Hi All,

My 2007 RX 350 has original spark plugs and three recently replaced coils (front bank fortunately).

At 187,000kms, (116,000 miles) it's only a matter of time before I start getting codes for the rear bank coils. And when that happens, I expect it will be best to replace both plugs and coils front and rear.

I know that some on this forum have had the experience of plugs lasting over 200,000 miles, but given the labor expense of accessing the rear bank, it would seem best to replace both components.

I don't want to repeat that expensive task (3 hours labour) to access the rear bank again.

Wondering if anyone has good or bad experiences with using non-OEM coils?

The issue here is, not the sparkplugs which I intend to replace with the OEM Denso items but the coils.

In Australia (in $AUD) from eBay non-OEM coils range from as low as $70 to $150+ for a set of 6.

The Toyota/Lexus replacements are $140 each, or $840 for 6!

Interested to see if anyone has recently replaced their plugs but especially coils with non-OEM units and outcomes.

Thanks!

 

"Search" feature will yield you lots and lots of results... that subject gets covered very often

 

If you not currently seeing misfires, may I suggest what I did.
Buy 3 brand name coils from a reputable source (Rockauto?).
Mark the bank 2 (front) coils as "Old2", "Old4", "Old6".
Remove the bank 2 coils and set aside for later.
Install the new coils in bank 2.

Run the car for several weeks/month.
Scan/check misfire counts on bank2, make sure everything is good.
Then you are ready to take on the task of putting the new coils in bank1, and put the "Old2/4/6" coils back in bank 2.
Mark the 3 old bank 1 coils as "Old1","Old3","Old5". Keep them as spares.
In theory, if a coil goes bad in the near future, it will be an old coil on bank2 - you can easily swap it with one of the old bank 1 coils.
For what it's worth...

 

Hi rdsrx,

Thanks for this strategy to detect coil longevity...
As it happens, all three front coils (cheap ones that seem to be OK so far!) are only several months old.
I replaced them after codes were thrown in the last few months. No codes have been thrown for any coil/plug issue from the rear bank...(yet!)
I’ve been told that rear bank coils are less likely to go than front bank coils, but not sure this applies to my situation where I have 187,000kms on a 2007 model.

​My main question is should I install actual (not fake) OEM coils x3 eg. Denso etc.in the rear (bank1) as preventative maintenance soon, rather than wait for codes to happen?

I ask this because, as I have indicated above, I've had 3 front bank coils go out in the past few months and I'm told that coils in 2GF-RE motors tend to go out around the same time.

Basically this question comes down to whether it's essential to pay $AUD180 x3 (rear bank only) for each genuine OEM coil, or is it worth risking using ones that can be bought for much less?

Seems the more I think about it, the more it seems cheaper coils may not be worth it.

Anyway, would appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks again!

 

Are there online retailers like rockauto in AU? Below is the list in US. A few notes

• I personally trust Japanese sources including YEC FLAMMA. YEC seem to be in high end aftermarket rather than OEM business. See their main business partner list ( link ) Maybe most of the higher quality aftermarket brands are made by them?
• Hitachi is Honda OEM coil supplier for my mother in law's 2011 Honda Fit
• Diamond Electric (DE) markings are frequently found on Toyota labeled OEM coils (not listed in rockauto but other US online distributors)
• Denso is a distributor for some parts so real manufacturer is someone else but Denso do focus on high quality components.
• Research long history of most Japanese electric companies always provide a sense of high quality and 50-100 year history. In today's market, they can't survive against cheaper lower grade without a quality edge. Above list are all Japanese including DE's original roots.

 

Got the YECs for my friend's 2007 RX350. Very nice, they're made in Japan and they work! No more misfires! They lack the copper / gold terminals of the OEM, but otherwise look quite similar to the Denso units found on the newer 2GR engines. Would recommend.

 

[QUOTE=howardc64;12073005]Are there online retailers like rockauto in AU? Below is the list in US. A few notes

• I personally trust Japanese sources including YEC FLAMMA. YEC seem to be in high end aftermarket rather than OEM business. See their main business partner list ( link ) Maybe most of the higher quality aftermarket brands are made by them?
• Hitachi is Honda OEM coil supplier for my mother in law's 2011 Honda Fit
• Diamond Electric (DE) markings are frequently found on Toyota labeled OEM coils (not listed in rockauto but other US online distributors)
• Denso is a distributor for some parts so real manufacturer is someone else but Denso do focus on high quality components.
• Research long history of most Japanese electric companies always provide a sense of high quality and 50-100 year history. In today's market, they can't survive against cheaper lower grade without a quality edge. Above list are all Japanese including DE's original roots.

Thanks for the info!
We have a few parts aggregators in Australia but nothing the size of RockAuto. Plenty of cheap coils around the $20-30 on eBay but have been warned off them by my mechanic...will go for the YEC Flamma. Thanks again

 

[QUOTE=howardc64;12073005]Are there online retailers like rockauto in AU? Below is the list in US. A few notes

• I personally trust Japanese sources including YEC FLAMMA. YEC seem to be in high end aftermarket rather than OEM business. See their main business partner list ( link ) Maybe most of the higher quality aftermarket brands are made by them?
• Hitachi is Honda OEM coil supplier for my mother in law's 2011 Honda Fit
• Diamond Electric (DE) markings are frequently found on Toyota labeled OEM coils (not listed in rockauto but other US online distributors)
• Denso is a distributor for some parts so real manufacturer is someone else but Denso do focus on high quality components.
• Research long history of most Japanese electric companies always provide a sense of high quality and 50-100 year history. In today's market, they can't survive against cheaper lower grade without a quality edge. Above list are all Japanese including DE's original roots.

Thanks for the info!
We have a few parts aggregators in Australia but nothing the size of RockAuto. Plenty of cheap coils around the $20-30 on eBay but have been warned off them by my mechanic...will go for the YEC Flamma. Thanks again