Hey,

Tried to start my VQ35 with the VQ30 ecu yesterday (for the first time). Had one of the plugs out to make sure I was getting spark, and all looked good.

Put the plug back in, and spent some time trying to start it.

All of a sudden, smoke started comming out of all 6 coil-packs.

Any ideas on what went wrong? I though maybe I lost ground to the ECU (the coil packs are not grounded in the same place), or maybe my battery was running low and put the ECU in some funky state?


Also, anyone have any VQ35 coill packs they want to sell?

Thanks,
Marc

 

sounds like a wiring problem, it's not likely all 6 would be busted.

 

The smoke comming from all 6 coils is a good indicator they are toast... Not to mention, the plastic on all of them are melted now.

Today, I cranked the engine over with an ocilliscope hooked to the coil signal. Looks to be pulsing as expected when I crank the car over. The ECU seems to be OK.. I also have 12V and GND at each coil.

I am pretty sure I need 6 new coils, but what is bothering me is I don't understand why they burned up.

 

how did you test to see if your getting spark?

 

Hooked up a coil with a plug out of the engine, and looked for spark... It worked nice until the coils burned up.

 

oh maybe 2 much current in the signal wire?

 

Ugh, replacement is not too easy either.. rockauto.com has them listed for about $50 each. Called a few junkards, they want the number off of my old coils?! They claim there are 3 style coils for a VQ35 out of a Maxima.

 

Did you ground the tip of the plug?

 

so it has to be the tip?

 

Well the tip is part of the outer part of the plug, so ground the metal part.

I wonder though if that has anything to do with the coils going bad

 

Yes, the threads on the plug were grounded and I got spark..

I lost the coils after I re-installed the one plug I had out.

 

if you want, i can swing by this week and check it out.