2009 Toyota Corolla Would Check Engine light be flashing or solid if the ignition coil was the cause
Would Check Engine light be flashing or solid if the ignition coil was the cause
What is your question?
We have a 2009 Corolla LE (with 60K mileage) that has had occasional problems losing acceleration power at higher speeds and also had the Check Engine light on.
We took it to Goodyear, which said that the Check Engine light code suggested that the ignition coil for cylinder #1 needs to be replaced. They also suggested replacing all 4 spark plugs and having the transmission checked, as the transmission fluid is darkish.
Would the Check Engine light be flashing or solid if the ignition coil were the problem?
To replace the ignition coil, would we need to replace all 4 spark plugs or just the one for cylinder #1?
We wanted to take the car to the dealership to get a second opinion, but Goodyear erased the Check Engine light code after checking it, and there is no more Check Engine light on.
I've been told that we should just continue to drive the car until the light comes back on, as there would be no use in taking it to the mechanic now. Is that true?
What makes this problem better or worse?
At higher speeds, car loses acceleration
How long has your 2009 Toyota Corolla had this problem?
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Hello, the problem here is that if you can't confirm it's the cylinder 1 coil that is at fault, then why replace it? I'd want more information as to what diagnostic process was followed. If it's a "guess" based off of a trouble code, then I'd prefer more diagnostic information before replacing the coil.
Sure, you could have cylinder 1 coil causing a misfire -- which indeed would cause your check engine light to flash -- but you could also have a faulty spark plug. You could have a fuel injector issue. You could have a valve train issue. You could have a base engine issue on cylinder 1. It's all a "best guesstimate" until you have actual data proving the coil is bad.
For example, they could swap coil #1 with coil #4 and see if the next time it malfunctions, a code for cylinder 4 sets instead this time.
In any case, -- to answer your questions:
1) Check engine light could very well be flashing with a misfire, but in some cases could be solid -- regardless of it being a coil or not.
2) Replacing all 4 spark plugs is a good practice when replacing any coils. Plugs should be replaced uniformly at the same time.
Agreed with driving the vehicle until a failure again occurs; what if the light doesn't come on again for another 5,000 miles? I'd wait, it won't hurt in the short term. But do not continue to drive a vehicle that has an active misfire. That will cause further issues.
Hope this helps. Good luck.
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