1997 900s ignition coil replacement

[J-Dog]

Hey y'all. The ignition coil on my '97 900s is broken (the center terminal is snapped). I see that it is inconveniently located beneath the power steering pump reservoir. Any tips for removal and re-installation? I know to disconnect the battery... Anything weird to watch for?
The replacement is OEM. Thanks!

[thaedge]

To replace this you have to remove the battery. Then you have to use a small metric socket (forget which size) to loosen the band clamp that holds it in place. It is in a pretty cramped position so this can be difficult. Then you just slide the new coil in and tighten down the clamp. Pretty simple. Hope this helps.

[earthworm]

This is also a good opportunity to clean away the battery acid damage ....with ice and baking soda.....lol

I do hope you have a warm, toasty, dry garage..

[widuck1]

Cleaning the battery terminals can help ensure good charging system operation. Take everything both plus and minus connections, and scrub with a wire brush and the baking soda, rinse, maybe think about those felt washers underneath to keep everything tip-top. Coat with grease if you like. Be sure to have radio code on hand if you like music.....Clean the tray fully too, remove battery completley, scrub with the baking soda and rinse. If you really want peice of mind, buy the Bosch brushes for your alternator and change those too, a bit of a pain but if you don't know the age of your alternator it's good insurance. Buying an alternator and shop intall when you are far from home can be a real wallet-buster,

Good luck,

John
1997 900S 2.3 5 speed 'vert 152,000 miles, runs like a Swedish watch.

[J-Dog]

Thanks! Doing it today in a cold, but dry garage.

[J-Dog]

Turns out all that it was simply a loose wire. The wire was not firmly attached to the coil, and it got all gunked up. I purchased a new coil and installed it anyway as the miles are high. Good lesson, though; never assume, check simple things first, and never trust that a mechanic has been thorough.

[Doogs]

Can I ask what problems you had that led you to changeing the coil or thinking that it was a coil problem?

[J-Dog]

It wasn't firing up right away, took a few starts, and ran rough for a few minutes. Once it was warm ran fine. I checked under the hood for loose wires, and noticed that the coil wire and tower looked funny and gunky, but couldn't tell what was wrong as it's partially hidden under the power steering reservoir. I pulled the wire, which was just touching the coil tower, and it didn't just pull off, but had gooey gunk attached. It looked like broken plastic, so I thought the tower was broken and contacts disintegrated.

Sounds stupid, but that's how it looked. The wire had been loose for quite some time and the connector and coil tower were loaded with dirt (bad) and grease (ok). Very gooey.

Assuming that it was damaged, I bought a new coil. Didn't want to pull the old one out without a new one at hand because that would strand me. Once I had the old one out, I could see the real problem. There was so much junk in the wire sheath that I couldn't see the contact, and the coil tower was full also.
So, I have a new coil that I probably didn't need and have learned something. It's also the first time I've worked on this car, so I have some confidence now. I bought the car new and sold it to my sister while it was still under warranty, and just bought it back, so never had to work on it.
Changing the thermostat tomorrow.