by Joshua Thomas
Finding the best ignition coil is something that you will not have to deal with often like other vehicles parts, but it is still important to know how to and what this vehicle part does. In simple terms, an ignition coil is a component that is responsible for providing the energy required for creating the spark that ignites fuel.
The coil does this by basically acting as a step up transformer. It increases the voltage from the battery to thousands of volts, which are transferred to the spark plugs to ignite the fuel in the combustion chambers.
However, these coils come in different types and qualities but ultimately, the best one should help your engine achieve low emissions while providing a high power output.
This means that you need to be very cautious when selecting this product, and to help you do this, this article reviews the best ignition coils in the market and also provides a buying guide.
Contents
| IMAGE | PRODUCT | FEATURES |
|---|---|---|
 | 1. ENA ENAIC1115108 (Best Overall) |
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 | 2. Bosch 00044 (Best Value for Money) |
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 | 3. QYL 154293 (Best Pack) |
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 | 4. Delphi GN10571 (Best OEM-quality) |
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 | 5. Bravex Y1011-BX-UP (Best Aftermarket) |
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 | 6. Motorcraft DG511 (Best Brand) |
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 | 7. ECCPP ECCPP070573-2 (High Stability & Reliability) |
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Coming as a pack of 8 ignition coils and a corrosion and abrasion resistant build to give it a long lifespan, which is about 100,000 miles (roughly 10 years), this ignition coil option is our best overall.
These ignition coils feature a curved boot and is compatible with a number of old Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles. This includes Ford's 4.6 and 5.4-liter V8 F-150 (up to 2003 models), Explorer (up to 2005 models), Expedition (up to 2004 models) and many others.
In terms of design, these ignition coils are constructed using the highest quality copper and have a unique winding design that reduces their weight and size without compromising their quality.
This means that each coil is easier to handle during installation (because it is light). It also means that misfires will be dealt with because it supplies a high voltage to the spark plugs, resulting in a high energy output while producing low emissions.
Additionally, it is very affordable and therefore, you get good value for your money. People may argue that cheap is expensive but to assure you of good quality, this set of coils come with a lifetime warranty, making it worth buying.
However, its curved construction might present some challenges as you install it or uninstall it. But if you consider its durability, once you install it, it will be a long time before you consider doing a replacement.
The ENA store also has some other amazing ignition coil options. What's more, they provide a wide variety of products for different vehicle models in both curved and straight options. And they maintain the superior build quality and long service life they are known for.
Pros
Cons
Most people associate Bosch with electronic devices but the company is actually one of the best ignition coil brands in the market. And with their Bosch 00044, they aim to give motorists a great value for their cash by providing 6 superior quality ignition coils at a great price tag.
The company is German and it largely focuses on the local market with BMW cars being their primary market, and this makes these and their other models some of the best ignition coil for BMW out there.
In terms of design, these coils resemble the outward appearance of the older version but their internal mechanisms are a complete upgrade from the past.
Most noticeably is the missing snap sound that was associated with the installation of the coils. Whereas the old coil gripped the spark plug tip causing this snap sound, this new product incorporates the use of an HV brush and a contact spring, which does not snap into place but provides better contact with the spark plug.
This leads to better performance since the high voltage is efficiently passed through to the spark plug because of the tight contact between the two.
For more of these fantastic Bosch ignition coils for different BMW models and other vehicle types, you can check out the Bosch store. Also, if you only need just one high-quality ignition coil for your vehicle, the Bosch 0221504029 makes great buy.
Pros
Cons
QYL's ignition coils are a nice and affordable kit that comes as a pack of 4, which makes them perfect when you need something simple but effective.
The coils are specifically designed for South Korean car makes such Hyundai and Kia. And they are made to meet or exceed OEM performance with their high-quality internal components, which include high-quality copper wires and wire coatings that resist cracks and other forms of imperfections that lead to failures.
This design enables the engine to achieve high energy output with low emissions by supplying a high voltage output to eliminate misfires.
Additionally, their uniquely wound copper wires reduce their weight and sizes, without sacrificing their quality.
Compatibility seems to be the only significant drawback for these ignition coils. However, you will hardly find ignition coils with a universal compatibility at their price range, and hence this should not be a big deal. Better yet, the QYL storeprovides more options for a wide variety of other vehicles.
Pros
Cons
Delphi makes this ignition coil to meet original equipment specifications. It will be the perfect choice if you are looking for something that is as close as possible to what came with your vehicle.
Besides the OE quality, the ignition coil also uses a special winding process technique that ensure the length of the wire between the adjacent winding is kept short to minimize voltage differences.
Also, the coil is made with high-quality materials that include copper wires and special coating material resistant to pin holes and cracks. Better yet, the epoxy vacuum technique will ensure there are fewer bubbles in the epoxy for increased insulation effectiveness.
And to give you some assurances that this coil is designed for a long service life, it has been tested for endurance to ensure it is resistant the typical coil stresses that often result to failure.
Because this ignition coil does not have a universal fit and will hence not work for all vehicles, you can check out the Delphi store for other ignition coil options that provide the same quality and performance.
The handle seems a little fragile and is hence easy to break. But, a little precaution is all you need during the installation to ensure you do not break it.
Pros
Cons
With up to 15% more energy when compared to the factory ignitions coils, Bravex Y1011-BX-UP is one of the best aftermarket ignition coils option on our list and in the market.
The straight ignition coils come as a pack of 8 and at a relatively great price given their build quality. And for the build, they are made using top grade materials to deliver an exceptionally long service life. The material include a high performance Di-electric epoxy.
Also, these are super high conductive coils that have been tested and proven to be effective at eliminating hesitations and reducing misfires during engine starts.
For more super high energy ignition coil options, you can check out the Bravex ignition coil store.
Like many other ignition coils, these will sometimes come with one or a few bad pieces, but the good news is that the manufacturer provides superior customer support and replaces them swiftly.
Pros
Cons
Motorcraft is one of the most reputable vehicle accessories manufacturer in the USA and many other European countries. What makes them special is that they always make their product to meet OE specification. If you are looking for a top quality ignition coil from a reputable brand, Motorcraft DG511 is a good choice.
Besides being a top brand product, this coil still has a lot more to offer. Key among its impressive attributes is durability and reliability even under the most extreme conditions.
Also, with this ignition coil on your vehicle you will get easier and more consistent startups as it helps minimize problems like misfires and hesitation.
These coils will also be ideal for use in any weather as they are built to resist the fatigue that often comes with low temperatures. To crown it all, these coils will offer higher electrical resistance than most other in their class.
And if this model does not suit your vehicle, you can check out the Motorcraft store for more equally good options.
Given the superior quality of this ignition coil and the popularity of the brand, there seems to be many counterfeits out there. However, if you stick with reputable vendors you should end up with the real thing.
Pros
Cons
What makes this set a good replacement option is that the coils are made using high-quality materials that make them stable and reliable enough to meet and exceed OEM standards.
If you own a Ford, Lincoln or Mercury vehicle, these are good replacement ignition coils to consider. They come in a pack of 8 and can fit in a couple of 1997 - 2017 Ford, Lincoln and Mercury 4.6 - 6.8-liter engine vehicles.
This means that you should expect no misfiring, increased horsepower and reduced emissions for a long time once you install these.
Construction wise, the coils have curved boots, which makes their installation a bit challenging. But due to their durability, this won't be a big issue because once installed, you will probably have sold your car before requiring any replacement.
The product set is quite affordable and comes with a 1-year warranty, just in case you have doubts about the quality of the coils.
One important thing to note is that these coils can be damaged when placed in hot or wet environments so you should be careful when handling them. And although the curved design can make installation tedious, you should still be able to hack it.
Pros
Cons
When it comes to ignition coils, compatibility is the biggest factor to consider. Each product is usually designed to fit in certain car engines.
The problem is usually in the engine design because car manufacturers construct their engines differently, having different fittings and slots with different shapes and sizes.
Therefore, each ignition coil set is usually meant for a particular car or cars that share a commonly designed engine. But, some like King Auto Parts DG508YELLOW have a wide compatibility as they can work for various vehicle models.
With this in mind, it is important to always check which car engine the product is made for so that you dot waste your money on something that won't fit.
In modern cars, each spark plug is usually connected to its own ignition coil. Therefore, if you have a V8 engine, you will need to change 8 ignition coils once they start failing.
This means that you should buy a pack that has at least 8 coils like Bravex Y1011-BX-UP or buy 8 packs for those that comes as single coil like Delphi GN10571.
Therefore, it is important to consider how many coils your car needs so that you can buy a pack with that exact number or more.
Accessories are always an added plus. They give you something extra that makes the deal sweeter.
In the case of ignition coils, accessories usually come in the form of spark plugs because these coils function with the plugs to fire up the engine.
If you get an ignition coil that comes with such accessories like King Auto Parts DG508YELLOW, it should be worth considering and buying because this will allow you to change both parts, leaving you with a renewed firing system. The result of this would be a better performing engine.
The only important thing to note here is that you should compare the prices of the product without the accessories, with the accessories and the accessories alone. This will help you determine if the deal is good or not.
Different companies are known for producing different quality products and the same applies to the production of ignition coils.
Brands such as Bosch are well known for producing high performance ignition coils for German cars.
On the other hand, ENA, which is one of the best ignition coil brands, is well known for producing the coils for North American cars.
As you narrow it down to the best ignition coil for your car, it is important to consider such brands because they are well known for a good reason. Their products are of very high quality and are the best replacements that you can get.
A warranty is important for many reasons. First, if the product has a manufacturer related defect, you simply have to invoke the warranty by informing the seller so as to begin the refunding or replacement process.
Without it, you might be in trouble after you make the purchase because anything can happen.
Another important thing to consider would the warranty duration. Some ignition coils have a 1-year warranty, which is good, while others have a lifetime warranty.
A product with a lifetime warranty is the best one to consider because it essentially means that your investment is protected up to the day it completes serving its purpose and requires a replacement.
An ignition coil consists of two main parts: a core piece, which is made of laminated sheets of polystyrene (Styrofoam), paper, or similar insulation; and an inner wire coil. The inner coil has hundreds to thousands of windings depending on the desired output voltage. The insulation prevents the high voltage produced by an ignition coil from shorting out to other components in an engine.
The wire coil inside the insulation is called the primary winding; and if there is a resistor inserted into the primary winding, it is called a ballast resistor. The wire coil inside the insulation wrapped around the core piece is called the secondary winding.
Before you can begin to understand how ignition coils work, you need to know how voltage is produced in an engine. There are two types of engines: spark ignition (SI) and compression ignition (CII). We are concerned with the SI type, so this article will only discuss an example using a 2-stroke engine. The SI type works in a manner that a mixture of fuel and air is mixed together and compressed by a piston moving up in the cylinder. When the mixture is compressed, the temperature rises and when it reaches a certain temperature (290°C), the mixture will ignite into a fireball (or explode in high-performance engines). The energy in this fireball drives the piston down to turn the crankshaft and then up again.
The ignition coil's job is to produce high voltage using the rotary motion of the crankshaft. It does this by storing energy in a magnetic field around the primary winding, which then releases that energy into the secondary winding.
As the crankshaft rotates (orange arrows), it moves through induction (blue lines) and creates an electric field around the primary winding. This electric field stores energy, which is then transferred to the secondary winding as it collapses. As the electric field collapses, it induces an electromotive force in the secondary winding. This electromotive force is then sent to the spark plugs through high-tension cables that are connected to each coil unit.
In a car, the ignition coil is sometimes referred to as a spark plug relay. Again, this is because it sends high voltage through high-tension cables that are connected to each individual spark plug. Today's cars use electronic control units (ECUs), which are computerized controllers to which the ignition coil is connected.
A bad ignition coil will cause a misfire in your engine. But, how can you tell if it's the coil alone that is causing the problem, or if it's another component? It will usually show up on cylinder number 1. You'll hear misfire codes like P0300 (random/multiple misfires), P0301 (misfire detected in cylinder 1), etc. Here are some ways you can check your ignition coils to see if one of them is bad, and needs replacement.
1) The resistance should be 8-14 ohms per coil. To test the resistance of each coil, get a multi meter. Turn off the engine, remove the spark plug wire from the coil, and attach one of the meter's leads to the wire with a jump wire. This will ensure that there is no power going to that coil while you are testing it. Now, take your other lead and check for resistance between each terminal on the coil. The reading should stay consistent around 8-14 ohms. If the reading is different, or you get no reading at all, it's possible that coil has burned out. Below is a chart of what readings should be for each coil.
Plugs Number 1-3
Coil #1 50-75 ohms
Coil #2 50-75 ohms
Coil #3 50-75 ohms
2) If you're not getting any readings at all, try swapping the coil with another one. If the new coil gives you a different reading than before, your original coil was bad and needs replacement.
3) Here is a picture of a bad ignition coil. Notice the burn marks around the coils:
4) A spark plug boot can also cause misfires, and will need replacement if it's burned on one side (where the voltage is escaping). You can check to see if this is your problem by swapping out wires on cylinders 1-3. If misfire goes away, you will have to replace the spark plug wires. Below is a picture of an ignition coil with burned boot:
5) Another cause for misfires are the engine's coils. If your engine is having problems starting up or idling rough, it could be because one or more of its six coils are bad. You can check each coil by swapping wires on cylinders 1-3. If misfire goes away, it means that coil is bad and you'll have to replace it. Below is a picture of what an engine's coils look like:
6) If your coils are in good shape, and your ignition coil wire boots aren't burned, then you could have a bad Crankshaft Position Sensor (CKP). This is what the CKP looks like:
7) If you have a bad CKP, it won't allow your vehicle's computer to know where the crankshaft is. Since this information is needed for both spark timing and fuel injection, your engine might misfire on cylinder number 1. If this is the case, check your CKP by swapping wires on cylinders 1-3. If misfire goes away when you swap it to another cylinder, then you will need to replace the CKP.
8) A bad spark plug can cause an ignition coil to go bad. If your vehicle is misfiring on cyl #1, you can check your spark plugs by swapping them with another cylinder (1-3). If misfire goes away when you swap it to another cylinder, then the problem is with your original plug. Replace it if necessary. Below is an example of what a bad spark plug looks like:
9) A weak ignition coil may also cause misfires. This is what a weak ignition coil looks like:
10) When you have an ignition coil that is bad, it will usually cause misfires on one cylinder (cyl #1). If the problem moves to another cylinder when you replace the wires, then you know that your ignition coil needs replacement. A weak or dying battery can also cause misfires, so be sure to check your battery before replacing the ignition coil.
A: Although most vehicles will still move with bad ignition coils, they will have a myriad of issues from misfires to hesitation. Hence, the simple answer is that you should not drive with bad ignition coil to prevent even more serious vehicle problems.
A: You should replace ignition coils when you notice symptoms of bad ones such as check engine light coming on, difficulties starting the vehicle and rough idling
A: It depends on the vehicle type, the type of ignition coils you have and also the driving conditions. However, typical ignition coils will last around 100,000 miles or a little more than this.
A: Yes, it is okay to replace just the faulty one if you can identify it correctly. However, most professional mechanics will recommend you replace all at the same time to prevent future problems.
A: Although it is not necessary, many mechanics will also recommend that you replace all spark plugs even when you are just replacing one ignition coil. Given the close working relationship between ignition coils and spark plugs, a problem with either component often causes issues for the other.
A: Yes, they can make a difference as the increased voltage boosts vehicle power and improves fuel economy. However, the difference is not that significant when compared to regular ignition coils.
MAS Ignition Coil DG508 & Motorcraft Spark Plug SP479 compatible with Ford 4.6L 5.4L V8 - Walmart, Etsy, eBay
MAS Set of 8 Ignition Coils DG511 GD511 FD508 Motorcraft Spark Plugs SP546 PZH14F - Walmart, Etsy, eBay
DELPHI GN10164 Ignition Coil for Ford 4.6L 5.4L V8 DG457 DG472 EXPLORER CROWN VICTORIA - Walmart, Etsy, Ebay
High Performance Ignition Coil 8 Pack -Upgrade 15% More Energy For Ford F-150 F-250 F-350 - Walmart, Etsy, eBay
ENA Set of 6 Ignition Coil Pack Compatible with Chevrolet GMC Olds Saab Isuzu Trailblazer - Walmart, Etsy, eBay
Ignition Coil Pack Set of 4 - Compatible with Nissan & Infiniti Vehicles - 2007-2017 - Walmart, Etsy, eBay
Ignition Coil Pack Set of 4 - Replaces 06E905115E, 06H905115B, 07K905715F - Compatible - Walmart, Etsy, eBay
Bravex 8 Pack Straight Boot Ignition Coils 15% More Energy F-150 for Ford Lincoln Mercury - Walmart, Etsy, eBay
QYL 4Pcs Ignition Coils Pack Compatible with Altima Cube Sentra Rogue Select NV200 - Walmart, Etsy, Ebay
MAS Set of 6 UF349 Ignition Coils Compatible with Nissan Infiniti i35 QX40 Suzuki Altima - Walmart, Etsy, Ebay
Bravex ignition coil store - Walmart, Etsy, eBay
King Auto Parts DG508YELLOW - Walmart, Etsy, Ebay
As you can see, there is a lot about ignition coils that you might have assumed before thinking of buying a set for your car. But with this guide, you are not only now more informed but also have an idea of which models to buy.
From our comprehensive review, the ENA ENAIC1115108 takes our top overall spot because of the high quality materials, high voltage and long service life.
However, if like many motorists you want to get as much value for your cash as possible go for the Bosch 00044.
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About Joshua Thomas
Joshua Thomas just simply loves cars and willing to work on them whenever there's chance... sometimes for free.
He started CarCareTotal back in 2017 from the advices of total strangers who witnessed his amazing skills in car repairs here and there.
His goal with this creation is to help car owners better learn how to maintain and repair their cars; as such, the site would cover alot of areas: troubleshooting, product recommendations, tips & tricks.
Joshua received Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering at San Diego State University.
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