Coil Pack Question

[larryd]

Is there any difference between the coil packs for any year DSM? I have a problem with spark right now where it feels like the car is only running on 2 cylinders sometimes. I have a 90 coil pack on my 91 engine in my 98 and Im wondering if this is causing problems.

Also is there a way to make sure I have the coil pack hooked up properly?? I know the reason I have a 90 is because I cracked my 98 and I just unwired that one and wired this one in its place so Im assuming I did everything correct but I cant be positive.

 

[NJGSX96]

Pretty hard not to install a coil properly. Mount it, plug it in and plug in wires. Pattern for the wires is |1|4|3|2| when looking head on. Check the resistance on it.

I think there may be a difference betqween the 90 coil and the others. Not sure on this though.

 

[GRNDSM]

Wait, 90 and 91+ have different electrical plugs, I am not sure how you can interchange them with out splicing things...

Leon
RR

 

[NJGSX96]

Thanks for the clarification Leon. i thought there was a difference. Just wasn't sure.

 

[got traction?]

Try using your 2g coil pack but with the 1g mounting bracket.

 

[ILOSE]

Originally posted by NJGSX96
Pretty hard not to install a coil properly. Mount it, plug it in and plug in wires. Pattern for the wires is |1|4|3|2| when looking head on. Check the resistance on it.

I think there may be a difference betqween the 90 coil and the others. Not sure on this though.

WHOA! it's not 1432,

It is 3
2
1
4
for a 1G vertically and

4123 for a 2G horizontally.

Basicaly swap 1 & 4 and 2 & 3, for a 1G in a 2G.

 

[NJGSX96]

Never saw one vertical. Horizontal, it can be any combo as long as one set has 1 and 4 and the other 2 and 3. Hence....
4123
1423
4132
1432

All acceptable.

 

[ILOSE]

Originally posted by NJGSX96
Never saw one vertical. Horizontal, it can be any combo as long as one set has 1 and 4 and the other 2 and 3. Hence....
4123
1423
4132
1432

All acceptable.

Heck no, you cannot change plug orientation. I'll tell ya what. Seriouslp go try any combo out of the "Required" and I guarentee you that it will NOT run.

 

[GRNDSM]

Cylinders 1/4 and 2/3 fire off the same coils, that is why we have what is called "waste spark ignition", you can interchange them all you want...

Leon
RR

 

[NJGSX96]

ILOSE, you go and switch yours. I know because I already have on both my 1G and 2G. I gaurantee you that your car WILL run.

Thanks for the clarification Leon.

 

[Silent2g]

1 and 4 are on the same coil
2 and 3 are on the other
doesn't matter which 1-4 2-3 goes where, as long as its on the same coil side
they both fire at the same time/


larry check the connection itself. not the coil pack. where you plugged it in at. mines getting the point im going to have to cut the harness connector off and splice it myself to keep it alive.

 

[larryd]

ok well what I had to do was this... since I had a 90 coil pack to put on it and the connector was different I actually took the harness off the coil pack.. It connects to the back of the coil pack by two ring connectors if I remember correctly. I just took them off and put the ones from my 98 connector in their place and hooked it up like that. this is why Im wondering if maybe its hooked up wrong since the car has never really run right since I got it back.

Regardless I think Im just going to get a 91 coil pack with the 1st gen base and install it inside the IM since I know that one is hooked up the way its sposed to be and I can use the connector on it. When I connect the wires you guys are saying it should be like this?

91 COIL PACK mounted off side of IM
------3
- -2
- -1
------4

CAS -- -- -- -- TBELT
4 3 2 1

does the same thing apply for me using DSMlink with a 1g CAS inverted?

 

[KenTSIII]

For some reason I was under the impression that the 90 coil packs didn't work well in 91+ cars. Don't remember why though. I do know that the plugs are different & the 90 coils are all 1 piece.. & the 91+ are 2 seperate coils.

 

[larryd]

im crossing my fingers that this is the cause of alot of my performance issues. Im almost certain that I have a 90 coil pack in the car as I got the part from a friend that has 2 90 DSMs.

 

[ILOSE]

I stand corrected. I was under the impression that the spark of the off cylinder was not the same as the firing cylinder.

 

[Silent2g]

Originally posted by KenTSIII
I do know that the plugs are different & the 90 coils are all 1 piece..

nope, the 90's are 2 piece as well.
the difference is the connectors and where the tach signal wire is placed in that connector

 

[larryd]

so then theoretically the 90 coil pack should work as well on a 91+ so long as you change the wiring harness?

 

[Silent2g]

90's are a square shape. the rest are a funky triangle.
in theory it should work.
wireing diagrams for both a 90 and a 91+ would be very helpful to get it to work right.

 

[KenTSIII]

"nope, the 90's are 2 piece as well. "

WRONG!!! The 91+ have 2 seperate coils that can be seperated & interchanged... The 90 style are all 1 piece. IF you don't believe me.. I got about 5 90 coil packs that I can send you for confirmation.

 

[larryd]

i coulda sworn the 90 was two pieces as well.. I know mine is a 90 and I thought it was 2 pieces but I could be mistake.

 

[ILOSE]

My 90 is a 2 piece, I have had it apart to test out some single coil packs.

 

[larryd]

maybe there was a model difference like talong and laser had one thing and Eclipse had nother?

 

[Silent2g]

im sitting here looking at a coil pack from a 90. hmm, looks two piece to me!
i can see the brass plate between the coil packs that hold them together.
it was off my 90 tsi.

go figure.

 

[GRNDSM]

Originally posted by larryd
maybe there was a model difference like talong and laser had one thing and Eclipse had nother?

There have never been ANY mechanical differences between different "brand names" (like Talon, Eclipse, Laser). However, there have been many weird things happening in 90 model year. Early 90's were basically prototypes, so I nothing surprises me about them . As I generals rule, I tend to stay away from 90' cars and their parts.

Leon
RR

 

[larryd]

yeah i know this now as well.. I never knew there were so many differences with the 90s and the others..