Engine 850: B5204S/2.0/20v: new ignition "noisy" while working?

[reevoanders]

Hi All

Was driving in my 203k trusty 850, when it just cut out and died. Phoned the AA who promptly came to my rescue. Did tests and ascertained it was my coil. (There was a faint smell of burn inside the car when this all happened). So I bought a new one from GSF carparts, swapped it out, and noticed it had a clicking sound while the engine was running. I phoned GSF, told them what was happening, and they then told me to bring it back, and they swapped it for another one. Here's my question: the same clicking noise as the engine is running - is this NORMAL for a coil to do this?

Thanks very much All.

[Luxobarge]

Originally Posted by reevoanders

is this NORMAL for a coil to do this?

No.

.........

[reevoanders]

Thanks very much, Luxobarge. So this is another return, then....

Could it be a dodgy ("no-name") make, or something else wrong with my car, that went wrong on the burn-out....?

Thanks again....

Originally Posted by Luxobarge

No.

.........

[Luxobarge]

How sure are you that it's the coil? It'd be extremely unusual for two new coils to show the same fault, given that I've never heard of that fault before.

Remember that injectors and tappets all make a fairly loud ticking noise - check by making a sort of stethoscope out of a long rod, screwdriver or something and with one end in your ear press the other end on the coil and see if you can clearly hear it - if not, move it around the engine bay on different components until you can clearly hear the offending item.

Hope this helps

[reevoanders]

Hi Luxobarge

Thanks for your response!

Before I read this response, I did this: my wife has the same model Volvo (same colour, too ), but in pretty good nick with only 36000miles on the clock. I swapped my new noisy coil into her car, and it had exactly the same noise, while her coil in my car was quiet....

I'm just flummoxed...

I phoned GSF and they were quite happy to have me take it back to them and get a refund for it - maybe they know that they've had a faulty batch, but are not telling me...?? I'm taking it back first thing tomorrow morning. Thereafter I have to shop for another one. Any advice where I should buy from? I know a new Volvo unit is going to be a rip-off...!

Thanks again.

Originally Posted by Luxobarge

How sure are you that it's the coil? It'd be extremely unusual for two new coils to show the same fault, given that I've never heard of that fault before.

Remember that injectors and tappets all make a fairly loud ticking noise - check by making a sort of stethoscope out of a long rod, screwdriver or something and with one end in your ear press the other end on the coil and see if you can clearly hear it - if not, move it around the engine bay on different components until you can clearly hear the offending item.

Hope this helps

[Clan]

Originally Posted by reevoanders

Hi All

Was driving in my 203k trusty 850, when it just cut out and died. Phoned the AA who promptly came to my rescue. Did tests and ascertained it was my coil. (There was a faint smell of burn inside the car when this all happened). So I bought a new one from GSF carparts, swapped it out, and noticed it had a clicking sound while the engine was running. I phoned GSF, told them what was happening, and they then told me to bring it back, and they swapped it for another one. Here's my question: the same clicking noise as the engine is running - is this NORMAL for a coil to do this?

Thanks very much All.

Buy a genuine volvo coil ( made by BOSCH to volvos specifications ) these cheap parts you buy elsewhere are not up to the same quality . Hence your problem , same goes for distributor caps and HT leads . you have a quality car wich has better quality components than todays volvo's , dont dilute it's quality and compromise reliablity to save a few £ . clicking is High Tension current jumping to earth somewhere , this will eventualy burn the coil out and also reduce output to the plugs whilst it is doing it, before it fails .

I have only changed 2 coils on 850 cars in the 20 years they have been around .

[Luxobarge]

Good diagnosis - swapping the coils certainly proves that. Wow - never known that fault before, as said above it may be a faulty batch and again as above you certainly don't want to leave it like that, it WILL fail.

If it were me, I'd buy a genuine Volvo one, the best price will be from Rufe at FRF Swansea - see the traders section for his contact details. At the very least get a Bosch one as Clan says above.

Cheers

[Spike1918]

That clicking was very likely a high tension spark arcing to earth intermittantly!

[reevoanders]

Thanks very much, Clan..... Will do!!

Originally Posted by Clan

Buy a genuine volvo coil ( made by BOSCH to volvos specifications ) these cheap parts you buy elsewhere are not up to the same quality . Hence your problem , same goes for distributor caps and HT leads . you have a quality car wich has better quality components than todays volvo's , dont dilute it's quality and compromise reliablity to save a few £ . clicking is High Tension current jumping to earth somewhere , this will eventualy burn the coil out and also reduce output to the plugs whilst it is doing it, before it fails .

I have only changed 2 coils on 850 cars in the 20 years they have been around .

[reevoanders]

Thanks very much for getting back...again, Luxobarge!! Much appreciated! Will do.

Originally Posted by Luxobarge

Good diagnosis - swapping the coils certainly proves that. Wow - never known that fault before, as said above it may be a faulty batch and again as above you certainly don't want to leave it like that, it WILL fail.

If it were me, I'd buy a genuine Volvo one, the best price will be from Rufe at FRF Swansea - see the traders section for his contact details. At the very least get a Bosch one as Clan says above.

Cheers