Hey, all.
I have an 02 WRX wagon, manual. 68,000 km.
A couple of days ago, the CEL came on - solid, then blinking, then solid. And the car was sluggish, moreso at low rpms.
I called the dealer, and had it towed, even though it was technically driveable - the flashing CEL had me spooked.
They pulled codes 301 and 303, which (according to workshop manuals I downloaded in PDF) mean misfire in cylinders 1 and 3.
They swapped coil 1 for 2, and 3 for 4 (I say that like I know what it means - and I really don't). The CEL went away, but the dealer said it could come back - the swap was partly to narrow down the problem - if I get CEL codes 302 and 304 now, they'll replace the hardware. The issue is not, according to them, engine-threatening, and they didn't recommend throwing hardware at the problem right away.
Now: I admit I'm an uneducated dork when it comes to auto mechanics. I want to understand where these coils actually are, what they do, and why they might go bad. And what does it mean when they go bad? Is it a 'wear' issue? Something electrical? Did they have to pull the heads to get at these things, or are they part of the ignition system?
I would have asked at the dealership, but everyone was busy and the gal that rung me in obviously knew nothing beyond what she read on the work order.
Again, I do have these workshop manuals, but they're more a recipe book for fixing stuff, where I am looking to understand how it all works.
Any suggestions of online resources?
Thanks,
BD