Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Big Rod]

No, not missing, it's in my driveway, but...........

Once the engine achioeves operating temperature, the engine starts missing, the ECU light starts flashing then it goes into limp home.

Once I stop the engine and restart it, it goes away and is fine.

Is/are my dis packs starting to deteriorate?

If so, what's the best way to diagnose it?

TIA!

[TheBoy]

ECU light flashing? Or just on? Which light (2 engine management related ones on 3.2).

The DIS packs are coil packs on that car, and sit above plugs - there are no plug leads.  Need a code reader to identify which one has failed (if any have).

Worth checking for oil in plug wells....

[Martin_1962]

Look out for smaller V6 owners on your drive then!

[Taxi_Driver]

If it the piccy of the engine light flashing, then this is emissions light flashing.....which ive never seen do.....usually either on or off....but i believe if it flashes then this means do not drive as cat damage can happen!.....As TB says code reader required to diagnose......but possibly either plugs or a coil pack dying, if no oil in the plug wells.

[Marks DTM Calib]

It sounds like classic coil pack.....the key indicator would be a miss fire fault code stored (normaly against a bank of cylinders).

No easy way to test unless you have Tech2 and some test plugs.

Interestingly, some time ago tehre was a post about how much better it was to have coil packs rather than a DIS module.....I commenetd at the time how coil packs tend to be less relaible.....this I think we are now seeing.

[TheBoy]

It sounds like classic coil pack.....the key indicator would be a miss fire fault code stored (normaly against a bank of cylinders).

No easy way to test unless you have Tech2 and some test plugs.

Interestingly, some time ago tehre was a post about how much better it was to have coil packs rather than a DIS module.....I commenetd at the time how coil packs tend to be less relaible.....this I think we are now seeing.

FOr one thing, the coil packs are going to be subjected to more heat, sitting right in between the cams.  On the upside, no leads to go wrong, and Vx prices for a pair of coil packs aren't that far off prices for a set of Vx leads....

[Markjay]

It sounds like classic coil pack.....the key indicator would be a miss fire fault code stored (normaly against a bank of cylinders).

No easy way to test unless you have Tech2 and some test plugs.

Interestingly, some time ago tehre was a post about how much better it was to have coil packs rather than a DIS module.....I commenetd at the time how coil packs tend to be less relaible.....this I think we are now seeing.

FOr one thing, the coil packs are going to be subjected to more heat, sitting right in between the cams.  On the upside, no leads to go wrong, and Vx prices for a pair of coil packs aren't that far off prices for a set of Vx leads....

...what about better spark as result of no loss over the HT lead? The individual coil packs are right on top of the spark plug, so the high current only travels a very short distance. So there...

[Big Rod]

ECU light flashing? Or just on?

It flashes at first then illuminates solidly and stays lit until as I say I restart the engine. Fisrt happened to me funnily enough on my last visit to Nottingham. Thought I was gonna have to call on you guys, but it drove the rest of the 300 odd miles home faultlessly.

Which light (2 engine management related ones on 3.2).

Why am I not surprised? I'll check the next time I drive it, but I'm not doing so many miles of late so I don't know when that might be.

So I need a Tech2 irrelevant of the fault then!!

Aha! I might just know a man...............................................

[Paul M]

It sounds like classic coil pack.....the key indicator would be a miss fire fault code stored (normaly against a bank of cylinders).

No easy way to test unless you have Tech2 and some test plugs.

Interestingly, some time ago tehre was a post about how much better it was to have coil packs rather than a DIS module.....I commenetd at the time how coil packs tend to be less relaible.....this I think we are now seeing.

FOr one thing, the coil packs are going to be subjected to more heat, sitting right in between the cams.  On the upside, no leads to go wrong, and Vx prices for a pair of coil packs aren't that far off prices for a set of Vx leads....

...what about better spark as result of no loss over the HT lead? The individual coil packs are right on top of the spark plug, so the high current only travels a very short distance. So there...

 

Each coil also gets twice the recovery time, as the DIS pack is a wasted spark design with only 3 coils. Personally I'd rather have individual coils given the choice, especially on a dual-fuel car where ignition system problems will show up sooner. Unfortunately mine is the earlier kind with the DIS pack located in the worst possible place, making replacement of plugs or DIS a difficult task.

[TheBoy]

It sounds like classic coil pack.....the key indicator would be a miss fire fault code stored (normaly against a bank of cylinders).

No easy way to test unless you have Tech2 and some test plugs.

Interestingly, some time ago tehre was a post about how much better it was to have coil packs rather than a DIS module.....I commenetd at the time how coil packs tend to be less relaible.....this I think we are now seeing.

FOr one thing, the coil packs are going to be subjected to more heat, sitting right in between the cams.  On the upside, no leads to go wrong, and Vx prices for a pair of coil packs aren't that far off prices for a set of Vx leads....

...what about better spark as result of no loss over the HT lead? The individual coil packs are right on top of the spark plug, so the high current only travels a very short distance. So there...

 

Each coil also gets twice the recovery time, as the DIS pack is a wasted spark design with only 3 coils. Personally I'd rather have individual coils given the choice, especially on a dual-fuel car where ignition system problems will show up sooner. Unfortunately mine is the earlier kind with the DIS pack located in the worst possible place, making replacement of plugs or DIS a difficult task.

The theory is that they should be more reliable. The reality is we are beginning to see quite a few failures as the cars that use them get a bit older...  ...not sure why.

[Big Rod]

So I had a look at which lamp it is this morning. It's the one with the picture of the engine on it.

So why would it work ok after I restart the engine?

[Markjay]

It sounds like classic coil pack.....the key indicator would be a miss fire fault code stored (normaly against a bank of cylinders).

No easy way to test unless you have Tech2 and some test plugs.

Interestingly, some time ago tehre was a post about how much better it was to have coil packs rather than a DIS module.....I commenetd at the time how coil packs tend to be less relaible.....this I think we are now seeing.

FOr one thing, the coil packs are going to be subjected to more heat, sitting right in between the cams.  On the upside, no leads to go wrong, and Vx prices for a pair of coil packs aren't that far off prices for a set of Vx leads....

...what about better spark as result of no loss over the HT lead? The individual coil packs are right on top of the spark plug, so the high current only travels a very short distance. So there...

 

Each coil also gets twice the recovery time, as the DIS pack is a wasted spark design with only 3 coils. Personally I'd rather have individual coils given the choice, especially on a dual-fuel car where ignition system problems will show up sooner. Unfortunately mine is the earlier kind with the DIS pack located in the worst possible place, making replacement of plugs or DIS a difficult task.

The theory is that they should be more reliable. The reality is we are beginning to see quite a few failures as the cars that use them get a bit older...  ...not sure why.

1. The earliest individual coil packs were fitted in 2001, so we don't know yet how their long-term reliability will turn-out - might end-up being just as bad as the DIS... Heat does not help either, and as Mark DTM said the location of the individual coil packs makes them even more vulnerable

2. Un-reliable DIS packs and individual coil packs seem to be a problem on many cars - according to Car Mechanics Magazine - so I suppose it is because they are all made by a small number of manufacturers e.g. Bosch, Delphi, etc...

3. As for DIS, one inherent problem is its proximity to the HBV - and when you buy a second-hand car, there is no telling if the HBV has not been leaking and replaced in the past, which means that dumpness may have already crept in and slowly corroding the DIS from inside...

[TheBoy]

So I had a look at which lamp it is this morning. It's the one with the picture of the engine on it.

So why would it work ok after I restart the engine?

I believe that is emissions light, one with car with spanner through roof is engine MIL on 3.2

[familyman]

A lot of the time failure of DIS or coil pack can be down to incorrectly torqued spark plugs and incorrect gap on plugs.
 due to lean burn, weak mixtures, plugs run very big gaps its vital that they are correct or not enough energy is released through sparking process so gets stored in coil or dis
As to torquing the plug it has to be correct to allow electrodes to be in exactly the right place in combustion chamber for efficient swirl burn of weak mixture. It can alter flame front of burn and cause the plug to overheat and as you know heat increases resistance in electrics and so full charge of coil or dis not dissipated properly again. charge builds up in coil and eventually burns windings.

So when you change those plugs torque them up and gap them. Don't just guess with your elbow torque wrench, or rely on pre gapped plugs out of the box. your not driving a low Voltage coiled Morris  Minor any more. This is modern high tech stuff!

[Chopsdad]

So I had a look at which lamp it is this morning. It's the one with the picture of the engine on it.

So why would it work ok after I restart the engine?

Could be picking up a faulty O2 reading at the Lambda sensor  - this only works when it's hot (3-4 mins after start up) so could be a possible reason.  My light has been on for 4m and started off like yours then came on permanently and won't go away.  Lambda code is often diagnosed by ECU but probably a red herring.  Mine now indicates MAF fault code P0100 (new one due anyday from Ebay) but look for any splits/gaps in your air intake manifold as cold engine may have air leak but when rubber warms and expands it can seal itself.  Need code really and go from there. HTH