Seat Ibiza 1.2 - Coil Problem - Please help!!

Kennie

Guest
Hi,

Recently bought a 1.2 Seat Ibiza but since owning it from june everything was fine until about 3/4 months ago when it started blowing ignition coils, it blew 4 then i decided that there was more to it than just the coils so i got spark plugs changed, oil filter changed, air filter changed.

It then was fine for about two weeks then another coil bites the dust, i decided to go take this to an autospark and get diagnostics on the car which came up that a knock sensor needs replaced, got nice replaced and still coils are going although it took it around a month this time.

The mechanic is now telling me that it could be to do with a sticky valve as faults keep coming up for cylinder 2 although coils blow in all 3, he also said it could be the timing chain which needs adjusted or even the ecu.

I am unsure now as to what the best option to go with would be as i have lost my job and dont have very many beer tokens around me at the moment :p

Anyone have any clues or help?

Thanks,
Kennie
 
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collikiller

Guest
Ive had the exact same problem on my 1.2 mk4 for the last few months and ive gone through about 5 ignition coils at £30 each. I have a code reader which tells me which cyclinder the misfire is, I change the ignition coil of the misfiring cylinder to the next and the fault moves with it. When I replace the coil it all runs smoothly for a couple of months and then the problem returns.

Ive read that the ignition coils break down with water, but the coil itself is in a sealed plastic case, under a large plastic engine manifold with the air intake in, and sat inside an engine. I cant see any weakness in the design

I am desperate to find out what this problem is before the engine loses 1/3 of it power again.
 

Deleted member 35176

Guest
I don't think its your timing chain, if that had gone or slipped you would probably knackered your pistons and cylinders and that. Only way to be sure is strip the engine down. ECU or sticking valve sounds more likely, have the SEAT garage assess the ECU and make sure it isnt fried. Other than that Im stumped, Im not too good on this side of things, need to GEN up big time cos I might have the same problem one day.
 

collikiller

Guest
Can anybody shed any light on this problem please?

I definately dont think its a sticking valve because i cant see how a mechanincal valve inside the engine can cause a coil of wire sat around a spark plug to fail. The ECU sounds closer although... I am guessing, but I would have thought the coil would be running at the full 12V anyway so theres no way the coil could be damaged.

I really cant get my head around this one, the coil seems to last a month and then deteriorate within a few days.
 

Deleted member 35176

Guest
Could it not be that too much voltage is in the coil and it's blowing it? Have you not fluked the plug for the output voltage?
 

danny_

Guest
could it no be dodgy coils?? one of mine went around 6 month ago, replaced it with a spare from the last engine and never had a problem since?
 

collikiller

Guest
No i have tried 5 coils of different qualities already which is the main reason its bugging me as they are at least £30 a time.

ye I think I will have to take a few voltages, I would have done this before but I was worried running the car with the coil out could damage it with the excess of unburnt fuel.

Im not ruling out the possiblity but if there was too much voltage its strange how it manages to last a month or two. You would think it would be a much faster process.
 

helen1290

Guest
No i have tried 5 coils of different qualities already which is the main reason its bugging me as they are at least £30 a time.

ye I think I will have to take a few voltages, I would have done this before but I was worried running the car with the coil out could damage it with the excess of unburnt fuel.

Im not ruling out the possiblity but if there was too much voltage its strange how it manages to last a month or two. You would think it would be a much faster process.

hi just to mention that coils can be replaced very easy i just done all 3 of mine i got them new from ebay a seller that sells lots of car parts new i paid 65 quid including postage for 4 coils a bargin as seat wanted 45 each rip off i keep spare in the car just incase but the last lot has lasted 2 yrs so all good
 

Biker

Full Member
Oct 6, 2003
1,593
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Northumberland
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I think it is unlikely your problem is being caused by a high voltage. The only way you would get a higher than normal voltage is if your voltage regulator was faulty, if that were the case all electrical components on the car would likely be affected not just the coil packs.
It may be possible you have the opposite, a low voltage. If the voltage is to low the coil pack will need to draw a higher than normal current to operate and this would in time probably cause the coil pack to fail.
Have you checked all the connectors and earth points to be sure they are clean, I would check right back to the ECU and check the engine earth is ok.
 
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helen1290

Guest
Where are you buying the now coils from?

hi yer go to ebay.co.uk you can type in seat coils and scrowl to find it they are 4 for 55.00 and 10.00 postage ive just done a 200 mile round trip with the new coils in and ran like a dream they are stated new i got a spare for the boot just incase lol but will order another 4 as the price is just fab why get ripped off by seat dealers hope this helps any more info ie the exact ebay number mess me
 

RUM4MO

Active Member
Jun 4, 2008
7,784
983
South Scotland
I think that you should always buy new coils from a VAG dealer as they should come with either one year or two years warranty as these failures are well known. A COP - ie coil on plug has to be a very well made item, both of the OEM COP suppliers to VAG will have done a lot of work to make them as reliable as they are, of course these present failures of original COPs does make my statement look like a joke, but I believe that these failure are down to some "bean counter" working for the OEM COP manufacturer, outsourcing this work to either third world or developing European of Asian countries - but I'd reckon that this work has now been taken back to central European factories. Now, the aftermarket COP makers, exactly how much money will they have spent on designing/copying these COPs - I reckon about two pence, so, if you want to aim for reliability, then maybe stick with buying the latest issue of VAG sourced COPs. At over eight years and 76,000 miles, my wife's Polo with a BBY engine has only "used" two - cylinder one and four years later(maybe) cylinder two.

As said already, subject to sparking plug condition, I would say that a COP failure is just that with no external influences being possible - engine earthing is quite important though.
 
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Viking

Insurance co's are crap.
May 19, 2007
2,317
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Near Richmond, North Yorks
hi yer go to ebay.co.uk you can type in seat coils and scrowl to find it they are 4 for 55.00 and 10.00 postage ive just done a 200 mile round trip with the new coils in and ran like a dream they are stated new i got a spare for the boot just incase lol but will order another 4 as the price is just fab why get ripped off by seat dealers hope this helps any more info ie the exact ebay number mess me


I'm well aware of ebay coils and how cheap they can be. I know you can buy them from there. I was asking the Original Poster where he was buying his from, so that I could advise best where to get quality ones from.

As it happens, in all my years driving VAG motors I've never had to replace any genuine dealer sourced parts due to failure, either under warranty or afterwards.

To the OP, you're not too far away from SERE Motors in Belfast. If you're having issues with cheap ebay coils, get yourself down there and speak to David in the parts dept. Tell him you're a member on here and he'll sort you out with a part which won't fail. And if it does, there's 2 years warranty on it.
 

helen1290

Guest
I'm well aware of ebay coils and how cheap they can be. I know you can buy them from there. I was asking the Original Poster where he was buying his from, so that I could advise best where to get quality ones from.

As it happens, in all my years driving VAG motors I've never had to replace any genuine dealer sourced parts due to failure, either under warranty or afterwards.

To the OP, you're not too far away from SERE Motors in Belfast. If you're having issues with cheap ebay coils, get yourself down there and speak to David in the parts dept. Tell him you're a member on here and he'll sort you out with a part which won't fail. And if it does, there's 2 years warranty on it.

oh right well sorry for that misunderstanding but i have to say 2 yrs of my coils lasting is well worth the chance esp when they didnt even last a year when they all went and seat did them sp if the post didnt help you it will surely help another
 
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