Coil Packs

[Twitch21]

Just a quick question about the coil pack... i know mine needs replacing but the garage that's been doing work on my car is pissing me off. I'm wondering what the cost of one is and the labor involved with the switch?

[Scanman88GT]

I've got an 88GT with a 2.8 also. I got all 3 of my coil packs at O'Reilly's earlier this summer, and I think that they were around $35.99 ea. That was for Borg-Warner ones. They even had an el-cheapo version @ $19.99 ea.

The only problem with replacing them in an 88 2.8 is where they're mounted (under the exhaust manifold). It's such a pain in the *** to get at the mounting screws.
You could probably get them off easier from underneath, with the car up on a lift, ideally.

Each coil has two mounting screws, and a rubber gasket that goes over both terminals before you plug them into the ignition module. I tried getting mine out from the top...I pulled the cooling fan out to get more room, but it was still a big pain in the *** because of the angle and the lack of space between them and the radiator. I ended up paying someone to replace them for me.

Considering the coils and ignition control module are electronic devices, GM's idea to mount them to the side of the block under the exhaust manifold was just sheer stupidity. Good luck!

Scanman88GT

[Twitch21]

Well see the problem is that my car has been having HUGE problems for some time now. I replaced the entire intake system, some sensors, and now some valve (all done at a shop). And nothing has fixed it. I'm getting terrible gas milage.... about 1/2tank to 100kms and I'm sick of trying to pay these dumbasses to fix it. I don't even have the time to go down to the shop to tear them new ***-holes for wasting my money. (My dad takes my car in while I go to university).

There was one man who my dad knows who owns 2 berettas and has done lots of work on them himself and he outright suggested the coil pack (as did some people from the forums here). He also checked sparks on the wires and said there were some with barely anything. SO when I took my car in today I told them that the coil packs need work and the wires need to be fixed. So instead of that they decided that I should spend $100 on a valve which did nothing.

I'm going to snap and it won't be pretty.

[leadfoot93]

they are probably trying to get more out of you just go back there smack someone and demand they change the coils and just to be sure you could do the plugs and wires too to eliminate the cheap ignition parts.

[Twitch21]

Well I'm concidering buying a new vehicle if this doesn't work out. But I'm going in Friday and saying to them that they're going to FIX my car and before I give them a penny I'm driving it, and if it isn't fixed they're not getting anything. If not I know other mechanics which will glady take up my offer.

[Scanman88GT]

Sometimes it's a help to find a shop that has people that are A.S.E. certified. You'll stand a better chance of someone who has the skills to troubleshoot your situation, and not just "shotgun" it and keep on replacing parts at random until they eventually (usually at your expense)  figure out what the problem is.

From what you're describing, I would definitely swap out the coils, and like someone else said, spring for a decent set of plug wires and plugs. I have the factory shop manual for my Beretta, and it even shows a recommended plug wire routing for the coil area.

[Twitch21]

My neighbour was over last night discussing this and the idea of Timing belt came up... it fits the symptoms and it was due for one, potential culprit?

[Cliff8928]

That would be if your car actually had a timing belt.  Your 2.8 (and all engines in the Beretta) have a timing chain, which is not usually replaced as a regularly scheduled maintenance item.

[gtuturbo]

(Twitch21 @ Oct. 31 2006,17:53)QUOTEJust a quick question about the coil pack... i know mine needs replacing but the garage that's been doing work on my car is pissing me off. I'm wondering what the cost of one is and the labor involved with the switch?
Have you checked to see what trouble codes you have, or are you going just on the word of the repair shop?  

[Twitch21]

The only codes I was getting were regarding intake sensors. Those all got fixed myself.

Well the basic run down of what they did that pushed me over the line was:
- I take the car in to get an intake gasket fixed. About weekish later, it starts running very poorly. After getting word from quite a few car people I talk to I basically conclude that the coil packs need replacing and return it to the garage for the repair. When my dad picks it up at the end of the day (I was at university) he learns that they didn't touch the coil packs at all and decided that replacing some random valve was the way to go and billed us for it. My dad manages to pay them, why? I have no clue and the car still doesn't run propperly. So I take it back to them and tell them, find out what's wrong, but don't do anything without telling me. Somehow that means to them to park the car outside do nothing, and waste my day as I have no car to drive. All I know is they're losing a lot of buisness without me, my family's vehicles, and some other friends that I recommended a while back.

The Beretta was a good friend of mine but I recently bought a Golf as a replacement. I can't afford to be returning the car to a garage every odd month now that I attend university.

Thanks for the help guys and all but I probably won't be swinging by here anymore.

[Mr Goodwrench]

1st of all ur taking your where???  Come see me or your local Chevy or GM shop or your near ASE certified repair place!!!  Thes back yard, untrained  *uckheads give us a bad names!!  Sorry but.  I go through 2+ years of tech school and biweekly trainning on tv an computer..

Yes the early generation 1 v6 motors the coil paks were in the front of the engine and were a pain in the @ss to get at.  taking fan out and moving misc thing out of the way then pulling it out from the bottom is the way to do it..  I think it Book time is like a hour an a half..  

Rember to use good parts (not the cheap ones) and make shure to use termal grease on them to keep them from gunking up..

Mr Goodwrencg

[Twitch21]

Well they've been really good to us before, and they're certified mechanics, I think they just got lazy. I noticed the last few times I was there that they had A LOT of cars on the lot waiting for work, so my best guess was that they had too much work for not enough time. Bottom line is that they don't care enough about me to do it then I really don't have to give them my buisness, nor that of my family.

I've been looking for a more reliable vehicle for a long time since I drive to university every day and a 230,000+km car isn't exactly fitting my needs. I've had it into the shop about twice a month and that is taking a toll on my wallet, as well as my schedual. It's falling apart cosmetically.

I'm not 100% sure what I'll be doing with it ultimately but I will be fixing it up. Whether or not I'm selling it or turning it into a project car is yet to be decided.

[Jeff P]

(Mr Goodwrench @ Dec. 02 2006,23:51)QUOTEYes the early generation 1 v6 motors the coil paks were in the front of the engine and were a pain in the @ss to get at.  taking fan out and moving misc thing out of the way then pulling it out from the bottom is the way to do it..
Berettas have the Gen 2 V6.  But yeah, I agree they're tucked in there pretty well.