GraSox

Hi all,
I have a 2006 4S with 61K miles and am going to change the plugs.
Should I change the coils too? Dealer says no need, if they are bad they will send a code. The independent shop says they'd change them.
Good insurance or not.
I've noticed that sometimes at idle, I get a little bit of a ruff RPM idle. Doesn't happen all the time.
Thanks for any thoughts.

Edgy01

Many have found that the process to replace the plugs disturbs the coils (they have to be removed to replace the plugs). As such it might be a good idea to replace them as part of 'sunshine costs' which is when things are opened up--change what you can as a preventative maintenance measure.

You will find that the coils suffer significantly more in rust belt areas which the sunshine states have the advantage of longer life in such under the engine components.

My 2006 which first went into service on 13 Jun 2006 has a touch over 80,000 miles on it and never sees salt or any other corrosive things has the original plugs and coils still working well.

When I get a "check engine" code I will evaluate the coils when I do the plugs.

BIG smoke

My four season snow and sun 2oo6 had the coil packs done at 96ooo kms. Some of them came out as square rust blobs.
Arizona? Cali? Your not going to have the same elements on your car. If i were you, the car is up, your putting in new plugs anyway, for the few 100 dollars for the new coils? You will be unscrewing them anyway. Perhaps the installer will disturb or crack something unseen. Arizona or not, they will be brittle. I would do it. Those little packs have been working hard eight years. Though I had no codes, my car idled significantly smooooother after plugs and coils.

Fahrer

I doubt it is salt/corrosion. The plastic ( glass reinforced polyester) for the housing is not hydrolitically stable. If you drive in dry climates or never drive your car in snow or rain, they should last a long time. The combination of water and high temperature is what degrades the plastic housing over time.

function12

Replace them. The plastic breaks down with heat and time. Cheaper to pay the piper once.

CamsPorsche

When you change your plugs change the coils...I just did on my car and its running superbly!

wc11

One usually goes with the other.
Pretty much the same amount of time, & effort to do either so you may as well while your in there.

Bruce In Philly

Forget it... I got over 150K miles on my first set (actually I think it was 175K).

Peace
Bruce in Philly

Macster

My 02 Boxster has had several sets -- more than several but the number escapes my memory -- of plugs over the years and miles (275K miles currently) and not one coil replaced and ran superbly after new plugs were installed.

'course it was running superbly before the plugs were changed.

Same thing for my 03 Turbo though at 115K miles it is on just its 3rd set of plugs and original coils. After every plug change the car was running superbly. But like the Boxster engine the Turbo engine was running superbly before the plugs were changed.

My standing request to the techs who work on my cars is that if during a plug change if they spot any signs any coil is bad to replace the lot and as I noted above no coil has ever been replaced.

But the techs do handle the coils with care, they do not throw them about on the bench or bang them together in a box or toss/drop them on the shop floor.

To change the coils without any real reason to is I guess a religious decision.

Beyond that there is no real reason to change the coils absent signs of coil deterioration or misfires or other issues that can be traced to the coils and their condition.