# Coil failure - did garage mess up? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** toyota\ **Created:** [April 19, 2018, 11:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/coil-failure-did-garage-mess-up/115927 "2018-04-19T11:08:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![NickW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8e7dd6/32.png) [@NickW](https://community.cartalk.com/u/NickW)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2018, 11:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/coil-failure-did-garage-mess-up/115927/1 "2018-04-19T11:08:37Z")
Took my car to the garage, the exhaust/catalytic converter was blown. They fixed it, but the next day the engine had no power, was juddering and the check engine light came on. Apparently this was an ignition coil failure. Did they mess up with the repair, or is this just an unrelated failure? P.S. the same garage replaced the ignition coil less than a year ago. ---
**Author:** ![COROLLAGUY1](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/corollaguy1/32/7575_2.png) [@COROLLAGUY1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/COROLLAGUY1)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2018, 12:06pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/coil-failure-did-garage-mess-up/115927/2 "2018-04-19T12:06:15Z")
I don’t think the technician messed up the coil just to make a few more $$. To me ,this incident is unrelated. ---
**Author:** ![thegreendrag0n](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thegreendrag0n/32/9265_2.png) [@thegreendrag0n](https://community.cartalk.com/u/thegreendrag0n)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2018, 12:30pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/coil-failure-did-garage-mess-up/115927/3 "2018-04-19T12:30:04Z")
> [@NickW](#): > > P.S. the same garage replaced the ignition coil less than a year ago. Mileage is not listed, but if previously only ONE of coils was replaced, thn they all have a good chance to wear out around the same age, so depending if you have 4- or 6-cylinder, it is a good chance you have 2 or 4 more coils to go. ---
**Author:** ![Cavell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/cavell/32/43396_2.png) [@Cavell](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Cavell)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2018, 12:49pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/coil-failure-did-garage-mess-up/115927/4 "2018-04-19T12:49:20Z")
what model toyota do you have? which motor? how involved was exhaust/cat repair? did they replace 1 cat? or more? a complicated Y pipe or pipe assy? ---
**Author:** ![NickW](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/8e7dd6/32.png) [@NickW](https://community.cartalk.com/u/NickW)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2018, 1:14pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/coil-failure-did-garage-mess-up/115927/5 "2018-04-19T13:14:40Z")
It’s an older car, 2001 Avensis with VVTi engine. I think the coil pack that was replaced, so I thought that all the coils were new. Or is there more than one coil pack (sorry for my ignorance)? ---
**Author:** ![db4690](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/db4690/32/2583_2.png) [@db4690](https://community.cartalk.com/u/db4690)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2018, 3:38pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/coil-failure-did-garage-mess-up/115927/6 "2018-04-19T15:38:37Z")
Does this have a V6 engine? If so . . . I believe Toyota was using waste spark coils at that time This means that the 3 coils on the “front” bank also supplied spark to the “rear” bank ---
**Author:** ![FoDaddy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/fodaddy/32/717_2.png) [@FoDaddy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/FoDaddy)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2018, 5:15pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/coil-failure-did-garage-mess-up/115927/7 "2018-04-19T17:15:15Z")
> [@NickW](#): > > Avensis It’s basically a euro mid size ( U.S. compact) car, slightly larger than U.S. spec Corolla, but noticeably smaller than a Camry. No V6 is available, there are a couple gas I4’s and some diesel I4’s. The OP’s car either has a 1.6L, 1.8L, 2.0L or a 2.4L gas engine. ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2018, 5:16pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/coil-failure-did-garage-mess-up/115927/8 "2018-04-19T17:16:59Z")
What about the spark plugs? Misfiring plugs can ruin the converter which in turn can cause the plugs to misfire more and once the converter is replaced the old plugs are still potentially killing the coil. It’s a vicious circle. ---
**Author:** ![FoDaddy](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/fodaddy/32/717_2.png) [@FoDaddy](https://community.cartalk.com/u/FoDaddy)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2018, 5:21pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/coil-failure-did-garage-mess-up/115927/9 "2018-04-19T17:21:11Z")
It’s common for ignition coils to fail in pretty regular succession. My previous car had 4 of the 8 ignition coils (COP), fail within a 3 month span. Just one after the other every few weeks. I ended up trading it in before the rest failed.