Coil packs and plugs 2004 2.7L 986

[pat bryant]

Dear All,
My coil packs are crumbling and recently I lost (probably) 1 cylinder so they are stripped off and I want to purchase replacements. Simple enough, but
Clickcarparts £15
Porscheshop £20
Surefire £21 (claim improved performance)
BERU about £26-30
Bosch/OE £think of a number

Porscheshop told me they have used and supplied lots of the aftermarket ones and would not unless they were happy with the product. Cheap and I was almost convinced until I noticed some rather bad feedback on Porscheshop. Now these things ain't rocket science so I am thinking of buying at the lowest price now (I spoke to 'click' as well but they were not very chatty). I would fit the performance enhancers but am dubious about that claim. Any views to share?
I may as well fit new plugs (last done 12kmiles ago). Not much price difference here BERU or BOSCH about a quid. What do others fit?

I know that "if you can't afford to run it, don't buy it" and I will pay the price when needed, but not stupid money just for a name.

Best,

Pat Bryant

 

[stephenbailey]

Hi Pat
Got mine from car parts 4 less on the net. i purchased Beru because that's what was already on the car, I think originals from new
I can't remember how much but cheaper than anywhere else.
Also a top quality item
cheers steve

 

[BartyB]

Beru are OEM fit on my 2004 3.2 S. I've had the whole 6 replaced over the years (all under warranty via the PC) because of cracking giving misfires on start up after wet weather. Euro Car Parts sell these Beru branded coil-packs for £28 each currently. Beru plugs were fitted by the PC at the last service.

I'd hope Beru would have improved their quality over the years but possibly Bosch would be a better bet for the coilpacks. I can't see that there would be any significant differences with the plugs though. Maybe someone who's fitted Bosch coilpacks could provide some input here.

 

[pat bryant]

Thanks Chaps,

Yes, all mine are BERU; and, given their condition, could easily be original factory. I am waiting to receive a pack of 6 at £14:95 each, and have bought Beru plugs from Eurocarparts (£4 a piece).
I have a friend who was fairly senior in the auto industry and, on the quality question, he told me that there is now no such thing as OEM. They all get their common components from (probably) the far east and you may possibly get better stuff if you can determine 'country of origin', say, from Japan. He owns a nice rag-top XK Jag and recently, when given a hideous price for a component at the main dealers, was told that it was genuine Jaguar made. The person on the desk now knows that Jaguar don't make these parts, but I bet they will somehow hang on to the myth.
Anyway, just thought I would share that and I will report back after I fit the new plugs and coils.

One last thing. Should I use 'blue' loctite or similar on the coilpack bolts?

Best,

Pat

 

[BartyB]

As the screws are subject to vibration, I'd be inclined to put a thin ring of Threadlok or similar around each of them about half way up the thread. It won't do any harm and will give you peace of mind.

 

[Nick_USA]

There is no need to add thread lock to the coil pack bolts; they will not vibrate free if correctly torqued to 10 Nm (7.5 ftlb.)

 

[BartyB]

Sorry Nick but disagree with you. That's the theory of course but many workshops, most race teams and experienced engineers will use Loctite or similar where the fastening is in an inaccessible location or underneath a car. Threadlock provides an additional level of security which you would not otherwise have and the additional effort and cost is minimal. I learned a long time ago that you can't always rely on what a manufacturer says.

 

[T911UK]

Very interested in the coil packs at under £15 each! Where did they come from?

 

[pat bryant]

Dear All,
Fitted, firing and, after 50 miles or so, 'Alles in ordnung' as we say in Staffordshire. A bit fiddly ( I don't have a garage and work with t'jack and stands) but not too taxing. Thanks for the discussion it really helps to firm the mind. The coilpacks are supplied by:
www.clickcarparts.co.uk

and are branded VOLT with nothing much on the box (although each one comes well presented in a sturdy box) except a bit of English but also German; so, unless it is a deception, they may actually be made in some part of Germany. In any event they look and feel right. You may want to call them as I found these on Ebay but they did not appear on their own website.

A couple more things:
Do boxsters lose a bit of cooling water? I needed about half a litre when my red light came on after about 1500miles.
I have heard that FSH is a must but if you have an older car (like me) and do a couple of thousand miles a year (like me) is it worth the £500+ just to get a stamp thus protecting some imagined future sale value?

 

[T911UK]

Probably the expansion tank cap leaking, common problem and worth replacing

 

[Motorhead]

I wouldn't say that coolant loss is normal and if you've had to add half a litre then it's worth investigating further. Start with the expansion tank itself (cracks?) and its cap then check the radiators which are vulnerable items up front and subject to damage from stones and corrosion. The coolant pipe connectors in the front wheel arches are also a source of leaks and are worth checking too.

On an 11-year old car like yours I don't think that a Porsche Centre FSH is essential, but I think that it's useful to have a good service history from a reputable Porsche Indie if you want to preserve its value for resale, though 986 Boxster values aren't particularly high. Often an Indie will be prepared to taylor the service dependent upon annual mileage and a potential purchaser will appreciate that the car has been well cared-for.

Jeff

 

[pat bryant]

Thanks Jeff,
I thought so. I will check for leaks as advised; Porschecentre replaced the 'bleeder valve' and expansion cap (it was chucking water out) last year so that part of the system should be OK. I think/hope they pressure tested it.

Service: yes a pragmatic middle-way sounds right and the value is not that high considering what you get. Incidentally I have found my local Halfords good value and helpful but they don't do special motors; at least they didn't last time I looked online. Now it seems they are fearless and will do a Boxster
Interim £129
Full £199
Major £265

They even offer to quote based on the equivalent to a main dealers service list. Having taken a look there seems to be little difference anyway.

Sic Transit Gloria Boxster,

Pat

 

[pat bryant]

One last thing.

Any idea why my number plate search throws up a PORSCHE BOXSTER SPYDER ?

 

[stephenbailey]

Hi Pat
on a recent visit to my local porsche centre to collect a part I'd ordered I got chatting with the guy there
He told me that they can offer really good deals on servicing for models of a certain age- mines a 2006 Cayman s
When my next service is due I will contact them along with a couple of indies close to me to see which will be the best overall.
Cheers steve

 

[BartyB]

It's worth checking your V5 Pat. It's not uncommon for the DVLA to have incorrect model information (usually provided by the supplying dealer or importer at first registration) recorded on their system. I seem to remember a thread elsewhere on the forum on this subject where owners of 924 Carrera GTs had only 924 shown as the model on some V5s. Apparently they were able to get the DVLA to retrospectively correct the information. Whilst this might arguably be more of a problem to a 924 Carrera GT owner, you might still want to ask the DVLA to have this data corrected if you feel unhappy about this.

Alan

 

[Boxstercol]

Hi Pat
on a recent visit to my local porsche centre to collect a part I'd ordered I got chatting with the guy there
He told me that they can offer really good deals on servicing for models of a certain age- mines a 2006 Cayman s
When my next service is due I will contact them along with a couple of indies close to me to see which will be the best overall.
Cheers steve

I find that my preferred OPC charges me the same as an Indy. Makes sense to get the stamp in the book when there's not a lot of difference in the price.