Hitachi or Beru Coil Packs

[Euro-Tuner]

I did a plethora of searching and didn't come up with anything that just compared these two coil packs.

I've heard good things about Beru, but I've been running Hitachi in my car for the last few years and had very few problems.

So does anyone have pro's or con's to either brand?

And are they actually different? Some have speculated that Beru buys them from Hitachi and slaps a Beru sticker on them, but this hasn't been proven yet.

I can get Hitachi's from the dealership for $25 each ($100 for a set) or I can get Beru's from Pure MS for $24.95 plus shipping.

Thoughts?

[Seerlah]

Hitachi are Beru units with Hitachi stamped on them

[Euro-Tuner]

really? so it's the other way around...are you positive about this? I'd like to lay it to rest being 100% sure, not guessing because they look similar.

[Seerlah]

Mike Hood told me this a while ago, when I upgraded to the Hitachi E. Beru is also OEM.

Maybe it's the other way around, but I am 95% sure that he said that Hitachi is the Beru with the Hitachi stamp. Either way, they are still the same things. Like Koni and Stasis coilovers. I would just get which one is cheaper.

[walky_talky20]

The OEM Audi box that I got a Hitachi "E" coil pack in last time said "Made in Japan" on the box. I would think it would be a Hitachi (japanese) unit, and perhaps a case of rebadging with the Beru units. The push-down "R" version coils said "Made in Italy" on the box. Just goes to show...

[Euro-Tuner]

Great. Thanks for clearing this up guys!

[jsquillz22]

i got beru! they work like a charm! no complaints

[Euro-Tuner]

Yeah, I've heard they work great, that's why I wanted to know if I was wasting my time running around for Beru's instead of going to the dealership a few minutes away and grabbing Hitachi's.

[Seerlah]

There was also a test that proved that the Hitachi units granted less voltage (think it was done on AudiGeeks). This is not important, unless you are running a large enough turbo application. But there are a lot of aftermarket ignition coils to avoid this, like 034 units.

[Euro-Tuner]

Do you have a link to that? I've been looking for a while and I can't come up with anything and I'm intrigued...

[Euro-Tuner]

On a side note:

I'm becoming aware that the later versions of coil packs (ex. rev. 'E') produce more voltage than AEB coil packs; hence a stronger spark from the spark plug. With this, could I use a larger gap on my plugs without worrying? Say, .030 instead of .028? maybe larger?

I'm only asking b/c I see a lot of people gaping to .028 and I'm assuming some or most of those people are running AEB coil packs

Edit:

Just foudn this on the NGK site:

Since the gap size has a direct affect on the spark plug's tip temperature
and on the voltage necessary to ionize (light) the air/fuel mixture, careful attention is required. While it is a popular misconception that plugs are pre-gapped from the factory, the fact remains that the gap must be adjusted for the vehicle that the spark plug is intended for. Those with modified engines must remember that a modified engine with higher compression or forced induction will typically require a smaller gap settings (to ensure ignitability
in these denser air/fuel mixtures). As a rule, the more power you are making, the smaller the gap you will need.

A spark plug's voltage requirement is directly proportionate to the gap size. The larger the gap, the more voltage is needed to bridge the gap. Most experienced tuners know that opening gaps up to present a larger spark to the air/fuel mixture maximizes burn efficiency. It is for this reason that most racers add high power ignition systems. The added power allows them to open the gap yet still provide a strong spark.

With this mind, many think the larger the gap the better. In fact, some aftermarket ignition systems boast that their systems can tolerate gaps that are extreme. Be wary of such claims. In most cases, the largest gap you can run may still be smaller than you think.

but it still seems like you could run a slightly larger gap with a stronger ignition source, but I'm starting to doubt that the difference between AEB CP's and Rev. 'E' CP's are enough to allow for a larger gap.

[Euro-Tuner]

haha, this was funny too:

Some are built with precious metal alloy tips for greater durability and the ability to fire in denser or leaner air/fuel mixtures. However, installing the same spark plugs Kenny Bernstein uses in his 300+ mph Top Fuel car (running Nitromethane at a 2:1 air/fuel ratio and over 20:1 dynamic compression) in your basically stock Honda Civic (running 15:1 a/f ratios with roughly 9.5:1 compression) will do nothing for you! In fact, since
Kenny's plugs are fully 4 heat ranges colder, they'd foul out in your Honda
in just a few minutes.

[terraflata]

Everything I have read about AEB ignition system is that the coilpacks could last you MUCH longer, but weren't as powerful. Also the ICM could be a weak link in the ignition system and give you trouble, and need replacing at 100 or so dollars. Converting to newer plugs is actually quite easy and just requires a minimal of wire tinkering-with, it's at this time you also delete the ICM and get rid of a component which could go bad. The newer coils were apparently don't last as long, but also cost half to less than half the price!

[Seerlah]

I just searched AudiGeeks and could not find it in the tech section. I came across the thread a long time ago and just always kept that in the back of my head to either get the 034 units or the Plasma somethings, when I have enough money for a BT.