that somewhere on here. Not driving it won't be a problem, I have another car I can take for the week.

[matt_mcmhn]

Not necessarily. On our model cars (I believe all before 2000? Someone correct me on this) the ICM is the weak link. Hence our ICM failures, however the later models had some of the electronics from the ICM moved to the coilpack. Those electronics still failed, just now in a different spot.

What year car do you have?

Now I'm confused, this is basically what I read earlier about the 01 model. It would seem to fit because the ICM's are only for 96-00

[Mad_Audi]

if u have an early model A4, you would have an ICM. My best friend is an audi tech and he said he has never replaced coils on an early model a4. at some point audi did away with the ICM on newer models. I started misfire like crazy a couple weeks back and i just replaced my ICM and it was all good =) i have a 97 1.8T btw

[IKE20VA4]

I've have 3 coil packs go in the last 1,000 miles. I'm an 01 as well and They are dropping like flies. Mainly in warmer conditions when temps under the bonnet get toasty (like idling in traffic). So now I always keep an extra in the trunk because it's an easy fix if you have one but if not and your CEL is blinking, you're kinda f'd. You don't even have to play musical coil packs if the coil completely goes out. If it is misfiring as idle and you are good enough at hearing that, then if you pull out the right coil pack the misfiring will stay the same. But if you pull out a good coil pack then it will get even worse.

[matt_mcmhn]

I've have 3 coil packs go in the last 1,000 miles. I'm an 01 as well and They are dropping like flies. Mainly in warmer conditions when temps under the bonnet get toasty (like idling in traffic). So now I always keep an extra in the trunk because it's an easy fix if you have one but if not and your CEL is blinking, you're kinda f'd. You don't even have to play musical coil packs if the coil completely goes out. If it is misfiring as idle and you are good enough at hearing that, then if you pull out the right coil pack the misfiring will stay the same. But if you pull out a good coil pack then it will get even worse.

Ah thank you that's exactly what I was looking for. I knew there was some other way of checking which pack was failing. I'm going to pick up a set of 4 of those newer more reliable coilpacks and just keep them in my trunk for emergencies.

[mike-2ptzero]

Now I'm confused, this is basically what I read earlier about the 01 model. It would seem to fit because the ICM's are only for 96-00

Not exactly. The ICM is for pre-00 which means 99.5 and earlier. The ICM was not used on the 00+.


If you have never changed or upgraded your coil packs, then now would be a good time to get the updated version or change to the set used on the 2000(ATW).

[matt_mcmhn]

Not exactly. The ICM is for pre-00 which means 99.5 and earlier. The ICM was not used on the 00+.


If you have never changed or upgraded your coil packs, then now would be a good time to get the updated version or change to the set used on the 2000(ATW).

Well I just had a mechanic put new ones in today, 2 of them were blown. I've only had the car 4 days so I don't know if they've ever been changed out before, but all the work on it has been done at a major Audi dealer and I'll be getting the service records from them so I know if I need to do anything else. I'll also grab a set of the newer coils and put them in the trunk. Better safe than sorry. Fortunately the dealer I got it from is insanely nice and paid for the repair even though it wasn't covered under warranty.

[Tiluleshpingen]

^^^ coil packs and coil boots area little diff things and ICM is a diff thing also.. COIL BOOt's go bad often , coil packs dont really go bad unless you have been messing with them, ICM has a life span so it has to be replaced when ever it goes bad
a hint to know where your icm has gone bad is that when u vag the car it will show cylinder #2 miss fire+some other shit together.. so if u continually get cylinder #2 miss fire then 90% is a bad iCM

[mike-2ptzero]

^^^ coil packs and coil boots area little diff things and ICM is a diff thing also.. COIL BOOt's go bad often , coil packs dont really go bad unless you have been messing with them, ICM has a life span so it has to be replaced when ever it goes bad
a hint to know where your icm has gone bad is that when u vag the car it will show cylinder #2 miss fire+some other shit together.. so if u continually get cylinder #2 miss fire then 90% is a bad iCM

Very true for every thing but 01+ seeing that they have a major coil pack issue with them going bad, popping out and melting. Audi had a recall on them putting in a updated part. But some people are using the Hitachi set from the 2000(ATW) which bolt in. The coil harness plug on the 00 and 01 are exactly the same and the hitachi bolts right in, I know because I have a 01 valve cover on my 00.