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BEWARE THOSE CHEAP COIL SETS!!!!

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Main Forum' started by Born 2 Run, Jun 21, 2016.

  1. Born 2 Run

    Born 2 Run New Member

    Joined:
    Dec 13, 2015
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    Location:
    Los Angeles
    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    II
    Flush with cash, I bought a set of coils for my 2008 Prius off e-Bay 6 months ago and got around to installing them a few weeks ago. Everything ran fine until yesterday. When I started the car, the engine shook, the "Check Engine" came on, and it struggled just to reach 50 mph.

    When I took it to my master mechanic, he hooked up his code reader and said he suspected a coil was bad. I told him I had changed them a few weeks ago. He asked if they were Denso parts. I said "no". I only paid forty bucks for the set. After chasing me around the garage with a torque wrench, he told me to NEVER buy Chinese parts for a Prius (I didn't want to tell him about my Chinese HID light bulbs).

    So if you're in the market for coils, don't buy ones marked "ECCPP".
     
    #1 Born 2 Run, Jun 21, 2016
  2. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Nov 10, 2013
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    Location:
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    Vehicle:
    2008 Prius
    Model:
    II
    who is your master mechanic? why did you change out all your coils?
     
    #2 JC91006, Jun 21, 2016
    Last edited: Jun 21, 2016
  3. S Keith

    S Keith Senior Member

    Joined:
    Sep 4, 2015
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    Location:
    AZ
    Vehicle:
    2003 Prius
    I always get "OE Style" coils from Rockauto. Tend to be the same thing for half the OEM list price.
     
    #3 S Keith, Jun 21, 2016
  4. johnnyb588

    johnnyb588 Member

    Joined:
    Dec 19, 2014
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    Location:
    Tempe, AZ
    Vehicle:
    2005 Prius
    Model:
    I
    Cheap coils have been a little hit or miss for me. For my V6s and V8s, I have tended to favor the cheaper ones just because the savings are multiplied a bit more than in an I4. Every once in a while, a coil will fail, but they're generally easy enough to install and troubleshoot that I don't mind switching one out every now and then. For my Prius, where I'm only buying four coils, I think I'll go with the OEM-recommended coil. Buying non-OEM coils carries a slightly higher risk than OEM, but the price tag reflects it. Sometimes it's worth it.
     
    #4 johnnyb588, Jun 27, 2016
  5. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

    Joined:
    Oct 17, 2010
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    Location:
    Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
    Vehicle:
    2010 Prius
    Model:
    Touring
    Was there anything wrong with the originals?
     
    #5 Mendel Leisk, Jun 27, 2016
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