What happens when the engine coil is broken?
2 Answers
There are three manifestations of a faulty engine ignition coil: 1. At idle, the vehicle body shakes noticeably; 2. While driving, when the RPM is below 2500, the vehicle body shakes noticeably with weak acceleration; 3. Upon opening the engine hood and observing the running engine, noticeable shaking of the engine is observed. Causes of ignition coil failure: 1. A short circuit in the spark plug can directly cause an increase in current in the ignition coil, leading to a short circuit; 2. An open circuit in the spark plug (excessive carbon buildup) can increase the load on the ignition coil, causing it to fail after prolonged overload operation; 3. A short circuit to ground in the high-voltage wire can cause an increase in current in the ignition coil, leading to a short circuit.
A faulty engine ignition coil can cause a lot of trouble. I've experienced it on my own car—the coil is responsible for converting low voltage into high voltage for ignition. Once it fails, the spark plugs won't ignite, and the engine starts shaking, loses power during acceleration, and feels like it's wobbling drunkenly. The ride becomes rough, fuel consumption spikes, and black smoke comes out of the tailpipe. If not fixed promptly, the catalytic converter can get contaminated and damaged, leading to even higher repair costs. During diagnostics, the OBD scanner often shows error codes like P0300 for misfires. I recommend not driving it hard and replacing the coil immediately. Usually, only one fails, but replacing the whole set can prevent other aging issues, saving money and hassle in the long run. Ignoring it for too long can also affect engine lifespan.
