Daughter's Ibiza (it's a 2004 model and most people know them as mkIV) broke down yet again tonight with coil pack failure.
That's the 4th time, and it's always the same one that fails - no1, the one nearest the cam chain.
This is beyond annoying now. She would like another Ibiza as she really likes the car but she ain't having one if I've got anything to do with it.
Have we just been very unlucky or do VAG still have an issue with coil packs failing? Anyone got any ideas about why it's always the same one that fails?
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Have you changed the spark plug? Coil packs can sometimes fail because the spark plug gaps are excessive. If you buy genuine VAG coil packs from a dealer, they should carry a 2 year warranty IIRC (ask the dealer).
Edited by brum on 13/05/2009 at 00:35
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Have you changed the spark plug?
Well that's interesting, because when it failed last time it was only a few weeks after its 40K mile / 4 yr service and that's the only one at which the plugs are changed. They were certainly noted as changed, and I know the dealer had the cover off as they didn't reconnect the pipes!
However at that time the attending AA man noted on the chitty that the car could do with new plugs. What I don't know is whether this is a routine thing to say or if he actually took one out and looked at it - if he did, it ought to have looked almost brand-new. Certainly on a previous occasion when it failed at home the Patrolman did remove the plug and look at it.
We've never actually paid for any of the coil packs and there was no issue with this one as I had the chitty from the last change 6mths ago. It read like we'd paid for it, even though we didn't, so the AA warrant it. Apparently some VAG models/brands warrant the coil packs for 5 years but SEAT dismissed that out of hand when I asked them about it. Been generally very disappointed by SEAT UK, they've helped ruin what could have been a good ownership experience.
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I can't answer your question, BP, but my compliments to your daughter and I can tell her that my elder daughter has done something like 100,000 miles since 2004 in three successive 1.3 Yarises. I have shown her how to open the bonnet but she professes to have forgotten again: she comes home at weekends and I check levels for her. Touch wood, not a moment's trouble with any of them.
List prices seem expensive but our Toyota garage does very good deals.
Edited by Avant on 13/05/2009 at 00:33
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Dont know if that was an attempt to gloat about Toyota reliability, but 3 cars in 6 years/100,000 miles is hardly setting any record.
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It's 5 years, and it wasn't trying to set a record - just a hopefully helpful suggestion that BP's daughter might like to look at alternatives.
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BP's daughter might like to look at alternatives.
In almost 6 years our Jazz has been similarly faultless and then so has my Merc (who would belive that!) but then she wouldn't want either of those cars.
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Interesting - there's something about the Jazz that doesn't appeal to young people. When Olivia traded up to her first Yaris from a Ford Ka (she's a children's nanny and needed a 5-door car) she didn't like the look of any of the available superminis except the Yaris and the Smart forfour.
I thoroughly disliked the Mercedes B-class that I had a few years ago, but it was reliable; I'll give it that. I think that like Renault, Mercedes went through a bad patch and newer ones are a lot better - maybe back to the standard set by those valiant old 1980s estates that seems to go on forever.
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Any more coil pack thoughts?
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Yes, What`s different about number 1 coil pack? What`s it subjected to that could make this particular one keep failing?
Spark gap - wider erosion gap on that cylinder -
old plugs - number 1 has higher resistance
Heat
vibration
contaminants
design? same as the others? are they interchangeable
All off the top of my head - but something has to be different if it keeps failing on no1, surely?
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This is a common problem with this engine and I see it on the Skoda forum a lot although in most cases Skoda are more sympathetic to their owners than other VAG brands ( they have coughed up twice out of warranty for me) If you like VAG cars and three cylinders, try the 1.4 TDI a bit gruffer than the 1.2 but solid and very brisk in 80bhp form.Another brilliant little triple is the Toyota unit in the Citeoen C1 Pug 107.
Edited by mattbod on 13/05/2009 at 17:27
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Another brilliant little triple is the Toyota unit in the Citeoen C1 Pug 107.
We have a 3cyl Mitsubishi Colt too, and you wouldn't really know it wasn't a 4cyl. In the Ibiza installation, the VAG engine is great if given its head, but juddery as if there's an engine mount missing, at low speed.
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but something has to be different if it keeps failing on no1 surely?
You would think so. Coil packs are identical for each cyl. The latest one to come out showed no signs of stress (noticed one of the others, both still original, was showing signs of the epoxy cracking).
I'll have a look at the weekend and take the plugs out. It is kinda handy though knowing straight away which one has failed! I've bought a spare now. I do notice there have been a lot of revisions in the suffix letter od the p/n - nos 2 & 3 on the car are rev A, then new one I got is Rev F. The one the AA man fitted yesterday (which he said he'd had for 6mths so can't change that many) was Rev E
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Are these 3 pot engines designed as such, or are they cut down V6 engines?
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Are these 3 pot engines designed as such or are they cut down V6 engines?
Don't know. Maybe the V6 is 2 x 3cyl engines bolted together? :)
VAG makes them in such volume that I would have imagined each was specifically designed.
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Mmm find this very interesting. The daughter also has an Ibiza reg 05. Just had a reminder for its 4th service at the seat garage we take it. They said the cam belt needs changing as something to do with 40k coming or something is that right. BP my daughter is very heavy handed, i clean the car and its like a skip on wheels. Touch wood not been a problem as yet. Something wrong though if coils keep going. Did they actially change the plugs did you find out.
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the cam belt needs changing as something to do with 40k coming or something is that right.
If it's 1.2 3cyl then they don't have a cambelt.
If it's any other size then it probably has a belt. I think there's quite a lot controversy about VAG belt change intervals, with VAG in other parts of the world suggesting much longer intervals. Breakage is rare but can be expensive, so the dealers play on this to get customers to change it as early as possible.
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I thought i would just say. Just come back from Cornwall and had to take the Ibiza. Performed admirably. It cost us £70 in petrol.
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