ABY to RS4 coils - what's required?

[Rusty]

Saw an RS4 coil on plug coverstion at the weekend and it looked like a pretty decent solution. Just wondering what people think of this solution, what the costs are and what's required; I'm thinking the list is short and as follows -

• Loom
• RS4 coils
• ECU remap to sort dwell time

I'm also thinking that a modified 7A cam cover (drilled for coils + relocated head breather) may be an idea for looks but I can keep the ABY one for now -

Is there anything else that I've missed or that's a good idea?

TIA

[europeanme]

hamish machined a 7a cover if memory serves....

whos set up is that?....not Steve's is it?...

[Rusty]

Deception's

I saw SteveH's setup at the weekend and thought it was rather smart! I thiknk that the 7A cover looks good but that's a future project I think.

[Error404]

Loom & coils. AFAIK you just trim the tabs off to get them to fit

[SteveH]

Yep all you need are the coils, the loom and if you opt for a 7A cam cover, some machining to accept the COP's. The black rubber boots also need to be removed from the coils but that's 2 mins with a sharp blade. I guess you could run them without changes to the dwell settings but the coils might not last long.

[merlin's S4]

You can also DIY the loom a lot cheaper if you have the time/inclination!

Do you really need a remap?

[SteveH]

Coils and loom in place. They could point backwards or forwards, jut not at 90 degrees to the head due to the oil filler cap being in the way. I also need to run the loom cable through some extra shielding to tidy it up and offer additonal protection from heat.

[prj]

You can also DIY the loom a lot cheaper if you have the time/inclination!

Do you really need a remap?

If you want your car to start below -20C and the coils to last longer than 1 year, then yes.
If you are fine with constantly overheating them, so that their lifetime is severely reduced, then you don't.

[merlin's S4]

If you want your car to start below -20C and the coils to last longer than 1 year, then yes.
If you are fine with constantly overheating them, so that their lifetime is severely reduced, then you don't.

That's great! Although if we ever saw -20 here then the country would be at a standstill so there'd be no need to start the car.

Are the RS4 coils significantly different to the 1.8t coils then? I ran my 1.8t coils for 4-5 years and replaced one. I still have them at home complete with my home made loom ready and waiting should anything go wrong with my LS2 setup.

[prj]

That's great! Although if we ever saw -20 here then the country would be at a standstill so there'd be no need to start the car.

Are the RS4 coils significantly different to the 1.8t coils then? I ran my 1.8t coils for 4-5 years and replaced one. I still have them at home complete with my home made loom ready and waiting should anything go wrong with my LS2 setup.

Did you drive the car at all? 1.8T's lasted for 1 year on my car.
I then fitted 2.0T's, corrected the dwell setting, and they've been going strong for 2 years, even in the hands of the new owner.

This is not only my experience btw, there are plenty of people who have had problems with the 1.8T's and 2.0T's burning out quickly, all of these problems have been solved by using correct dwell time...
With -20C many cars did not start here last winter, after sorting the dwell time they all started. One of the car melted it's wiring loom due to the intense heat because of the coil charge time being very long and heating up the wires.

[europeanme]

I'm going to regret saying this * but my coils are 1.8T versions and they are still going strong!....I am ready for a change to the new 2.0 ones....

* they will probably fail now!

[prj]

I also need to run the loom cable through some extra shielding to tidy it up and offer additonal protection from heat.

All the wiring in that loom is rated for 300C or above. That's why we don't use those plastic wire surrounds, as they melt way easier than the special tape and wires.

[UrS4boy]

...This is not only my experience btw, there are plenty of people who have had problems with the 1.8T's and 2.0T's burning out quickly, all of these problems have been solved by using correct dwell time...

There is lots of experience that is the opposite of what you are saying dmitri. Up until last year when I switched to the red-head 115E V8 coilpacks, I was still running 3 of 5 original 115R 1.8t coils from the original 1.8t coil pack conversion in 2005. Yes, heat kills them and optimal dwell time is not the same as the OE coils. I never ran a coil cover during that period and, admittedly, never tracked the car (definitely a way to kill the coils if dwell has not been adjusted).

Of all the 1.8t coilpack kits based on my original 2005 DIY that have been sold by Apikol and 034 in North America (where there are areas that get very cold in the winter, e.g. -20 C is a nice day), I have *never* heard of one 1.8t coil pack conversion starting issue on the UrS forums of which I am a member.

[UrS4boy]

Coils and loom in place. They could point backwards or forwards, jut not at 90 degrees to the head due to the oil filler cap being in the way. I also need to run the loom cable through some extra shielding to tidy it up and offer additonal protection from heat.

Steve: Looks good. Are those in a modified 7A cam cover (i.e. holes hogged out) or just normal?

I like the crinkle coat and the silver ribs.

[prj]

There is lots of experience that is the opposite of what you are saying dmitri. Up until last year when I switched to the red-head 115E V8 coilpacks, I was still running 3 of 5 original 115R 1.8t coils from the original 1.8t coil pack conversion in 2005. Yes, heat kills them and optimal dwell time is not the same as the OE coils. I never ran a coil cover during that period and, admittedly, never tracked the car (definitely a way to kill the coils if dwell has not been adjusted).

Of all the 1.8t coilpack kits based on my original 2005 DIY that have been sold by Apikol and 034 in North America (where there are areas that get very cold in the winter, e.g. -20 C is a nice day), I have *never* heard of one 1.8t coil pack conversion starting issue on the UrS forums of which I am a member.

Maybe it is the different climate, I don't know. But at least over here in my country and in Russia there are tons of cars with failed 1.8T coils.
Anyway, here we have to do the dwell time, as it becomes hard to start the car below -15C, and impossible below -25C.