[Maestro]

This Spring I am planning a major maintenance marathon on the 09 335 with 168K mile. I am starting to buy all the parts I need to replace and I got a question about the coils.

The car is on its 4 plug replacement and the prior 3 the coils we never replaced. The car still run strong and I never had miss fires, the boot on the coils, believe it not, has been crewed on by a mouse, so they need replaced, plus I do not want to push my luck any further since the coils held up really well.


Here is the question, I am planning on going with OEM Bosch or the Delphi, not even considering the no names that exist out there. The Delphi seem to be new since I never seen them offered in the past. I have seen some complaints about them only last a short period of time and fitment.

I am also seeing complaint about the Bosch, all these are on Amazon and people saying do not put them in your BMW, just buy real OEM coils. It appears people got Bosch ones on Amazon which no longer say made in Germany but now say made in Slovenia. People are thinking these are counterfeit. A set of 6 go for $126 so it is a really good price, but it could be it is too good to be true so buyer beware. I seen prices as low as $25 each up to $60 to $70 each, they all claim to be BMW OEM with correct part numbers and all the pictures look different as well. Some people even said they put them in the car will not start, pull them out put old back in and everything is fine.

Can anyone confirm if the OEM Bosch are only made in German and the stuff being sold on Amazon is in fact knock offs. I just want to make sure I am getting the correct ones without the need to going to BMW directly. Even the ones on ESC Tuning claiming to be real OEM but look like the Delphi, but not exactly like other Delphi I have seen, and ECS Tuning has always been my go to when I want to be sure I got the right stuff.

Not interest in doing all this work only to have these coils give me issue.

[bluewater328]

Yeah, be careful of the knockoffs. I was running fine for awhile with Delphi which had been replaced early by the dealer. At 80k, I had some hesitation, but no real codes, but replaced with Bosch and NGK plugs and have been fine. I personally bought these:

https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-0221504...ype=automotive

[TGTIW]

I just purchased a new set of Bosch from FCP, and one from Advance Auto, all say made in Slovania.

[BimmerLad]

Originally Posted by TGTIW

I just purchased a new set of Bosch from FCP, and one from Advance Auto, all say made in Slovania.

Have you tried getting a price list on here under the Cotswold thread? OEM stuff at a discount which is always nice

[Maestro]

Originally Posted by bluewater328

Yeah, be careful of the knockoffs. I was running fine for awhile with Delphi which had been replaced early by the dealer. At 80k, I had some hesitation, but no real codes, but replaced with Bosch and NGK plugs and have been fine. I personally bought these:

https://www.amazon.com/Bosch-0221504...ype=automotive

Those are the ones I was looking at, it they had mixed reviews. I am still wondering if Bosch just change manufacturing locations, quality control could have dropped off when they moved.

Update: Well it looks like Bosch in Slovania is one of their major automotive operations, been around since 1993. So part are most likely real Bosch parts.

[Maestro]

Originally Posted by BimmerLad

Have you tried getting a price list on here under the Cotswold thread? OEM stuff at a discount which is always nice

not familiar can you elaborate

[BimmerLad]

Originally Posted by Maestro

not familiar can you elaborate

Drop a message on here with your part numbers for quote including VAT and delivery (assuming you're UK based...)

Genuine BMW Parts at Discounted Rates for Members https://www.e90post.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1205159

just spotted you're not UK based

[BimmerLad]

https://www.bmwdiscountparts.com/oem...il-12138616153

Coils at $60/each...

[bluewater328]

Originally Posted by BimmerLad

https://www.bmwdiscountparts.com/oem...il-12138616153

Coils at $60/each...

What's wrong with shooting for OE vs BMW? Coils are a LOT cheaper if you just buy the exact Bosch or Delphi coil. They aren't specially made by/for BMW, just branded.

[BimmerLad]

Originally Posted by bluewater328

What's wrong with shooting for OE vs BMW? Coils are a LOT cheaper if you just buy the exact Bosch or Delphi coil. They aren't specially made by/for BMW, just branded.

Very true, I believe the general consensus is Delphi over Bosch on the other forums I've read...

personally I've always used Bosch coils in previous cars without fault, I've always stayed clear of Delphi after the whole E46 epidemic and never considered them!

[Indi]

I seem to recall using Bosch on my E90 and have had no issues since.
Didnt check where made though..

[Maestro]

Originally Posted by bluewater328

What's wrong with shooting for OE vs BMW? Coils are a LOT cheaper if you just buy the exact Bosch or Delphi coil. They aren't specially made by/for BMW, just branded.

Actually, my experience has been the Large OEM like Bosch will make parts specifically for a company and those part are required to meet a higher level of quality and anything which does not meet customer specific requirements is sold in other channels depending when the part falls out in the waterfall of testing. So a Brand part could be made specifically for BMW and Bosch could then sell a non-branded part that meets the same specification, or they may choose to cut cost and sell an aftermarket one which does not meet BMW quality requirements.

I understand this, I just was concern with so many people having issue with the Bosch coils which claim to be BMW when if fact they are not and the are much lower quality. In some cases I decide not to go with BMW brand part since the replacement part was known to be better quality.

[bluewater328]

Originally Posted by BimmerLad

Very true, I believe the general consensus is Delphi over Bosch on the other forums I've read...

personally I've always used Bosch coils in previous cars without fault, I've always stayed clear of Delphi after the whole E46 epidemic and never considered them!

I actually heard the opposite. Most people were happy to get different coils around the time that they were subbed in (or swapped if you complained about hesitation or surging). But I also read since that many have preferred the Bosch. Toss up I guess.

Dunno for me the Bosch seemed to work better but I had also swapped plugs at the time (albeit for the same NGK type that was in there previously) — so it wasn't a scientific test.

I still keep the Delphis as they had so little milage on them. Good for a swap set.

[nsjames]

my $120 amazon random set have 40K troublefree miles.
I kept the two newish used ones as spares.

YMMV

[Sp4rtanSD]

I second that - I may be a philistine, but I bought a replacement set of coils from Autozone - way cheaper and available immediately. They're made in China of course (but if you don't think the Chinese can make top quality parts you are in for a rude awakening - just had a tour of Beijing Benz assembly - puts the European operations to shame and they use a lot of localized parts). Just based on cosmetics, they looked a lot better made than the Bosch stuff I had to replace. Anyway, they are working fine, so no stress here!

[BimmerLad]

Originally Posted by Sp4rtanSD

I second that - I may be a philistine, but I bought a replacement set of coils from Autozone - way cheaper and available immediately. They're made in China of course (but if you don't think the Chinese can make top quality parts you are in for a rude awakening - just had a tour of Beijing Benz assembly - puts the European operations to shame and they use a lot of localized parts). Just based on cosmetics, they looked a lot better made than the Bosch stuff I had to replace. Anyway, they are working fine, so no stress here!

it's not that the Chinese can't make quality products it's because they are instructed not to.

the purpose of made in China is cheap, the more expensive items made in say Germany tend to be better quality because more money is pumped into them.