ive been tossing around the idea of ignition upgrades....i know its time to replace the plugs(got replacements) but i want to replace the coil pack(57k on this one)....screamin deamon is not an option....i was thinking either OEM or the MSD box(same voltage)....any opinions?i have LiveWire plug wires(gift from a friend)...are they still good to go?was thinking about upgrading to the MSD wires(had them in my 95 civic hatch and worked great)

any thoughts? my fuel econ has slowly over time dropped so i know its time to change....what always drives me nuts is MINI's claims that the spark plugs can go 100k before changing!

 

my vote is for stock coil pack and stock wires. There's plenty more then enough there to make the plugs spark when needed. I'm not saying the aftermarket stuff is going to screw your engine... but an incorect install or failure here is going to cost you massive in cash and grief.

 

very true that is why i was considering also the MSD pack since it doesnt increase the voltage beyond stock

 

well I didn't want to bring this story up. But a friend of mine on m|u (Mr. S) just had is ecu, wiring harness and coil replaced due to either a malfunctioning coil or an incorrectly installed coil. I didn't quite follow up on the story after the dealer quoted him well into the 7k range or so for a fix. I felt bad asking him to talk about it.

My personal opinion is stay stock, avoid bling... go with what is proven to work just fine on cars that are even pushing 250whp+

 

Well, if you use Forza 2 as your guide, 55+ horsepower can be gained replacing the ignition system.



Seriously though, in another thread I think one of the shop guys on here (Randy, I think) mentioned the stock Bosch unit was terrific. No need to change to something else. If I remember properly, many other ignition packs have problems at various RPM ranges. As for the wires, no need to replace unless they are worn/non-functioning.

Question though...why do you think ignition will affect fuel economy over time? A spark is a spark is a spark. As long as your cylinders are all igniting , things are working. You'd have more substantial issues if you were not getting ignition. See these few Google-found links for a little more info:

http://www.aa1car.com/library/cm1196.htm
http://www.spark-plugs.co.uk/pages/t...m#service_life

- Matt

 

this is true but as the life of the plug runs its course the strength degrades....ive always been of the mind to watch the plugs...when the idle starts to get rough and the acceleration and fuel econ degrades its time to change...i know MINI says 100k and that is fine for a normally driven vehicle but when you get on it or say drive long long distances its good when you change the oil to change the plugs as i learned with my civic and because of that i was able to maintain an excellent fuel econ...even after i turbocharged it and add larger injectors and such....and since the MINI uses a digital ignition system(vice the old cap and rotor with honda's) the power does degrade as with any electical circuit that is exposed to the elements(despite there being a boot over the electrical terminal it can oxidize)...in this day and age with long life synthetics and such they do last a long time....but sometimes the baseline for that lifespan is based on normal wear and tear...not for vehicles that get used like some of us use our MINI's...