2002 Chevy Silverado Ignition Coil

2002 CHEVROLET SILVERADO
150,000 MILES • V8 • 4WD • AUTOMATIC
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RAYRUTH
  • MEMBER
  • 1 POST
The dealer tells me I have one bad ignition coil. I would like to change it myself. Can you tell me how to test the condition of ignition coils?
Jul 8, 2010 at 1:41 AM
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MMPRINCE4000
  • Experienced Mechanic
  • 8,548 POSTS
No real good way to test, you measure primary and secondary resistance.

If you have a miss, move coil to another position, if miss follows, coil is bad.
Jul 8, 2010 at 2:15 AM
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02REDCAMARO
  • Experienced Mechanic
  • 65 POSTS
Hi,

You can test coils with an ohm meter, but that is a waste of time - they can test good but still be bad.
I just replaced all 3 coils on an '02 V6 Camaro. One or two were definitely bad. I only replaced the third because they were cheap enough and I wanted more peace of mind. Found mine CHEAP on eBay,
brand new and OE too. They are easy enough to replace, you might try getting a whole new set if you can find them cheap enough, otherwise, just buy 4, chances are you don't have 4 bad ones, but you will have a spare in case of future trouble.
Jul 8, 2010 at 11:31 AM
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MMPRINCE4000
  • Experienced Mechanic
  • 8,548 POSTS
If you have a coil on each cylinder, it may be worth a trip to dealer, they can test coil output with there scanners, but the individual coils are expensive for these types.
Jul 9, 2010 at 1:25 AM
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02REDCAMARO
  • Experienced Mechanic
  • 65 POSTS
sorry, but all due respect to prince, I wouldn't trust a dealer mechanic to tell me which coil out of 8 is bad. I've had TOO MANY bad experiences with dealerships to go this route, unless you have a REALLY GOOD relationship with a long time dealer. They aren't in the business these days of fixing it right the first time and giving you the lowest possible bill, trust me.
Jul 9, 2010 at 11:52 AM
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02REDCAMARO
  • Experienced Mechanic
  • 65 POSTS
I'll bet that individual coils don't cost very much, especially if you buy them from the internet. I bought **3** coils for a V6 Camaro for $60, including shipping, from eBay. They were brand new,
OE, and worked GREAT. My car now runs like brand new. My coils fired 2 cylinders for each coil. If I had bought them from a local parts store, I'm sure that I would have spent at least $150, PLUS sales taxes.
Consider that.
Jul 9, 2010 at 11:56 AM
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MMPRINCE4000
  • Experienced Mechanic
  • 8,548 POSTS
Well you have to find an honest dealer or garage, not impossible.
Jul 10, 2010 at 1:14 AM
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