meteor10

I suspect I have one or more bad coils, would I be getting a code if this were true? Also how difficult is it to install the heat shields when replacing plugs and coils and are they really effective in prolonging coil life?

tomekz

not sure if the heat shields do anything if you don't take your car to the racetrack. My coils were last replaced almost 5 years ago. No issues, no codes, no misfires.

meteor10

Thank you for the reply tomekz. Maybe I will skip installing the shields as I don't track the car.

Kitc2246

There are several threads on installing the heat shields. Heat shields are relatively cheap insurance. I forget which but there is an upper and lower, one is easy the other is an extremely tight fit. Some people have used shorter fasteners. Apparently removing the headers makes it easy. I track my 2013 .Boxster S and had the heat shields installed right after buying the car in Spring 2020. I still have the original coil packs with no issues. I will probably have new coil packs installed at the next spark plug change since there is no additional labor.

Ernest72

I just changed my coils. Not too bad. A little fiddily. I was get a weird PTV error but I could drive after driving for 20 min. I would pull over and shut the car off and then start it and it would go away. But come back there next time I drove it. Googled it and everyone said coils. Changed the coils and it went away. Also added heat shields at the time.

brianpdx

When mine failed the error message in the display read PSM loss and auto start/stop disabled. Weird message for a failing coil pack, but some research confirmed that when they go all kinds of weird messages can pop up.