My car was broken into several weeks ago. Since that day, my car has stalled and/or stopped running several times each day. I am now told that the problem was the igniter and coil, which will not be covered by my insurance. I purchased my car new 18 years ago, and this is the first time I have had this problem. What various ways can an igniter and coil fail?
One way is old age…18 years old!!! All parts have a set life and those parts passed. It sounds like bum luck with two bad coincidences. However 18 years life with a car is good luck.
But, to answer the poster, a bad coil will give weak spark. which may or may not fire the fuel/air mixture in the cylinder, leading the mis-fires. Or stalls and a no-start condition. A bad igniter will also cause mis-fires due to not signaling a spark, and will also cause stalls and a no-start condition.
But, this is an 18-year old car. I’m driving one now, and have always had at least one elder car in my fleet. Any part can go bad at any time with cars this old. Par for the course.