Lets start keeping track of these failures and see what kind of results we get. maybe we can find a pattern going on here and prevent this from happening so much.

If you have a SC400, please take the poll, If you have had a coil fail please select the drivers side or passenger side, and if you have had both fail (doesn't have to be at the same time) choose both failed, and last if you haven't had one fail yet (you will), you are lucky and go ahead and choose mine hasn't failed yet. If you want to post it up also pls do that and include a rough mileage it happened at. This happens so much it really needs another look as to why. Thanks CL!

 

Different factors come into play. Some time having an audio system could damage anything electrical. So I guess having people list ANY AND ALL electrical
modifications from lights to audio/video as well. Possibly any electrical related failures as well (alternators, starters, etc)

 

Voted, driverside failed, it was right before hitting 200,000 miles. It was OEM.

Happend right after I replaced my bad alternator. Jump started it but it ran like crap all the things associated with a bad coil. Loss of power, bad smell, using to much gas, glowing cats etc etc...

Not sure if it was related from bad alterntor (replaced with new one), the jump ( jump started correctly) or it was just coincidence and it happen to go out at the same time.Tested the coil resistance with a meter and it read fine but lower where i thought it should be.

I took a chance anyway and replaced it with a new one.

Started right up, drove way better then it did before and was like a new car, no problems with coil since.

 

lost a coil too, thought my engine was blown , ran scary bad, Ill ask my mechanic which one was replaced and vote later.

Edit:happened at about 100 000 miles, and immediately after putting the tranny ect to on and driving to about 4000-5000rpm, blew right away

 

Drivers side winning.

No casualties here. THough, I've put about 1k miles on the SC total so I don't really count do I?

 

Well VVTi doesn't have coil packs so

 

Drivers side failed around 200xxx. I think it has to do with the fact that it's so much closer to the exhaust manifold and deals with more heat stress.

 

My driver just let go at 176,000

 

My passenger side coil took a crap on me a few weeks ago at 202,500 miles. Burning too much gas, car shaking violently, not accelerating properly. The usual stuff. Changed it out and it's been running wonderfully ever since.

 

thanks for posting up all that info guys and the mileage helps too. seems we have more of the drivers side so far around 150k-200k. Also have the first passenger side vote now so it seems like its not just the drivers side.

does anyone have pics of the 2 coils. I know one is sitting on the engine but where exactly is the other one mounted on the sc4?

 

One of my coils failed after a pressure washing to the motor. That was over a year ago. Now with maybe only 2,000 miles on it since the new coil was installed, I've replaced the alternator with a new one and I've recently been showing symptoms of a bad coil again.

Smooth idle, *very slight* hesitation when revving the engine in park, and very rough/almost no acceleration until about 3,000 RPM. After 3k, it hauls its *** off. It almost feels like a misfire down low. The exhaust sounds like it has a leak, but all symptoms disappear with higher engine speed. Does this sound familiar to anyone else?

Only one of the coils was replaced the first time, I believe the driver's side. Now may just be time for the passenger's.

Car has 102,000 miles and an upgraded audio system.

 

been seeing this alot lately so bumping it up for newer members. SC400 owners check your coils!!!
Also check the rotors inside the distributors for wear, they are a part that should be changed also if its never been done and having ignition issues.

 

LOTS of bizarre problems brought me here this time. Suddenly runs like crap, NO acceleration, NO power, the go-fast pedal needed to be 1/2 way to the floor to even get up go 40 MPH, auto-transmission shifting strange, both catalytic converters running VERY hot (in fact, glowing red but NOT plugged), fuel filter change was no help, vacuum was very low (about 15"), but steady as a rock.

What especially surprised me was that it still ran as good as it did on only 4 cylinders. I didn't know defective ignition coils were a common failure on this family of engines until posting here. Easy to test by unplugging the HV lead on one ignition coil, then test-run the engine, and then reverse procedure to test the other coil. Unplugging one coil will make minimal difference to the way the engine sounds (but it will still run like crap), the other will run VERY, VERY, VERY bad, (if it even fires at all). THAT one is the bad coil.

 

Passenger side coil. I'm not sure if me messing with the radio had to do with it but I have a bad stock radio that doesn't play FM and I was messing with it days before the coil went out. This was the factory Ignition coil, I thought my tranny was gone when it first happened.

OEM Coil, Passenger Side Ignition Coil, 119,000 miles on a 92 SC400

 

Passenger at 270k, don't know if OEM. God knows the amount of electrical tomfoolery on mine. Audio, fusebox, dash, doors, rear lights, headlights, side markers.....yeah.