Ignition Coil Question

[tnt31]

This weekend I am going to change the spark plugs, wires, distributor cap, and rotor on a 2000 Dodge Durango. It has a slight miss at idle but with over 250k miles it has earned that. I have no reason to necessarily suspect a problem with the ignition coil but I have never changed it and I have had the vehicle since 28k miles. My Haynes manual has a test procedure with a multimeter plus says to check for cracks and corrosion. If it passes those checks is it safe to assume it is good to go? If I should just replace since replacing that other stuff has anyone had any experience with Richporter Ignition Coils? I can get one for a very good price but do not want to put junk on it.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Donald]

How much are we talking?

In many cases, the coil will fail when it gets hot.

I would forget the coil, change out what you plan and see if the miss goes away. If not, then maybe the coil. I assume the check with a dmm is to measure resistance. Probably not of a great help if it works.

Any CEL codes?

A shop with an ignition analyzer can display the ignition firing on a scope.

 

[NHGUY]

I would change the coil.Its overdue at this point.As is everything else.If its never been replaced (and even replacing things with todays "quality" parts is no guarantee fix anyway),or you have doubt about it,replace it.At this point it owes you little.It maybe just me,but I would use Mopar parts.Yes,I know sometimes you are just paying for a name,but in my experience the OEM parts seem to last a whole lot longer.Heck,it lasted 13 years and 250K miles!

 

[morris]

tip on dakota or Durango. dist cap. if it has a vent between the center tower and the outside tower, plug the vent with JB weld. this will keep the moisture out. i learned this the hard way.

 

[tnt31]

A little more info. The current plugs (autolite copper) have about 50-60k on them and the wires, cap, and rotor about a 100K. The coil is original. No CEL. The DMM measurement is checking the primary and secondary resistance.

I can get a Delphi coil for about $40 or the Rickporter coil for $20. $40 is not much but $2o is better unless poor quality. I already have the other parts on hand, prestolite wires, NGK plugs, and BWD Select cap/rotor.

 

[229]

Delphi coil

 

[AandPDan]

Please post pictures of the inside of the cap and rotor after 100k miles. This I have to see.

 

[BISCUT]

Granted it's old school advice, but I was always told if possible replace wires, COPS, Dis Cap, and plugs all consistently. Whatever applicable to your design. Helps if a issues comes up later an often saves you in the long run.

 

[tomcat27]

I'd skip the Richporter coil. never heard of them. cap and rotor wont look too awful after 100k miles. I replaced those on a Jeep 318 I purchased with 100k miles. certainly alot of the white deposits on the terminals, but hey.

the miss could also be a valve that is not seating properly. just for fun, do a compression test.

 

[bvance554]

Originally Posted By: NHGUY
I would change the coil.Its overdue at this point


Overdue? I've never heard of this. I've never in my life changed a coil and I keep my vehicles till their death. I'd replace a coil if it went bad, but thats never happened. Changing it for the [censored] of it is a waste of money and time.

 

[GMBoy]

With the copper plugs at nearly 60k miles I am sure the gap has erroded a lot to create the miss. Most Copper plugs are 30k mile plugs so you've doubled their life. This means the ignition coil has been working much harder for a long time plus it has 200k miles on it. Since the coil is only $40, get the delphi coil and do it now while you are there. I say this only because the replacement cost is low and the coil could be on its way out. Full tune up with all new parts brings a good piece of mind.

 

[KitaCam]

The plastic clip holding a spark plug wire to the coil on the Camry is brittle cracked loose after 8 years and 100k miles when I replaced the plugs...I just wrapped it in electrician tape and all seems well...for now...

 

[tnt31]

Got around to it today.

Plugs actually looked much better than I expected for the mileage. Gap was .040 when I installed them and they were all .043 to .045 when I pulled them today. Plug wires seemed alright also but I did not test them. Cap and rotor were worse than I expected. Got it all changed out. Tried to take some pics of the old parts but I apparently am not good at photography as you could not tell anything. Idle seems smoother but that may just be the placebo effect of if I did this work it must be better. I tested the coil (it passed) but it had a few cracks so next weekend or the weekend after I will get a new Delphi coil and put it in. Also of note each plug wire in the prestolite kit (they seemed well made) was a little but shorter than the autolite professional plug wires I took out....not much but noticeable, and if one had been 1/4" shorter it would not have reached.