How to Change Coil Pack and Leads!

[GK]

Hi guys,

I've been hunting down an off throttle idle issue for a long time now. : The car is my AU 1 Futura wagon, (dual fuel) auto. At lights, idle is irregular. Sitting on 60kmph, throttle barely open, I'm watching the revs go up and down a little and I can feel the car going and hesitating (very annoying). At the same speed, with cruise on, it doesn't do it.

I've had the car dyno tuned, throttle body cleaned, plugs changed, filter (air) changed and the idle regulator thingy cleaned out today.

No change. I'm getting sick of it I can tell you.

I'm going the coil pack and leads next I reckon, because I'm running out of things to chase down. Does this sound like a good idea?

If so, here's the question.

Who can give me a really good blow by blow description of how to change these items (coil pack and leads)?

Where should I get these bits from? Repco or Bursons ok? That's what I was thinking.

Anyone who's successfully done these changes and lives near Broadmeadows in Melbourne want to come and give me a hand? An irregular request I know, but I'm like most of you guys, sick of being ripped off, and wanting to learn some new skills and need a bit of a helping hand. It takes me a fair bit to trust someone else with my cars if you know what I mean?

Any takers? Well at least with the step by step instructions at least! Then I could assess whether the work is beyond me or not. I know I'm able to, it's the fact that it's probably going to have to be done from underneath that I'm in two minds about. e

I would hate to start and not be able to finish if you get me! I would look like a right royal moron if that were the case. :

As always, your input is greatly appreciated.

GK

P.S Very sorry for the extremely long post, but I needed to put the detail in.

[Whoosha]

hey matey changed my coil packs +leads on my 8 wasn"t hard mite be slightly differant on your 6 how ever Bursons were the cheapest buy far on the parts with the leads the best thing to do is just one at a time so you dont get them mixed up I would do them first then the coil pack if still no improvment sorry I"m not closer or would give you a hand but if you want a drive to cranbourne feel free to pm. me
CAUTION.. I am real close to G+Ds, AUs have been knowen to dissapear in there +not to return for some time lol whoosha

[GK]

Originally Posted by Whoosha

hey matey changed my coil packs +leads on my 8 wasn"t hard mite be slightly differant on your 6 how ever Bursons were the cheapest buy far on the parts with the leads the best thing to do is just one at a time so you dont get them mixed up I would do them first then the coil pack if still no improvment sorry I"m not closer or would give you a hand but if you want a drive to cranbourne feel free to pm. me
CAUTION.. I am real close to G+Ds, AUs have been knowen to dissapear in there +not to return for some time lol whoosha

Thanks for the info Whoosha!

Second baby comes home from the hospital tomorrow! I won't be doing much driving at all for a while though! LOL!

Might give it a go next week.

Cheers

GK

[XR6-VCT-2000]

hi , from what you stated above , you say with cruise control on it doesn't do it - so i doubt weather its anything to do with the coil pack or leads etc etc .

My 2 cents ... sounds like your accelerator is slightlly un-noticably sticky or the cable is stretched maybe.
Slight bumps in the road etc etc can make your accelerator foot move tiny little bits, usually un-noticable, but with a cable stightlly sticky in can give you the above effect.
Maybe check make sure your accelerator cable has no sharp bends in it under the hood, even spray some wd40 on the exposed cable and down the cable housing from both ends. Check for slack in your cable too (is there a slight bit of slack/play in the pedal from where it sits to when you push it down and feel cable tension?)..
Not saying any of the above is definatelly your problem , but maybe check a few of those easy things first before you go blowing heaps of $$ on electrical stuff , cheers , gl

[AU:PROJECT:UTE]

GK if you do decide to go ahead and change the leads and and coil pack:
1- Make sure the engine is as cold as can be, owing the the location of the coil pack and how the leads feed in it is an absolute ИИИИ of a job when there is any warmth in the engine whatsoever.
2- Remove your airbox as this gives you alot more room to actually get at the pain in the ИИИИ spot the coil is in.
3- If you can do it on a hoist, it is ten times easier to work on from underneath to make sure the leads are seated onto the coil pack well.
4- From memory there is only 3 or 4 bolts holding the coil pack on but its just a fiddly barst*rd of a job so patientence and plenty of time to burn makes this all that little bit stressful.
5- Draw a little diagram of the coil pack terminals to ease feeding in and locating of the new leads.

Hope this helps if you if you do go ahead. Might help to avoid some of the difficulties I endured.

Regards,
Tim

[Racecraft]

Use motorcraft leads becuase they are labelled 1-6 so that makes it much easier
From memory the leads go onto the coil like
(Oo---oO) Front of car
1 2
3 4
5 6

You definately need to get underneath and need a very small ( i cut one in half) 7 or 8mm spanner to undo the 3 bolts for the coil pack.. THe AU1 has an 'outie' coil pack so it is abit easier to seat the leads.. Because you are doing the leads as well you can actually set the leads onto the coil first and then feed them up thru the inlet manifold (Just note where your old ones run) and then bolt the coil pack in

[AU:PROJECT:UTE]

Not being picky Tibbo, but I just pulled an AU1 coil pack off the shelf here and it looks like the following little bmp I just whipped up :P
Hope this clarifies it...

[Racecraft]

Thats it mate, I couldn't remember and my coil packs are in the parts room and I'm at home I knew it was a easy numerical system

Nice work AU: Project:Ute

[AU:PROJECT:UTE]

Not much of a photoshop artist but a weapon with microsoft paint

[GK]

Originally Posted by XR6-VCT-2000

hi , from what you stated above , you say with cruise control on it doesn't do it - so i doubt weather its anything to do with the coil pack or leads etc etc .

My 2 cents ... sounds like your accelerator is slightlly un-noticably sticky or the cable is stretched maybe.
Slight bumps in the road etc etc can make your accelerator foot move tiny little bits, usually un-noticable, but with a cable stightlly sticky in can give you the above effect.
Maybe check make sure your accelerator cable has no sharp bends in it under the hood, even spray some wd40 on the exposed cable and down the cable housing from both ends. Check for slack in your cable too (is there a slight bit of slack/play in the pedal from where it sits to when you push it down and feel cable tension?)..
Not saying any of the above is definatelly your problem , but maybe check a few of those easy things first before you go blowing heaps of $$ on electrical stuff , cheers , gl

Replaced the cable a few weeks back, still doing it.

Thanks for the ideas though.

GK

[GK]

Originally Posted by Racecraft

Use motorcraft leads becuase they are labelled 1-6 so that makes it much easier
From memory the leads go onto the coil like
(Oo---oO) Front of car
1 2
3 4
5 6

You definately need to get underneath and need a very small ( i cut one in half) 7 or 8mm spanner to undo the 3 bolts for the coil pack.. THe AU1 has an 'outie' coil pack so it is abit easier to seat the leads.. Because you are doing the leads as well you can actually set the leads onto the coil first and then feed them up thru the inlet manifold (Just note where your old ones run) and then bolt the coil pack in

Was thinking of Motorcraft leads, they look nice in Red LOL!

Thanks for the info! Instead of cutting a spanner in half, would a small socket do the job?

GK

Originally Posted by AU:PROJECT:UTE

GK if you do decide to go ahead and change the leads and and coil pack:
1- Make sure the engine is as cold as can be, owing the the location of the coil pack and how the leads feed in it is an absolute ИИИИ of a job when there is any warmth in the engine whatsoever.
2- Remove your airbox as this gives you alot more room to actually get at the pain in the ИИИИ spot the coil is in.
3- If you can do it on a hoist, it is ten times easier to work on from underneath to make sure the leads are seated onto the coil pack well.
4- From memory there is only 3 or 4 bolts holding the coil pack on but its just a fiddly barst*rd of a job so patientence and plenty of time to burn makes this all that little bit stressful.
5- Draw a little diagram of the coil pack terminals to ease feeding in and locating of the new leads.

Hope this helps if you if you do go ahead. Might help to avoid some of the difficulties I endured.

Regards,
Tim

Good points Tim, thanks. I appreciate the help.

I've cut and pasted the ideas from you and Racecraft into a Word File. It will be easier to reference if I do the job. Actually I'm starting to build up a few little files with good info from the forum.

Thanks again for the advice fellas, much appreciated. The pic was very good too! Do you have an actual photo of the coil pack? No matter if you don't!

GK

[Racecraft]

Originally Posted by GK

Was thinking of Motorcraft leads, they look nice in Red LOL!

Thanks for the info! Instead of cutting a spanner in half, would a small socket do the job?

GK

Yes a little 1/4 drive socket on a swivel ratchet would be the go, I at the time couldn't find mine so used 1/2 of a spanner

[TwistedEL]

Originally Posted by Racecraft

Yes a little 1/4 drive socket on a swivel ratchet would be the go, I at the time couldn't find mine so used 1/2 of a spanner

LOL No, I will not look for the ratchet, I will just cut this spanner in half - I thought the whole home mechanic thing was because we didn't have money to burn

[wazza69]

Hey guys, has anyone got or can draw up a diagram similar to the one above for the V8 coilpack lead sequence? I changed the plugs and leads today, but the number labelling on the coil packs are confusing - they have 2 numbers on each post!

Thanks!

[xr8ute]

Originally Posted by wazza69

Hey guys, has anyone got or can draw up a diagram similar to the one above for the V8 coilpack lead sequence? I changed the plugs and leads today, but the number labelling on the coil packs are confusing - they have 2 numbers on each post!

Thanks!

[wazza69]

legend thanks!

[xr8ute]

Originally Posted by wazza69

legend thanks!

no probs