I keep losing coilpacks!

So some months ago I replaced my old coilpacks with some similar looking ones off ebay. These did not have the banding on them and I suspect them to be some form of knockoff. Why? Because ever since I upgraded my turbo they just keep dying!

I'm not sure what is killing them other than inferior quality.

What usually kill coil packs? Can i use black STI packs in my car? What do you recommend.

Car is Legacy GT (JDM)

Probably because they are knockoffs, coil packs dies from overheating or bad quality.

Essentially they are a "no brainer", two wires around a core of iron.

If the STi packs have a static resistance that's compatible with the OEM it shouldn't be a problem, if they have a lower resistance then there are two alternatives:

1. The ECU can cope with them and it's not a problem.
   
2. The ECU can't cope with them and you need to put a resistor on the +12V side in line with the coil to "fake" the original.
   

My best guess would be that the ECU can cope with the STi coils.

Notice that not all coils are alike - some are grounding the high voltage through the casing while others do it through the low voltage wiring. This means that if you have a vehicle designed for casing ground you may toast the electronics if you use the wrong coil. The other way around won't cause any trouble as long as you ground the coil properly.

Some other coils have built in electronics too, in which case things are a lot simpler since you don't have to worry about high voltage EMC and you can run just about any ECU able to trig the coils.

I'm not sure about exactly the type of coil that Subaru has, but someone else may know more. The old '92 Legacy I had was equipped with a separate igniting module. (that did break for me but I was able to solder together)

Some more reading here:

• http://www.ngk.de/en/products-technologies/ignition-coils/ignition-coil-technologies/
  
• http://www.supraforums.com/forum/showthread.php?645712-ignition-coil-upgrade-to-gm-lq9-coils
  
• http://www.afiata.com/nissan-ignition-coil-driver-schema/
  

Thanks. I also found just the info I needed. Turns out that the Gray ones are better as they are built for a longer dwell time of 5ms over 3ms on the STI

http://www.linkecu.com/support/documentation/technical-drawings/I14

When you install your new coils, give the pins in the coil plug a slight twist with needlenose pliers. The plug ends sometimes can become a little loose on the pins and that can cause a cylinder misfire and cause the coil to to misfire because of the contact and eventually even fail. Each coil-twist the pins slightly with a tiny bit of dielectric, and they will make better contact within the plugs.

Reading up on coil pack dwell times and saw this post. Thought it was important to say NEVER put dielectric grease on contact points. Dielectric grease is an insulator not a conductor.

Reading up on coil pack dwell times and saw this post. Thought it was important to say NEVER put dielectric grease on contact points. Dielectric grease is an insulator not a conductor.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicone_grease

A common use of dielectric grease is in high-voltage connections associated with gasoline engine spark plugs. The grease is applied to the rubber boot of the plug wire. This helps the rubber boot slide onto the ceramic insulator of the plug. The grease also acts to seal the rubber boot, while at the same time preventing the rubber from becoming stuck to the ceramic. Generally, spark plugs are located in areas of high temperature and the grease is formulated to withstand the temperature range expected. It can be applied to the actual contact as well, because the contact pressure is sufficient to penetrate the grease film. Doing so on such high pressure contact surfaces between different metals has the advantage of sealing the contact area against electrolytes that might cause rapid deterioration from galvanic corrosion.

and a little further down on the same page https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silicone_grease

"It is not recommended to be applied to the actual electrical conductive contacts of the connector because it could interfere with the electrical signals passing through the connector in cases where the contact pressure is very low."

I'd say that the contact pressure of a coil pack connector is low.