Use cheap aftermarket coils?

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I need a coil, maybe 2 for the 03 Maxima project car. I believe the original coils are Hitachi. 1 hitachi coil is 42$ on Amazon. I can get a complete set of 6 aftermarket coils for almost the same price. So much cheaper. Any harm using the cheapos, maybe get a few just in case?
 
Does it say that it's built to OE specifications? If so then you're golden.
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My personal experience, on a 1999 Infiniti I30 (fancy Maxima with Nissan 3.0L) was that aftermarket coils, though a lot cheaper ($150), will result in a CEL. I spent $150 on a whole set and my daughter's car continued to experience the CEL even thought the car ran fine. That's all well and good unless you live in a place, like here, where a CEL will cause your vehicle to fail inspection. I ultimately stumbled across a full set of six OEM Nissan coils on eBay for $260. That solved the issue.

I believe that O'Reilly's sells OEM quality coils for quite a bit less than Nissan, but I doubt you are going to have great success with cheap aftermarket models. It's not that they don't do what they are supposed to do. They just don't place nice with your ECM and result in the dreaded CEL.

If you do try them, just make sure you get them from a merchant to whom you can return them for a refund.
 
Originally Posted By: StevieC
Does it say that it's built to OE specifications? If so then you're golden.
thumbsup2.gif


Lol.

OES ignition parts only.
 
RockAuto has the Hitachi for $36.79

And if you use the discount code, that'll pay for shipping.

If you go with the aftermarket no name coils, have a tow truck number on speed dial !
 
Originally Posted By: StevieC
Does it say that it's built to OE specifications? If so then you're golden.
thumbsup2.gif



Sure - and you believe every advertiser on eBay?

"meets OE specs!"

"Buy now with confidence"

Good luck with that...
 
Used an AAP coil on one of the cylinders on mine a few years ago. It had made in Poland on it. Still working fine. But if the Hitachi ones are that cheap, I would use those.
 
OP, there are several Youtube video's showing new aftermarket COP's that do not ramp like the factory coils. I would rather go to a junk yard and pick up some old ones there than try some of the aftermarket specials.
 
On most cars? Usually fine.

On a VQ30? Never. Nissan's from that period are NOTORIOUSLY picky about coils. Both the 3.0 V6 and the 4.5 V8. Stick with Hitachi.
 
I'm running a couple $9 ebay coils on my camry. The OE ones conk out fairly regularly so I keep a spare in the trunk.
 
Originally Posted By: 14Accent
On most cars? Usually fine.

On a VQ30? Never. Nissan's from that period are NOTORIOUSLY picky about coils. Both the 3.0 V6 and the 4.5 V8. Stick with Hitachi.


This^
 
Ok, will go with the Hitachi. Its a 2 piece coil, which seems to be part of the problem. Stretches, even pops off the shaft if its been installed for a while.
 
Originally Posted By: dlundblad
Buy once, cry once.

Get the OE.


This.

There is one thing I hate more than spending money on expensive parts, and that is replacing the same part twice because the first one was bad.
 
Worse yet was that the $150 set of aftermarket coils I bought was six identical coils. On this engine three are taller and three are shorter. I was able to use them but I could not reinstall the plastic engine cover. After suffering with the CEL for two years the set I got on eBay was 100% correct. Since my daughter was in college at the time we were able to get a waiver on the CEL because the county in which the school was located was a "non-emissions" county.
 
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