Tuning and Coil Pack upgrade relationship?

[Jared32]

So I got the R8 coil packs. Great and they look good!



But I'm still wondering WHY the stock ones go bad. I am thinking that the ECU sends a signal to the coil packs to "fire" like an on/off switch. So when I'm tuned, the ECU STILL sends the same signal to fire on/off. I.e. - it doesn't tell the coilpacks to fire "with more voltage" or whatever. So in other words, I am thinking that the coilpacks go bad REGARDLESS of whether I am tuned or not. Is my thinking above correct? Just trying to learn...

Yes they go bad all the time on stock vehicles but for some reason the extra demand tuning seems to put on them appears to accelerate the process..


Sent from my iPhone 7 Plus

 

[theclutch]

Yes they go bad all the time on stock vehicles but for some reason the extra demand tuning seems to put on them appears to accelerate the process..


Sent from my iPhone 7 Plus

Yeap, I'm trying to understand that reason why. I'm thinking them going bad has nothing to do with being tuned... they just go bad since they suck!

 

[lilonespaz]

Yeap, I'm trying to understand that reason why. I'm thinking them going bad has nothing to do with being tuned... they just go bad since they suck!

They dont work well with a tune because they provide a slightly weaker spark than the r8 coils... so its noticed when a more demand is wanted with the tune.

 

[sterkrazzy]

I blew a coil on my way home the day I was tuned.. Coils didn't even last 30 minutes on the new tune.

 

[ThatVWGuy]

Throwing out a random theory, but do tuned engines mean higher temperatures under the hood than what was originally envisioned by VW, hence why the coil packs sometimes fail sooner on tuned cars? Would the R8 engine run hotter with all that extra power and the R8 coil pack be designed to operate reliably at higher temperatures than the GTI coil pack?

If someone could lend me a R8 I would be happy to do some real world testing, for science of course.

 

[Bretzy1990]

I'm looking to upgrade my coil packs since I just blew one. Are the R8 coils just the term for the coils with the red tops? Or the coils that can be used in the audi R8? I found some on ecs tuning for around 21 bucks each that are red top and say they fit the Audi R8..

 

[jettaglis]

I'm looking to upgrade my coil packs since I just blew one. Are the R8 coils just the term for the coils with the red tops? Or the coils that can be used in the audi R8? I found some on ecs tuning for around 21 bucks each that are red top and say they fit the Audi R8..

The "r8" coils are ones with red tops. In reality any fsi v8 or v10 uses the same ones, be a Lambo, R8 or Touareg. Stick with oem Vw for longevity, I would rather use stock gti "black top" coils than after-market "R8" ones.

 

[ThatVWGuy]

Those sound like the correct ones. I have had the R8's (red tops) from HS tuning installed for three years now (failed two OEM coil packs within two months of getting tuned) and I have had zero issues with them since changing out. Buy from a reputable source (i.e., not eBay) and you should be fine.

 

[theclutch]

They dont work well with a tune because they provide a slightly weaker spark than the r8 coils... so its noticed when a more demand is wanted with the tune.

Hmm.... it still doesn't make sense to me. If above were true, then going back to stock should have fixed the misfire issue. But it didn't as the coil pack still misfired.

Does a tuned engine send a different signal to the coil packs to "fire at a higher voltage" when compared to a stock engine? I am assuming coil packs fire at the same exact voltage each time. And a tuned or stock engine just sends a signal to the coil packs to "fire" and doesn't say "fire at 10,000 volts" or something like that. If a stock engine tells the coil pack to "fire 10k volts" and the tuned engine says "fire at 20k volts", then I would agree the tuned engine puts more stress on the coil packs. But I don't believe this to be the case. I think both just say "fire".

 

[lilonespaz]

Hmm.... it still doesn't make sense to me. If above were true, then going back to stock should have fixed the misfire issue. But it didn't as the coil pack still misfired.

Does a tuned engine send a different signal to the coil packs to "fire at a higher voltage" when compared to a stock engine? I am assuming coil packs fire at the same exact voltage each time. And a tuned or stock engine just sends a signal to the coil packs to "fire" and doesn't say "fire at 10,000 volts" or something like that. If a stock engine tells the coil pack to "fire 10k volts" and the tuned engine says "fire at 20k volts", then I would agree the tuned engine puts more stress on the coil packs. But I don't believe this to be the case. I think both just say "fire".

once a coil is overworked and "blown" it will continue to operate in such a manor until its replaced..
You are looking WAY to hard into this.. just buy the OEM red tops and call it a day. Or dont its your life man.

 

[lilonespaz]

The "r8" coils are ones with red tops. In reality any fsi v8 or v10 uses the same ones, be a Lambo, R8 or Touareg. Stick with oem Vw for longevity, I would rather use stock gti "black top" coils than after-market "R8" ones.

Cool story and i would rather use OEM red tops.
Granted ECS throws people off by saying "original Equipment" but a couple places sell the real OEM red tops.

 

[theclutch]

once a coil is overworked and "blown" it will continue to operate in such a manor until its replaced..
You are looking WAY to hard into this.. just buy the OEM red tops and call it a day. Or dont its your life man.

I already bought the red R8 coils and aside from them working, they look GREAT! I only installed it on one of the cylinders and am waiting for the others to break. I'm carrying the rest of the R8 coils in the trunk. I'm just trying to learn more about these things (the curiosity in me)! I'm not convinced that having a tuned engine puts any more strain on the coil packs. I think the stock coil packs just suck by nature and would have broken tuned or not.

 

[jettaglis]

^ I would put all the r8 ones in and keep the good old ones as spares.

 

[Laimface]

^ I would put all the r8 ones in and keep the good old ones as spares.

I've done the same, the old black ones are living in the spare parts cupboard haha

 

[lilonespaz]

I already bought the red R8 coils and aside from them working, they look GREAT! I only installed it on one of the cylinders and am waiting for the others to break. I'm carrying the rest of the R8 coils in the trunk. I'm just trying to learn more about these things (the curiosity in me)! I'm not convinced that having a tuned engine puts any more strain on the coil packs. I think the stock coil packs just suck by nature and would have broken tuned or not.

Not convinced and yet almost everyone who has a tune has to replace coils because they blow.. but the two are obviously not related what so ever.