does ingition coil BRAND matter?

[6716]

I'm looking into a P0302.

I have the #2 and #3 coils out. #2 is super dirty, looks like rust/oxidation on the coil, and there is a lot more in the hole on top of the plug. #3 looks pretty good, or at least way better than #2, and no orange-ish brown dust in the hole.

All the coils are original, 226Kmi, spark plug change 50K miles ago.

I'm not running too badly, consistent idle speed, runs fine even with the a/c on. Some valve tick and dieseling, but that's been for a while, and oil just changed 500 miles ago.

So I guess with the coil looking that bad, and the hole looking like that I'm wondering if it is worth it to switch coils around to isolate the issue or just replace the #2 coil right off.

And even if I do switch them around first and discover that I have a bad coil, if I wanted to replace it immediately, does coil brand matter?

 

[Wooluf1952]

Is the coil rusty? Or just the wire/spring assembly? I know you can buy/replace just the assembly. If it's just the wire assembly, I'd take it off the coil, remove the spring and clean off any corrosion Re-assemble, re-install in the engine and see if you're still getting the P0302.
I'm not sure about brands.

 

[6716]

I cleaned it up and cleared the code. Took a test drive and it didn't immediately reset, anyway (neither did my P0455).

Here's the #2 coil on the right and the #3 on the left.

View attachment 68718

#3 plug well

View attachment 68719

#2 plug well

View attachment 68720

 

[Mooseman]

Looks like moisture was getting in, probably a bad seal. I'd replace it with an ACDelco or Delphi. I had a newish one in #4 that was different than the other originals and it died before the others. Had a spare original and it's been fine since.

 

[6716]

Looks like moisture was getting in, probably a bad seal.

Now that you mention it, the rubber gasket dropped right off the #2 coil when I took it off, but it stayed attached to the #3. I'll bet that's it.

 

[signalnc]

I had purchased some BWD coils and two of them went bad after 2 years....seemed like they should last longer.

 

[webdawg]

Did you get them replaced under warranty?

 

[Mike w]

I had purchased some BWD coils and two of them went bad after 2 years....seemed like they should last longer.

our motor is a 4.2 inline 6 not 4.3 v6

 

[Mounce]

Where did he say it was a v6? I don't see it in this thread.

 

[Blckshdw]

Where did he say it was a v6? I don't see it in this thread.

His profile info is incorrect ATM

 

[Mounce]

Gotcha.

 

[Mike w]

Sorry couldn't let that go lol

 

[signalnc]

I must have fat fingered the keyboard

 

[webdawg]

The BWD are lifetime too right?

 

[Mounce]

Probably. I know they would be if you got them at O'Reilly's, most of their parts come with a lifetime warranty if you keep the receipt.

 

[BlazingTrails]

Considering the oem 's last sometimes 200k + miles I would stick with ac Delco.