1) How often do i need to replace my coils on an rx8(every 30k maybe
more or less) and how many coils need to be replaced on an
rx8 (are there 4 coils on an rx8 or is there less or more).
Apparently i heard if you dont change these coils often your
engine will die is this true.

Respectfully


Jim

I doubt that. Is there anybody on here that has had
their RX8 coils go out. Mine are still working fine.
Were do these rumors come from?

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If this is true it sounds like they are over heating.
You need to get a 1.5 inch diameter flex tube pointing
at them with cooling air until Mazda or somebody else
comes up with a better coil that bolts into
the stock OEM position. The front end of the tube
should go to the grill area in front of the rad.
We call it a blast tube in the aviation biz.
SCEET AIRCRAFT DUCTING
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/appages/sceet.php

We have had this happen with Corvette LS-1 coils.

As a start remove the phony plastic engine cover so
more cooling air can get to the ignition coils.

Buy and install an after market louvered carbon fiber hood
on your car to cool the whole engine compartment.

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Here is what happened on the stock GM Ls1 coils when
used on the rotary. Fundamentally these are firing twice
as often as they do on a V8.

Paul Lamar

I think I noticed one of the D581 type have weak spark
shortly before complete failure.  I am still using three of
the D581's just to prove to myself that it was a heat
problem that caused several failures before I put a cooling
plenum around them.

I have heard no reports of the D580 type failing (even
without a cooling plenum) but I still recommend an
enclosure with a supply of cool air to them.  We are
pushing them pretty hard in aircraft use.

Tracy


Hi Al,

I have not seen degraded spark from a LS1 coil, since I
have only used the LS1 coils on my 20B.  I can say that I
have seen degraded performance (output voltage/current) on
a single coil ignition system on a GM engine.  I would
imaging that in addition to failure of solid state
components the primary or secondary winding could have a
defect (intermittent open, short or high resistance) that
would affect the output voltage.

Joe

On 10/21/07, Al Gietzen wrote:

    Has anyone noticed a "degradation" of spark strength as
a failure mode of the LS1 coils?  I've assumed that a coil
failure would most likely occur due to failure of a solid
state component in the coils circuitry; resulting in no
spark.

 Al