vs
Ignition coil HITACHI or MSD
The old AWD hitachi coils are far more reliable in my experience. I would not change to the awp style from the bolt downs. I have had ~8 failed AWP coils over the years on my 2001 audi/2002 gti and I have 8 hitachis now in my 2 1.8t's for a few years now and no hitachi failures. This is with track days on the gti. They also bolt down so you won't have them popping up on you whack a mole style like the awp ones sometimes do
Pros: more reliable, no failures
Cons: awp style unreliable
Vehicle:
Audi
I had a intermittant misfire that wouldn't go away.. changed out coilpacks, plugs, wires, nothing made a bit of difference. Installed the MSD coilpacks, and the MSD wires and viola, misfire was gone. Regardless, the cost of a stock coilpack + wires far exceedes the cost of the MSD setup.
Pros: solved intermittant misfire, cost effective
Vehicle:
Volkswagen
I found the MSD setup to be a very nice upgrade. Might have just been a mental thing, but I felt that it gave the motor a little more pep and it revved a bit faster.
Pros: gave motor more pep, revved a bit faster
Cons: might be a mental thing
Vehicle:
Volkswagen
I went with MSD. I can say that the car definitely runs a bit smoother, but I did it for a different reason. I figured in the long run it will be cheaper. If one of the coilpacks goes bad I 'll only be spending $42 instead of having to buy an entire coilpack. Even if all three went bad all at once it would still be less expensive than the cost of a new "oem" coilpack.
Pros: runs a bit smoother, cheaper in the long run
Vehicle:
Volkswagen
Don't replace ignition coils until one or more gives out, then I would look into replacing them all with Hitachi E ignition coils (bolt-downs).
Pros: Hitachi E ignition coils
To make a story short, and have a happy ending like me , just buy the 1.8 T coilpack (coil-on-plug x 4) manufactured by Hitachi (Japan). They have the top of the plug filled with some ceramic epoxy-like stuff that seems really sturdy and heatproof. I bought them at ECSTuning.com over a year ago, and they haven't failed not even once.
Pros: sturdy and heatproof
Cons: OEMs sucked big time
Since reinstalling the stock cam and ECU chip in my motor all has been running very well. Even with the raised 10.7:1 compression, the car has zero issues. For the longest time, I've had my plugs gapped to .032". I'm running an MSD Blaster SS coil and Magnacor 8.5mm wires. I was "told" to run a colder gap because the coil is too much for the stock (.024") plug gap. So on Sunday, I put the gap back to 24thou to see how it ran on my Monday commute. It honestly felt bad. Getting on it in a higher gear at lower rpms, I could feel what felt like the ignition being cut back by the knock sensor. It felt like it was missing briefly till the knock sensor retarded the ignition. There was slight power loss as well. It just felt like it ran poor, overall. So last night I put the gap back to 32thou. The ride today felt like it did before I messed with it. None of that iffy feel, just power with no complaints. So, with an aftermarket coil anyway, I would suggest a wider gap on your plugs. Motor runs way better IMHO.
Pros: power with no complaints, runs better
Cons: felt bad, missing, power loss
My car now runs smoother, starts quicker, and revs quicker & I have a cool red coil under my hood.
Pros: runs smoother, starts quicker
Vehicle:
Volkswagen Jetta
Part number: MSD-8203
MSDs are good coils and are meant for racing and not daily abuse. I will guarantee that after time it will crack due to the engine heat, use, etc. May not be for years, but eventually it will.
Pros: good coils, racing purpose
Cons: crack due to engine heat
Car always kills them. I was the most surprised when it killed the Hitachi coils.
Cons: coils get killed
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