Was getting misfires, determined it was the ignition coil (swap coils with another cylinder and see if the misfire follows). Rather than just replace the defective one, I figured I'd do some preventative maintenance and replace all 6 because I have no idea the last time they were changed.

A new pack of 6 from a reputable brand like BWD, NGK, or Standard Motor Products was $200-$300. But then I saw a set of 6 by Spectra Premium for $80 with lifetime warranty. How bad could it be if it has lifetime warranty?
Anyway, hindsight is 20/20. Was getting misfires every few months and turned out to be the ignition coil every time. At first I was thinking "these are only a few months old! It can't be this..." A lot of time was wasted.

After swapping out coils and doing warranty claims multiple times, I'm back to where I was and should've just shelled out the extra $$ for quality parts instead.

I'm in Canada, we have a chain store called Canadian Tire. Gets a bit of bad rep for selling average products at a premium price. Oddly enough, their car parts, especially the ones where there aren't any other choices/brands, are of decent quality and a reasonable price. And you get to deal with a local store instead of shipping back and forth with rockauto or something. So, I ended up getting a BWD ignition coil. There's only 3 years of warranty instead of lifetime, but it's made in Poland instead of China.

Key lessons:

• Lifetime warranty means ****. They're probably hoping you'll give up making claims after a while.
• Don't cheap out on parts. There's a reason it's ~1/3 of the price of standard parts. Don't need to go ultra premium, standard / OEM is fine.
  • Yeah, I know, this is supposed to be obvious. But then you think, well, these parts are THAT complex, it's not a full blown computer, how bad could they screw it up?
• Stay local. If you rely on your car, waiting a week or so to ship back and forth is going to cost more than the small premium of getting it from your local store.

And **** Spectra Premium. Premium my ***, what a piece of **** company.

 

Your story is very isolated and not really factual.... I do understand there is quality differences in parts but what you post I know what really happened. It was not the parts.

 

Wow, so helpful. Great contribution.
I know your type, one of those losers who likes to post and want to feel needed, flexing all the time. But in reality, nobody cares about you so you go to online forums to just to say "hey, I know what happened but you don't hahhahaah" pathetic loser
Thank for you reminding me to turn off notifications.

 

Well,well,well, I hit a nerve. I like how you speak for the others instead of keeping your comments from you? That generally in my experience mean your personality needs back up in life from others but if the fights starts you are the first to duck out? LOL I noticed that while you were on the forum you never once took the time to look at other threads I have posed on or even my profile. Just to see what I was all about and what I may know or not judged by your vast experience as a (IDK) ? So where did this start ... 4 coils from a single un-named btw manufactured batch and you were the lucky one that got them. LOL You should have bought a LOTO ticket with those odds. lol
I read "ALL" your responses on this forum as well your profile, most are what I think is a very old school hit and miss home garage self-made handyman.

Now it is regretful that my response wont be read by you because as you said you turned off your notifications. LOL will see

But for others that are newer members ...
I have owned and operated several service shops, as well Autoparts both general and Performance. I have sold thousands of ignition parts top brands OEM and generic plane box parts. For the most part even the less costly and not as quality parts if they are installed correctly on a somewhat fundamentally good condition vehicle they will usually work. naturally there has been a few exceptions over the decades but very few when the numbers are considered in use successfully.
If I had to guess at the worst, it was having to do with a couple of new entry spark plug and spark plug designs. And if I had to guess what the biggest misunderstood and often posted negatively on forums of all vehicle and engine types is oil filters. Yet the funny things if the generic oil filters are sold more frequently and installed on engine more than brand names and the best of those brand name oil filters.


In closing this somewhat comically posted response EVERYONE including myself has had a defective Autopart at one time or another if they are even a mild DIYer. But to blanket one part and multiple part installation as all failing goes back to the installer and the overall condition of the vehicle they are working on. While I won't entirely rule out the odds from it ever happening because if I don't say this there will be someone to post other wise to their tall tale about having the experience, I will say that it is historically rare.