[Bksoldier]

I recently received the dreaded SES light. I got the code and it is a cylinder 6 misfire. Any suggestions on replacement coils and plugs? I figured if there is an upgrade from factory, now would be a great time to upgrade. The car is a 2011 328i x drive with 53,000 miles.

Thanks in advance

[e90yyc]

Originally Posted by Bksoldier

I recently received the dreaded SES light. I got the code and it is a cylinder 6 misfire. Any suggestions on replacement coils and plugs? I figured if there is an upgrade from factory, now would be a great time to upgrade. The car is a 2011 328i x drive with 53,000 miles.

Thanks in advance

Recently replaced mine.

First suggestion would be to swap the coil with a different cylinder's and see if the code follows it. My coils went around the 170,000 mile mark; 53,000 miles seems a bit early...

Assuming the code does follow, or you just want to replace them anyhow, it's a very easy job.

These are the coils I used: https://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog..._pg1.htm#item4

As for plugs, I went with the NGK plugs as I believe they're OEM supplier:



Let me know if you'd like any more info. Good luck!

[labrador]

Looks like Delphi are actually Bremi. Did not think they were interchangeable without recode. Bosch sucked. I used NGK plugs. Pretty easy job but a few covers to remove and cables to unlatch.

[GoRomeo]

dude thats probably due to lack of use... 53k miles only?

[nvturbo]

Originally Posted by labrador

Looks like Delphi are actually Bremi. Did not think they were interchangeable without recode. Bosch sucked. I used NGK plugs. Pretty easy job but a few covers to remove and cables to unlatch.

Recode after ignition coil replacement? I hope you're joking...

You mean delete the CEL code.

[dmatre]

Cylinder 5 coil failed on mine around 53k also.

I went with 6 Delphi coils. They swapped right in, and the car is definitely smoother at idle and low rpms (even prior to Bosch failure in cylinder 5).

One note: Be sure to lock the latching connector all the way down - locking the wiring plug to the coil. I thought I had it locked, but the connector came loose - resulting in exactly the same symptoms as the failed coil.

[nsjames]

delphi.

beware the knockoffs. If the price is too good to be true...

[BimmerNugget]

Bought my car with 57k miles, SES light came on at 57,900 miles. Cyl 2 and 6 misfire. The prior owner hadn't driven the car for 1 year. Replaced all 6 coils and Plugs with BOSCH for $179 shipped. I think they are $169 now. Great deal!!

[labrador]

Counter clerk said that. Not sure if there is any truth to it. But now I am stuck with Bosch. #*%@!!!

Originally Posted by nvturbo

Recode after ignition coil replacement? I hope you're joking...

You mean delete the CEL code.

[e90yyc]

Originally Posted by labrador

Counter clerk said that. Not sure if there is any truth to it. But now I am stuck with Bosch. #*%@!!!

Are the Bosch really that bad?

My OEM Bosch lasted 170,000 miles before they started to go...

I'm guessing it depends on which specific coil from Bosch or Delphi you use. I say this because I was forced to buy one coil from a local parts store to get by until my set of six arrived. It was Delphi, and it was an absolute piece of shit. The spark plug connector boot actually came off and stayed in the cylinder. Had to get it out with a pair of long needle nose...

Nonetheless, I know Delphi makes some very good stuff too... My point is that it seems there are good and bad products from both brands, no?

[floydarogers]

I don't know why you would want to replace all the coils when only one is bad. Coils usually last (as one poster noted) well over 100K miles. The likelihood of another failing is quite small; why spend more than you need to?

Have you isolated it to the coil? You don't specifically say if you eliminated the spark plug as the cause.

[nvturbo]

Originally Posted by floydarogers

I don't know why you would want to replace all the coils when only one is bad. Coils usually last (as one poster noted) well over 100K miles. The likelihood of another failing is quite small; why spend more than you need to?

Have you isolated it to the coil? You don't specifically say if you eliminated the spark plug as the cause.

I'm sure replacing the bad coil is the cheaper route but why replace one when the others may go out eventually. It's the same concept of just replace one spark plug.

[dmatre]

Originally Posted by floydarogers

I don't know why you would want to replace all the coils when only one is bad. Coils usually last (as one poster noted) well over 100K miles. The likelihood of another failing is quite small; why spend more than you need to?

Have you isolated it to the coil? You don't specifically say if you eliminated the spark plug as the cause.

It's a cost/benefit thing.

Losing a day or two of use waiting for a new coil to arrive (when the 2nd, 3rd, etc fail) is more inconvenient than spending the money to buy/install 6 new coils.

And they never fail at a convenient time.

There are plenty of threads here where folks changed one coil only to have another fail a couple of months down the road.

[nsjames]

my e91 had two newish coild in it when I bought it at 100K miles.

I swapped all 6, kept the two newer ones as spares for the next coil failure.

now I don't worry about the downtime of getting new coils when one fails or having to get raped at the local parts store for crappy china parts.
I think a whole set of delphi coils was less than $200.

[e90yyc]

Originally Posted by dmatre

It's a cost/benefit thing.

Losing a day or two of use waiting for a new coil to arrive (when the 2nd, 3rd, etc fail) is more inconvenient than spending the money to buy/install 6 new coils.

And they never fail at a convenient time.

There are plenty of threads here where folks changed one coil only to have another fail a couple of months down the road.

This is exactly what happened to me... Penny wise, pound foolish for sure.

Then again, mine were also at 170,000 miles, so I ought to have just done them all at once. Lesson learned.

[hassmaschine]

Originally Posted by nvturbo

I'm sure replacing the bad coil is the cheaper route but why replace one when the others may go out eventually. It's the same concept of just replace one spark plug.

because they are easy to get to, one failing isn't a big deal, and replacing all of them is unnecessary. they are likely to last longer than most here will own the car.

it's not like spending 10 hours of labor on something and replacing a 10 cent part "while you're in there" (that is 10x harder to get to normally). It literally takes 45 seconds to pull out a coil if it's bad.

If one fails, drive to the parts store and get a new one? What kind of "downtime" is there from a coil failure? I live in basically BFE and the part stores here have them in stock. I replaced my one bad one in the parking lot, it took longer to pay for it than it did to replace it.

[nsjames]

meh.

I like not having to do things in parking lots.

[Efthreeoh]

53,000 seems a bit early for a coil to go due to wear. It could be just a latent manufacturing defect. No. 6 cylinder probably runs slightly hotter than the rest since it sits all the way back, and the slightly extra heat made the defect come out early. My first coil went around 282,000. I did all six because of age and mileage and because I'm 80 miles from home, so a single tow is more than a rack of coils. At 53,000 miles, I'd replace the one, and see if another goes soon afterwards. If you lose a second in short order, then maybe think of doing the other 5.

My 2 cents.

[hassmaschine]

Originally Posted by nsjames

meh.

I like not having to do things in parking lots.

I like not spending money on things that are unnecessary.

[OP3NAIR]

With #6, swap the plug to #1 and the coil with #2 to test it. That way you don’t have to pull the cabin filter tray out a whole bunch of times to test it.
Or you can replace all 6 plugs, and I’d still put the #6 coil in the front of the motor in case you have to get to it afterward.

[dmatre]

Originally Posted by hassmaschine

I like not spending money on things that are unnecessary.

Does that apply to BMWs also?

[nsjames]

Originally Posted by hassmaschine

I like not spending money on things that are unnecessary.

it's known that the coils suck. I look at it like preventative maintenance. No different than plugs and fluids at this point.