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It has recently occurred to me that while failed coilpacks are very common on our cars a pictorial write up on changing the damn things doesn't really exist (or may be I suck at STFA).
Part 1: Classic symptoms of failed/failing coilpack. - shaking at low speeds and while idling - "check engine" light flashing. Part 2: Changing coilpacks. First you need to buy a new coilpack (preferably a newest revision which at the time of this writing is an "R" version) or get it out of your trunk if you already have a spare.  Open your hood, those 4 black thingies on top of the engine are the coilpacks (under the engine cover)  I run w/o the black plastic engine cover (weight savings and all) so I don't have any pics on its removal. A simple key can be used to unscrew the 4 (or 5) plastic bolts holding the cover in place. 1/2 turn counter-clockwise should do it. Lift it and put it aside.  Grab the coilpack by its plastic top and pull gently but firmly. Be careful as the engine may be hot.    Now the coilpack has to be disconnected from the harness  You can use a screw driver (as per Stonehenge's pic below)...  But I find that I can get away with using only my finger/nail. Push the clip and pull the coilpack away from the harness.  The coilpack is now removed.  Get the new coilpack out of the box and connect it to the harness. You should feel a slight click when everything locks into place  Push the coilpack into place slowly and carefully. If you find that the coilpack doesn't want to go in smoothly take it out and start again. The spark plug should go into the opening of the coilpack.  Push in all the way for the end result  You are now done. Part 3: Determining which coilpack failed w/o Vag-Comm (lovingly known as "playing musical coilpacks") Typically when the car is running with a failed coilpack, the engine sounds and feels extremely coarse with lots of vibrations and shudders. Basically it'll feel like a cheap diesel pickup truck. Park the car and start the engine in neutral. Open the hood. The engine will sound like crap which is normal with a failed CP. With the engine still on start pulling on the 1st coilpack (the one that's closest to you if you standing in front of your car). BE SURE TO GRAB THE CP ONLY BY ITS PLASTIC TOP AS THERE IS A CHANCE OF ELECTRIC SHOCK AND/OR DAMAGE TO THE CP. It's not necessary to completely take it out. If the engine starts sounding even worse (since it'll be running on 2 cylinders), then that coilpack is good. Push it back in and start pulling on the 2nd coilpack. Basically the idea is to find the coilpack which when pulled out will NOT cause the engine to run any worse that it already does. It makes sense because a failed coilpack doesn't work already so it won't matter if it's plugged in or not. Once the coilpack is found, replace it with a fresh one. PREFERRED/SAFER METHOD, you can start and stop the car instead of pulling CPs out while the car is running. So pull CP 1 then start it up. If its running worse, not it. Shut off car, put back in and pull CP 2. Start it up, etc. You get the idea :) Tip: ALWAYS CARRY AT LEAST ONE SPARE COILPACK IN THE TRUNK IF YOU DRIVE A 1.8T. It's much simpler carrying a $30 part in your car at all times and replacing a coilpack on the side of the road in 5 minutes than waiting 1-3 hours for a tow truck and another 1-3 hours at the dealer for the car to be fixed. ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ |
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