[vrmoreno3]

My 100,000 mile plug replacement (CPO and maintenance program) is coming up soon. I am not having any problems with the coils what-so-ever. Since the area will open for plug replacement, should I consider having the coils done at the same time? They said I would not be charged additional labor, only parts.

[Jrmend8]

Originally Posted by vrmoreno3

My 100,000 mile plug replacement (CPO and maintenance program) is coming up soon. I am not having any problems with the coils what-so-ever. Since the area will open for plug replacement, should I consider having the coils done at the same time? They said I would not be charged additional labor, only parts.

Depending on what they are charging you for parts, and if you perform any service yourself will determine if it makes sense to have them done.

I am doing all 6 now and was able to get the coils for about half the price and am installing this weekend. Once one goes it seems the others are close behind so I would do them all at the same time since your in there allready.

[vrmoreno3]

I'll have to check on the parts price from dealer, but I think they said it was $80 per coil. I could probably do this myself, but figured since they would have it open.

[Jrmend8]

Originally Posted by vrmoreno3

I'll have to check on the parts price from dealer, but I think they said it was $80 per coil. I could probably do this myself, but figured since they would have it open.

I was able to get them for $41.95 ea. arrived in 2 days shipping was $8. Made sense for me to save 50% on the cost of doing them.

[vrmoreno3]

Maybe after they do it and I can get to a garage. I can get the coils from BavAuto and a six pack of beer from the store. Could be a nice change. I was able to change out the front blinker lights. Cost me 6 bucks.

[Jrmend8]

Originally Posted by vrmoreno3

Maybe after they do it and I can get to a garage. I can get the coils from BavAuto and a six pack of beer from the store. Could be a nice change. I was able to change out the front blinker lights. Cost me 6 bucks.

Sounds like a plan. I got mine from FCP Euro.

[NikosBM]

dude... i can change your coils in under 10 minutes... it's like doing a 3 yr old hmwk... SO EASY.

Don't let them charge you a penny more for labor

[John 070]

the ones from autohaus az are identical to OEM and very inexpensive. Question is, do they really go bad? Even at $40 each, do you want to spend $240 for no benefit? I would just replace when there's a misfire. I mean it's not like you're removing the timing cover and so you want to fix anything and everything because you don't want to have to do it again...we're only talking about the plastic engine cover.

[Jrmend8]

Originally Posted by John 070

the ones from autohaus az are identical to OEM and very inexpensive. Question is, do they really go bad? Even at $40 each, do you want to spend $240 for no benefit? I would just replace when there's a misfire. I mean it's not like you're removing the timing cover and so you want to fix anything and everything because you don't want to have to do it again...we're only talking about the plastic engine cover.

Ones been replaced already about 6 months ago and I'm getting misfires again under load so I'm doing the rest at one time.

[omg20_gucci]

I was due for a spark plug change and got that done yesterday (89,xxx miles). I also got my coils changed as preventative maintenance (it wasn't necessarily needed).

They charged me for the coil and spark plugs and only charged me labor for the spark plugs. The total came to $760. I was going do do it myself but after reading a horror story on here I decided it was worth it to pay a little extra to have the professionals deal with it.

[Augster]

Coils are easy to change out, so I don't worry about doing wholesale replacements at any given arbitrary point; I replace them as they fail which the ECU should report with the dreaded SES light.

[stanlalee]

Coils are a waste to change if not defective. I had one car where the first one went bad at 50k miles and the rest were still fine 70k miles later. Now if there has been a revision/improved oem part # and you have an old version MIGHT be worthwhile for reliability purposes but if you aren't misfiring you aren't misfiring.

[AdamN52]

I don't feel coils are something that needs to be preventatively replaced. It's not like they're a consumable item, they just fail sometimes since nothing lasts forever.

Not hard to figure out when they go bad, and easy to DIY. I've only had to replace one.
I'd just get your plugs changed and deal with coils if/when they fail.

[John 070]

Originally Posted by JKim51988

I was due for a spark plug change and got that done yesterday (89,xxx miles). I also got my coils changed as preventative maintenance (it wasn't necessarily needed).

They charged me for the coil and spark plugs and only charged me labor for the spark plugs. The total came to $760. I was going do do it myself but after reading a horror story on here I decided it was worth it to pay a little extra to have the professionals deal with it.

Wow, that's crazy...does $760 sound like a good price? I mean it's like saying, they replaced my LED flatscreen, and didn't charge me extra to unplug it from the wall.

[John 070]

Originally Posted by AdamN52

I don't feel coils are something that needs to be preventatively replaced. It's not like they're a consumable item, they just fail sometimes since nothing lasts forever.

Not hard to figure out when they go bad, and easy to DIY. I've only had to replace one.
I'd just get your plugs changed and deal with coils if/when they fail.

This is one where it's nuts the difference between DIY and having a shop do it. Plugs are $68, everything else is fluff. You have to unplug the coil packs anyway to get to the plugs. Coil packs are $40.14 each. People are saying this is a $700+ job?

Yeah I mean my Nissan is 16 y.o. and with the originals, so why replace if not broken...and don't get me wrong, I understand that if there's 10 hours labor and you have something opened up, replace what you can while you're in there. But this is only an engine cover with a roundel on it.

[omg20_gucci]

Originally Posted by John 070

Wow, that's crazy...does $760 sound like a good price? I mean it's like saying, they replaced my LED flatscreen, and didn't charge me extra to unplug it from the wall.

Not a good price at all, I definitely over paid. But I only ended up paying $560 out of pocket because I won a $200 gift card at a silent auction for basically nothing...(i guess all the other guests at the auction didn't have BMWs)

So I guess I paid a premium to have some peace of mind. But next time around I will probably look into the DIY option. I literally had no time to look into DIY, and with the weather (snow), along with no garage, finding a place to do it was another issue.

[mike3000fl]

It's an easy task. I would wait and DIY

[AdamN52]

Originally Posted by John 070

This is one where it's nuts the difference between DIY and having a shop do it. Plugs are $68, everything else is fluff. You have to unplug the coil packs anyway to get to the plugs. Coil packs are $40.14 each. People are saying this is a $700+ job?

Yeah I mean my Nissan is 16 y.o. and with the originals, so why replace if not broken...and don't get me wrong, I understand that if there's 10 hours labor and you have something opened up, replace what you can while you're in there. But this is only an engine cover with a roundel on it.

Yeah, up here in Canadaland a coil was ~$100 taxes in from a parts store. I think like $150 from the dealer. All the more reason there's no way I'd drop $600 on parts for something that was working fine.

[hockeyplayer]

Originally Posted by vrmoreno3

Maybe after they do it and I can get to a garage. I can get the coils from BavAuto and a six pack of beer from the store. Could be a nice change. I was able to change out the front blinker lights. Cost me 6 bucks.

If you can change blinker lights you can change coils. It's quite easy.

[hockeyplayer]

Originally Posted by AdamN52

I don't feel coils are something that needs to be preventatively replaced. It's not like they're a consumable item, they just fail sometimes since nothing lasts forever.

Not hard to figure out when they go bad, and easy to DIY. I've only had to replace one.
I'd just get your plugs changed and deal with coils if/when they fail.

^^+1

[fazman]

Originally Posted by vrmoreno3

My 100,000 mile plug replacement (CPO and maintenance program) is coming up soon. I am not having any problems with the coils what-so-ever. Since the area will open for plug replacement, should I consider having the coils done at the same time? They said I would not be charged additional labor, only parts.

Coils (6 x $40 = $240): http://www.autohausaz.com/search/pro...gnition%20Coil

Plugs (6 x $12 = $72): http://www.autohausaz.com/search/pro...2@Spark%20Plug

DIY time:
* 10 minutes to remove the cowl (Same instructions as the JB4 install
* 4 screws to remove the engine beauty cover
* 10 minutes to remove and replace the Plug and Play coils (Make sure the motor is cold)
* Get someone who knows how to use and set a QUALITY torque wrench with the correct spark plug socket adapter and this is a simple 10 minute remove and replace


So this will cost you about $350 in parts and about an hour of your time. You should also consider getting your own spark plug socket here ($20):
http://www.burgertuning.com/N54_BMW_...t_adapter.html

Quality torque wrenches are expensive and critical, this is where people fail and cause problems for themselves (Also with not lining up the threads when screwing the plugs back in). Everything else is easy!

[Jrmend8]

Originally Posted by AdamN52

I don't feel coils are something that needs to be preventatively replaced. It's not like they're a consumable item, they just fail sometimes since nothing lasts forever.

Not hard to figure out when they go bad, and easy to DIY. I've only had to replace one.
I'd just get your plugs changed and deal with coils if/when they fail.

I agree but depending on the amount you travel with the car depends on what makes sense.

I've now had a second coil go out in 6 months 200 miles away from home traveling on business which I do weekly and unless I was changing it in the parking lot of the hotel and had one with me I would have had to pay someone to do it. Replacing them all this time as I'd be angry if it happened again because I didn't just replace the rest at once.