Original post https://www.copenworld.com/vb3/showthread.php?t=1090 My engine keep cutting out / hiccuping randomly, it was a Spark Coil issue. The Daihatsu Dealer could not trace it on their diagnostics kit, in the end a friend said change the spark coils. The Copen has 4 of them, and they cost in excess of £150 each new - luckily I used http://www.1stchoice.co.uk and a very good supplier in Cambridgeshire, FenLand Breakers, (contact Gary on 01354 651949) supplied me with 4 used ones for £67 inc delivery. They work No more cut outs or hiccups Car perfect. Fenland have 4 Copens if you need spares. A friend received a Copen Turbo off them and is very happy as well. So an engine cut out / hiccup that did not show any error codes on the Daihatsu Diagnostic kit was caused by a faulty spark coil. When the fault first occurred my car had 70,000 miles on it and it is on a 54 plate. Daihatsu UK had never heard of the problem before!
So could it have been just one of the spark coils? Putting them back one at a time and see when/if the problem re-occurs will highlight which spark coil it is. Then try the others (unless on the fourth) to check if they are ok or faulty. You could then sell your good ones to someone who has a faulty one!
Alas I'm not a trained mechanic or do I have the skills or ability - it was easier and cheaper to get the garage to change all 4, and who knows with the problem getting worse it might have been more than 1 dying, and others might have packed up since they all had the same mileage - better to change all 4 for 4 with lower mileage. And £67 for 4 was not bad. If I had to go down the new coil route at over £150 each then it might have made fiscal sense, the garage were charging me a labour rate so the less time they spent on the change the less it cost me. Diahatsu had apparently 'never' heard of the fault, so maybe it won't happen to others!
Normally when a coil goes it brings the MIL on and a code fault is recorded. I'm surprised a Daihatsu dealer couldn't diagnose that fault I'd have said plug or coil without using any fancy diagnostic gear. Mechanics these days seem to be clueless if their computers don't diagnose the fault.
Mo it would be very easy. And its probably not more than one. Even if it is, that would not have mattered. Just keep swapping the same one. Certainly a cheaper option secondhand.
Hi Ceri I did look at your original post as I had the same problem with our 2004 Copen with approximately 67,000 miles on the clock. https://www.copenworld.com/vb3/showthread.php?t=1397 I purchased a new set of spark plugs but did not get round to fitting them as I was sorting the horrible induction kit that had previously been fitted. Rather strange, but after sorting the induction kit the problem has completely gone and no matter what I do now I can't replicate it. It will be interesting to see if it happens again in the future and I can then maybe look at the spark coils? Many thanks for the information KS
