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Shaking up the clean and sparkling reputation of luxury sports cars, Jaguar adds a dash of the exotic into the mix, meaning every model produced has an extra sprinkling of excitement that appeals to the maverick in all of us. However, any excitement felt when hitting the road can be completely ruined by parts failure. This can be caused by poor maintenance or slipping servicing standards. A failing or faulty part can really ruin the joy of hitting the road. In this article, we will discover the common reasons behind ignition coil failure in your Jaguar.

The Ignition Coil: A Closer Look

Visually, the ignition coil is a silver tube with a black plastic aperture which connects to the rest of your engine. It is essentially a transformer that is designed to change lower voltage electricity into a much higher voltage. This higher voltage is needed to power the spark plugs, which use this high voltage energy to create a spark strong enough to ignite the fuel within your Jaguar’s engine. This starts and maintains the combustion cycle. If the ignition coil isn’t functioning properly, then your Jaguar simply won’t work correctly.

Failures Within the Ignition Coil

As it is an electrical component, there are several ways that the coil can fail, such as:

  1. Contact Faults: Contact faults are most commonly caused by engine washing, grit build up, or high levels of humidity under the hood.
  2. Mechanical Damage: A faulty valve cover gasket as well as engine oil leaks and damage to insulation can all cause mechanical damage to the ignition coil.
  3. Short Circuit: Shorts are most commonly caused by the overheating of the coil, which is usually a result of the coil being old or developing faults.
  4. Defects in the Voltage Supply: Most commonly caused by excessive wear or an overload in the ignition control unit, a defective voltage supply is usually the result of faulty wiring or a weak battery.

Symptoms of Ignition Coil Failure

The ignition coil will usually tell the driver that it’s failed or is failing through a variety of clear signs which should be responded to quickly to prevent further issues or damages from occurring.

1. Lowered Fuel Economy or Fuel Efficiency

Poor fuel economy can be caused by a variety of factors, including issues with the ignition coil. You’ll notice reduced miles to the gallon because the rest of your vehicle is struggling to compensate for the failing coil.

2. Frequent Stalling and Ignition Misfires

As the ignition coil’s sole purpose is to provide the spark plugs with the electrical output they need to ignite the fuel in the engine, if the coils are failing, ignition can become difficult. This will directly result in an increase in misfires.

3. Trouble Starting your Jaguar

Similar to the last point, if the spark plugs aren’t receiving the power they need to do their job, it is unlikely your Jaguar will start the first time round but may instead take several attempts to start. If left long enough, your coils may fail entirely, resulting in a vehicle that won’t start at all.

4. Engine Overheating

As previously mentioned, one of the main causes of premature coil failure is overheating. If you notice your ignition symptoms occur after overheating problems, then it is likely your coil was compromised and needs repairing.

5. Vibrating Engine

An engine is supposed to hum and purr when it operates, but if it shudders and vibrates more intensely, then its delicate interior workings such as the coil can become damaged.

6. Spark Plugs

In complete reverse to the previous points, if your spark plugs are failing, then they may negatively impact upon your ignition coil, creating dangerous power surges or forcing the coil to work extra hard and wear out prematurely.

Jaguar Ignition Coil Repair

European Service Center

European Service Center has serviced the communities of Alpharetta, Chamblee, Norcross, Dunwoody, Buckhead, Roswell, and Atlanta, GA for over a decade, offering high-quality repairs at affordable prices. We are specialists in European vehicles, such as Jaguar. Our knowledgeable team of auto experts offers their knowledgeable service with a 3-year/36,000-mile nationwide limited warranty on all work completed, meaning that you can rest easy and focus on the best factor of driving a Jaguar: hitting the road, feeling confident about your engine’s power and ability to perform.