Why does the car keep burning out ignition coils?
2 Answers
The main reasons for ignition coil burnout are insulation layer aging breakdown or switching transistor damage. The reasons why ignition coils frequently burn out are as follows: 1. Generator issue - if the power generation is too high, the ignition coil may overload and burn out. 2. Excessive spark plug gap - adjust the gap or replace the spark plug. 3. Poor gasoline quality - switch to higher octane gasoline. 4. Incorrect cylinder compression ratio - adjust the compression ratio. 5. ECU program failure - have the vehicle scanned at a repair shop to clear error messages. 6. Unstable power supply voltage. 7. Excessive primary current from the ignition controller causing ignition coil overheating.
Frequently burning out ignition coils is quite common, and I've seen many vehicles with this issue. The core problem often lies with the spark plugs—if the electrode gap is too wide or they're overdue for replacement, they act like terrible teammates, forcing the ignition coil to work overtime to produce a spark, which inevitably leads to overload. Another culprit can be the alternator acting up, with voltage fluctuating wildly; spikes can literally make the ignition coil self-destruct on the spot. The worst case I've encountered was aging wiring with loose connections causing arcing—temperatures skyrocketed, baking the coil's plastic casing brittle. My advice: first replace the spark plugs with genuine ones, then check the alternator voltage; around 14V is normal. If both check out, grab a multimeter to test the wiring continuity.
