My car is bust

£22.74 each if you aren't overly bothered by a brand name.

Euro are pretty decent to deal with too - never had a problem with them.

The trouble with these newer coil packs is that they live that much closer to the block, and as a result get so much hotter; one other thing well worth checking before you do anything is the Low Voltage wires running from the ECU to each coil pack - the heat often gets to them and they go brittle - they either break down internally, or the outer sheath splits open and they short out.

You can sometimes see the shorting taking place if you run the engine with any covers off, in the dark - - you will see wee blue sparks jumping from any knackered wires.

 

It could do, as the available current was being drawn away from the light to try and run the engine.

Do the basic checks first:

- Check the battery terminals are secure and clean.
- Check that the alternator is charging (no charge light on)
- If you are handy with, and have a meter, it might be worth checking to see if the alternator is putting out 12-14 volts (rule out a knackered voltage regulator - unlikely to be the problem, but you never know)
- Check the spark plugs are clean and correctly gapped (worth a tenner to change them anyway, just to be sure)
- Check/swap fuel filter (again, for the few quid involved, best done as a precaution)
- Check condition of engine/gearbox earth strap (braided wire between engine block or gearbox bell-housing and the body; Vauxhall's used to be guilty for fraying these in the middle, which eventually led to them not being man enough to carry the voltages back to earth/battery)
- Check condition of all low voltage wires leading to coil packs, in particular how brittle the wires are and the condition of the outer sheaths; give these a wiggle with the engine running and see if it changes anything
- Check the plugs at either end of the LV wires to the coil packs - any corrosion however small can impair them; if you find one furred up, clean it by using a flat bladed screw driver and a wee bit of wet and dry.- Check/swap ignition coils as mentioned above (bear in mind, its not impossible for more than one to have bitten the dust)

Failing that, you are into seeking some more professional help.

Fingers crossed for you mate.

 

Ooooh - one final one I almost forgot - - a duff MAF sensor can make them run like bag of old spanners, although that usually shows its head as a hesitancy, lack of power or even bogging down when pulling away.

To rule it out is fairly easy - find it (usually on the air intake pipe just after the air filter), with the engine off remove the electrical plug to it; start the engine. If it starts and runs fine, your MAF is to blame. They are usually about £50 tops, and a piece of cake to fit.

 

My friend still has one of the Volvo tanks.. E reg & had it since new & it looks the same & sounds the same, the engine is still superb..!!
Not my favourite car, but I know people who will have nothing else.. I used to have a Renault, engine good, body terrible.. I like Saabs very like Volvos in a lot of ways....

 

Bite the bullet and ditch the laguna. Admit it - you were never happy with it lol

Mmmm, Volvo...

 

I missed this post last night, sorry - disconnecting the low voltage connectors one by one may not necessarily prove the fault; the low voltage supply is likely to have a common return (-ve) that may well pass through all four connectors; so, it is entirely feasible that disconnecting the connector on cylinder one would also upset the three others as the common return circuit is open; they may well still fire under this circumstance, but not as strongly because the earth is instead going through the plug and the cylinder block in turn, and not via the low voltage path that it should.

Don't forget, one a modern car, the ECU is always going to try and be one step ahead when it comes to the the timing of firing, and it will try to compensate when there is an issue. I am surprised that its not put the yellow engine management light on to be honest.

 

Bear in mind that Volvo (cars) are not what they once were either - they were bought out by Ford in 1999, and they in turn sold it to China's Geely group in 2010, so they are Volvo in badge only. Volvo trucks, buses and heavy machinery remained under the ownership of Volvo (and somewhat perversely, Volvo manufacture Renault trucks!)

I've just had another think about this clueless1 - there are a few different types of COP coils, and no easy way of testing them that I know of without replacing one at a time with a known good one, or replacing all four.

Renault fitted Sagem coils in the factory, so it might be worth looking at the brands on the coils - if you have three Beru coils and one Sagem, chances are the Sagem is the oldest and the most likely to have broken down. There is another brand beginning with an R, but I can't remember the name properly, sorry - maybe Renu or similar?

One alternative, is to take each coil pack its spark plug in turn - DON'T do this with the engine running! - leave the coil connected to the wiring loom, and rest the coil pack on something (preferably rubber) as far away from the engine as you can (the important bit is to prevent a spark jumping from the end of the coil to the engine) and then start the engine - if it runs worse, then switch off, replace the coil and move on to the next one. If there is no change, then there is a better than average chance that you have found your culprit.

If you get to the end of this process, your next move really has to be whipping the plugs out and checking the colour - if one is different to all the rest, it may indicate that the coil on this cylinder is breaking down. However, plugs can tell you an awful lot about your engine so it might point to something different depending on the colour.

Also don't rule out that one of the plugs themselves may be breaking down, even if relatively new; indeed, if they have been replaced fairly recently, they could be the wrong heat range or even transit damaged. If in doubt, swap them all.

 

Ouch! I feel for you mate - never nice when the budget gets an unexpected wallop.

1. Exhaust emissions could be related to the rough running and the failed coil, however could easily be a hell of a lot more as you have realised (start at MAF sensor, graduate to EGR and on from there)

2. Not sure if the dust covers are available separately, but I doubt it very much - almost certainly be into a new ball joint, and whatever else decides to seize or break in the process of replacing; although its not necessary, I would always replace ball joints in pairs.

3. Not a massive job, especially as kits are available to replace the gaiter without removing the CV joint.

4, 6 & 7 - as you have three worn, you are really looking at four new tyres to be safe, and shoes for cars are getting dearer all the time. If you could do the four for less than £300 you would be doing well.

5. Again, not an overly difficult job, or even expensive spares wise, but you are looking at £80-£100 including labour.

8. Another ball of string - could need one section replaced, but invariably it ends up as a whole system on a car of that age, and thats another £150-£200 hit.


For what its worth mate, I agree with you wholeheartedly on your decision to get rid. You will probably get £100-£150 for weighing it in as scrap, and you will be doing the world of motoring a favour by getting one more Laguna off the road

If you look carefully, there are some cracking cars knocking about for not too much money at the moment - one guy at work recently bought a Volvo 850 T5 for £1500 with a years tax and MOT on an X-reg; it is utterly immaculate, and if it had a private plate on it, you would struggle to put an age on it if you didn't know the models really well.