hlthlnk

Hello- I have a 2002 daily driver with over 200,000 miles and the original ignition coils.

About 2 weeks ago I noticed a slight hesitation when accelerating from a stop.
2 or 3 days later check engine and VSC lights come on... the engine was struggling at this point to not turn off.

Very fortunate that only one code appeared on the reader and that was cylinder 5 misfire.
I switched the 5 coil with the number one coil and that was the culprit.

1. Do ignition coils degrade? I have over 200000 miles and this is the first time a coil goes bad.
2. Should I buy all 8 or just replace the bad one?

I'm just trying to get some opinions and not start a huge debate with the next question...just thinking out loud.
3. aftermarket or dealer coils?
aftermarket range from $75 for all 8 to $300 / Dealer range from $500 to $800 for all 8

I'm leaning towards aftermarket.
The way I look at it is; All the coils are easy to get to and can be replaced quickly with a few hand tools.
If I was replacing a water pump or something that required technical knowhow and lots of time to dismantle and reassemble, I would think about it twice.
Thank you for your help!

Bgw70

Here are my two cents.
if you plan to keep the car a while, I would purchase two Denso OE coils for $48ea from Rockauto.
why two, so you have a spare if it happens again. They are so easy to change and you could keep the part in the trunk, I believe the car tool kit includes a 10mm wrench or was it 12mm?

hlthlnk

Thank you for that advise- a wise man once said...if it ain't broke why fix it.

digitatc

I'm with BGW70 on this one, it only takes a few minutes to replace the ignition coil.

mandyfig

Purchase 2, replace 1 and keep the other for future use. Good luck.

lexixel

Why purchase two? Expecting inflation?

Seattle SCone

Two OEM is reasonable. Replaces the current defective and small incremental cost to have spare. I'd stay away from after market, cheapo 8-packs of coils. Too bad a reputation for working a few months and failing.
If anything, at 200K, I would swap out all old spark plugs for new iridium plugs before aging plugs increase risk of further coil failures as the older plugs increase load on the coils. Again, go with good NGK #4589 from reputable source.

daddiojigg

I think the idea here is to have a spare and not be 'dead in the water' if another should go. Good advice, I think.