GnatGoSplat Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 My 89 Cutlass dropped a coil last Friday. I was able to locate the right one with a timing light. When I got it out, I noticed it was my LAST original coil, easy to tell because it had 3 and 6 on it (replacements are unmarked). Not bad, that coil lasted 20-years and 210,182-miles. Granted, I don't think its siblings lasted much longer than half that time and mileage. It didn't cost me anything to fix either. Thanks to a diagnostically incompetent friend who I had loaned the '88 to years ago, he replaced a coil, but that wasn't the problem so he kept the old coil which I used to replace my bad one. Just thought I'd share. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy K Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 I've had one bad coil on all the cars I have owned. really. everyone has OEM coils on them too. that makes me feel like yours died prematurely. what is a typical coil life? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted March 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 Oh, and here I was thinking my coil was special because it lived such a long life! I think they've typically only lasted about 100-150k. I know the 88 which has 200k miles now hasn't had any original coils for quite some time, and I replaced the 2 on my '89 a long time ago, back in the late 90's. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy K Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 Oh, and here I was thinking my coil was special because it lived such a long life! I think they've typically only lasted about 100-150k. I know the 88 which has 200k miles now hasn't had any original coils for quite some time, and I replaced the 2 on my '89 a long time ago, back in the late 90's. you crack me up! the 92 lumina had 222,000 on it's original coils (about 224,000 now) and has the same configuration as your cars with with exhaust too close. granted, I did have the ICM fail around 205,000. The car that had a bad coil was my 91 vert. I could see 3100 cars with the coils away from heat having a longer service life, but maybe the coil design or quality got better since 88 - 89? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted March 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 That could be the case, either that or you got lucky! Now I don't feel special anymore. Thanks for taking that away from me, Ken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GP1138 Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 Do you have any new pics of the car? Haven't seen any in awhile! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted March 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 Me or Ken? If me, my car looks exactly the same, I haven't done a thing to it since 2003... well, other than it getting backed into in 2004 which I never got around to fixing because I'm too lazy/busy/all the above. I'll post some pics of my latest interior project soon as I get it finished though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SigEpCutlass Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 Do you have any new pics of the car? Haven't seen any in awhile! I was wondering the same thing Shawn. Wasn't the '89 was your wife's old car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted March 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 Nope, that would be the '88. It sits in the backyard, I really should just sell it real cheap or give it away. The 89 is my daily driver and has been for almost 15-years. Makes me feel really old! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SigEpCutlass Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 Nope, that would be the '88. It sits in the backyard, I really should just sell it real cheap or give it away. The 89 is my daily driver and has been for almost 15-years. Makes me feel really old! Does it not run anymore or does it just lack love & insurance coverage? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted March 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 All the above! Well, the battery being dead is the only reason it doesn't run... I think! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Crazy K Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 All the above! Well, the battery being dead is the only reason it doesn't run... I think! willing to accept free car! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mfewtrail Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 I've had great luck with stock coil packs. The ones on my '93 Grand Prix with 260,000 miles on it are original. The original ICM crapped out about 10K ago though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
88red4cyl Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 I think that's pretty impressive Shawn... My Fiero has gone through 3 coils and one ICM since I've had it (almost 6 years), and the car only has about 90k on it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SigEpCutlass Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 All the above! Well, the battery being dead is the only reason it doesn't run... I think! willing to accept free car! Oh stop it Ken. You don't have any room left in your front yard for another cutlass! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian P Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Cutlass's are like Jello to Ken Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ns87 Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 200,000 is a lot for a car. I'm surprised the coils lasted that long! I've had rotten luck with ICM and Coils lol. Out of the 3 coils, 2 failed and I definitely knew. 1 was sort of intermittent. And the failed ICMs just made the car run poorly sometimes, not all the time. Fun figuring that out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SigEpCutlass Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Cutlass's are like Jello to Ken There's always room for Jello! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GnatGoSplat Posted March 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Oh stop it Ken. You don't have any room left in your front yard for another cutlass! Doesn't he have a back yard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.