So I found this coil pack on Amazon for 95 bucks, reviews and description states that it's better at idle. Is it really better than the stock coil pack or worse?... I have the Mini Cooper S R53 2004 with couple of mods.

 

Going to stur a debate on that one, I have seen good and bad reviews on them. I went down the screamin deamon coilpack with livewires myself.

The only real advantage everyone agrees on is that the terminals don't rust so no misfire issues.

Choice is yours, still alot of people rate OEM packs highly.

 

What he said!!

 

Save your money. If your stock coil is working fine, stick with it. Just check the contacts regularly for rust, especially number 3.

I replaced mine recently because of the miles that I do (current 115 mile commute every day), and fitted one of these. No problems so far and the terminals will not rust.

2006 MINI Cooper Base Coupe L4 1.6L Engine Ignition Coil - 12137510738 - Ignition Coil Pack (ecstuning.com)

 

The msd coil has been prone in the past to cause DME damage. But some people have not had any issues. Better to just stay with a stock coil pack.

 

That looks like the coil pack I put on my car last year. I don't have any complaints about it and I didn't notice any improvements from my old stock one either.

The only minor complaint I have is it doesn't come with bolts to mount it to the valve cover and the bolts in the stock unit are captured. I was not able to remove them from the stock coil pack without resorting to more effort than I wanted to use. I bought new bolts and washers at the local hardware store to mount it.

 

no...the ONLY coil that provides any gain over stock is the screaming demon brand...only one that actually has a higher max voltage output and ability to provide a stronger standard spark consistency too..msd is same specs as stock but tend not to last as long.

 

plz stop reposting false info... show me 1x case where the coilpack FOR SURE was proven to fry the dme ...
and I wanna know how a ignition component that's not direct plugged into it fry it ? Wouldn't you blame a failed relay , fuse or bad wiring ??? To Blame a coilpack for frying an ecu is pretty ballzy claims..
ive personally run that msd coil on EVERY cooper i owned and NEVER had one issue. Matter fact , ive run the exact ones just different connectors in my ford 4.6ls engines too and never once had an issue. but if you want an actual gain over stock you need the screamin demon brand .
the msd frying ecu myth comes from the msd 6al boxs or what ever theyre called and people not running an upgraded blaster coil and wiring with them THEN THEY would fry ecu's and stuff because of it. but NEVER have i seen or heard of a coilpack causing that or anything similar unless it was installed incorrectly, then that user error not the products fault and i see THAT ALL THE TIME . Lol people just cant ever be wrong

 

Yes, Better... Worse... Will start your standard internet debate.

But... OEM works perfectly fine, even for high HP builds, so there's really no reason to switch.

 

I don't think there is gain in a "performance pack" and if there is its really tiny. OEM seems to last the longest and works.

- Just buy an OEM one and paint it red before installing.
- The clean your ground strap and contact points with a wirebrush, then 2000 grit sandpaper. I use deoxit d5 to clean it chemically after brushing, it improves conductivity, protects against corrosion very well and makes the metal super shiny.
- Before install, use 2000 grit sandpaper on all the nodes to get clean metal. Clean the nodes with deoxit and also use a qtip with some dexoit to clean and seal the 3 harness pins.
-Sounds strange, but I suggest getting some thick aluminum foil, layer it up and make square 3mm larger than the base of the coil. Punch holes for the mounting screws, and place it underneath the coil. This will heatshield the coil and not cooking on the valve cover, letting the coil maintain voltage easier and hopefully stay cooler for long lifespan.
- Connect wires (clean with deoxit to seal) and use dielectric grease as usual.

 

I've replaced ECU's with blown mosfets because of these coils. If you run one and you blow your ecu I sell replacements re-coded with your vin for 250 $

 

This does sound strange as aluminum is a very good thermal conductor in my experience.

 

The intent is to deflect heat transferred through the air, similar to how the manifold or exhaust shields work. The coils sit on top of the valve cover, on top of rubber rings with a gap of air in-between valve cover and bottom of coil. The heat from the motor will go upward towards the coil. The idea is that the layered foil (or a thin piece of alu sheet metal would probably best) acts as a heatshield, deflecting the heat from the motor around the coil protecting it from the motor.

Theory aside, I can say that in practice, immediately after a 40min commute with moderate traffic in 95*F heat, the valve cover is too hot touch for even a second, but the coil isn't nearly as warm and is touchable without burning your fingers off. The wires even feel less hot than without the shielding. I'll probably laser thermo for hard numbers, but I did notice a vast difference just by feel.