I recently needed a coil for a '96. I have a Made in Japan coil from SNG Barratt that I keep on hand for testing (Barratt alluded that they were made by Diamond Electric Mfg. Corp. but never came out and actually said so). I swapped it for the suspect coil in the car and confirmed the old coil was bad. I loaned my friend the Barratt coil while I went on a search for a replacement.

I tried to buy another Made in Japan coil from SNG Barratt but they apparently no longer have any in stock. The only options there were "aftermarket reproductions" at USD $33.35 (manufacturer unknown), and "genuine" Jaguar brand coils at $498.52 (each!) (manufacturer also unknown).

Rock Auto didn't have any affordable options. The best-looking option is a coil by NGK (a top-tier OEM to Jaguar and many other automakers). At least in the photo, these coils have the same off-white/yellow epoxy and the visible black rectangle on top like the original Lucas-branded coils by Diamond. But the current price for the NGK is $315.99 each! Rock Auto also carries a coil from Standard Motor Products that appears physically similar at $137.79.

The option we decided to try is a Lucas-branded coil, $40.73 plus shipping from Parts Geek. I think I saw them at a couple of other vendors also. I ordered two, one to install in my friend's car, and one to keep on hand as a spare. The coil worked fine and solved the misfire, but it's only been in use for about a month, so I can't report on its long-term reliability. Despite the Lucas branding, the coil was no doubt manufactured by another company, probably in China, possibly even by the manufacturer of the QYL coils.

As a side note, I noticed that Rock Auto had one Denso coil in stock for the X350, so I ordered it to put in my spares. Turns out it is marked Made in China, unlike the original coils in the X350, which are marked Made in Japan. Jaguar has been selling the Airtex coils as replacements (Airtex is a Ford OEM and the coils are marked FoMoCo but sold in Jaguar-branded boxes). These coils have been very affordable from Rock Auto, but they are also now out of stock.

I'll try to remember to report back on the reliability of the Lucas coil down the road.

Cheers,

Don

 

The OEM manufacturer of these coils have ALWAYS been Diamond, out of Japan.

Lucas has historically faired no better than any of the other crap aftermarket makers, with the ONLY exception being QYL.

Keep looking for an affordable vendor that sells Diamond coils, or track down QYL. Anything else seems to have a 6-12 month lifespan, maybe less.

 

I guess given the relative ease of replacing coils, the $40 coils make sense even if they only last a year, as you would get 10 years service for the price of 1 OEM coil!

 

Thanks Don B & Vee for the feedback much appreciated,

Don B, I have done extensive research after recently reading most if not all the related posts on here (the last 6 plus years) and can agree with your findings.
I do believe that “probably” all coils except the NGK from Japan (at eye watering prices!!) are being made in China. (who knows even NGK might be nowadays :-))
Jaguar (brand unknown) prices are just ridiculous considering it could be from anywhere?
For me now its trying to decipher who are the suppliers that have the QYL or QYL like quality coils (rebranded / or not) for sale at a decent price - Prices do vary much between all these aftermarket options .., some peeps are definitely making big $$$.
Unfortunately, I also have to factor in the shipping & income taxes due to living far down South which all adds up .., hence the QYL’s for around < $100.00 seems like such an attractive option.

Vee, I have tried to make contact with Diamond Electronics in Japan and have yet to receive any feedback regarding if they still make and or who they do supply. I also searched far and wide for any QYL stock with no luck ..,

Even contacted Ikuma (Japthug) based in Japan that at one stage had some OEM “made in Japan” for a very reasonable price .., He did mention that the Diamond’s are discontinued and also had a struggle in sourcing the QYL’s for a customer about 12 months ago - apparently found some on Desertcart (Saudi Arabian based site) but since then no luck.
Apparently to Ikuma’s knowledge (from a Jaguar specialist in the UK) is that the Lucas branded ones are now the best "more affordable" option .., and pretty much the only option - I still have a feeling they are just the QYL’s being rebranded.

The problem with Lucas I find is that there’s about 3 different versions out there .., with the newest stock not really been tried & tested by the members on here.
Lucas have changed hands many times and who knows what one gets .., SMP (Standard Motor Products) are now the Lucas Brand manufacturers in the UK as I am led to believe at around 47 GBP.
Added pictures of the 3 different Lucas designs plus the last 2 pictures of the SMP (Lucas branded) ones - wonder which is the newest version? If any knowledgable member(s) could please confirm the newest and or better version it would be much appreciated.

I am curious what make / brand the SNG Barratt “aftermarket” option are? Some reckon its a unbranded Lucas coil (I again believe it will be made in China). Which I am ok with if they last around 2 / 3 plus years.

Then there’s all sorts of different warranties ranging from 1 year to a “Lifetime warranty” :-) , also incorrect photo’s displayed by some vendors etc.

This coil business sure is a funny old business!

Ps - Thanks to all the members that have contributed and parted with their knowledge regarding the coils over the last 6 plus years .., Ive read through them all and find the info on here very helpful. Only wish I had come to this insight earlier!

Regards.

 

Back in my XJR6 days I had so many failed coils I started carrying spares in my trunk and changed 'em by the side of the road. Only takes a couple minutes, with practice.

Cheers
DD

 

Here's the Lucas coil I received from Parts Geek about one month ago:




Curiously, the box is marked "Made in GB." GB is the ISO abbreviation for the United Kingdom/Great Britain. Could the coil really have been made there?

Cheers,

Don

 

I don't see why not.

The Lucas coils I bought years ago were marked "Made in the EU"....which is rather vague.

Some members may remember this thread from 8 years ago:

https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/x...0-coils-93966/

Cheers
DD

 

It occurred to me that maybe just the Lucas box was Made in GB....

 

A slight thread drift, but a comment on classic spares pricing. I had experience recently restoring a non-Jaguar classic, which entailed much sourcing of spares etc, and all of the customary heartache and expense, which many of us seem addicted to!.
In amongst some OEM parts sourced from the manufacturer's classic spares division came a piece of printout which Im sure wasnt intended for the customer. As well as Identifying that the part was originally manufactured in 1992, it provided a history of the retail price of the part from then to the present day. Given the model in question, 1992 was the end of production, and I suspect the part was originally surplus from manufacturing operations. I would be the first to admit that it was a rather obscure jacking point reinforcement, and not likely to be much in demand, if at all.

Anyway, the point of the tale is that the retail price was systematically marked up every 12 months, by a very similar figure around the 5% mark, which doesnt sound like much, but fairly adds up over the intervening 25 years or so, resulting in a retail price wildly removed from the original cost. Reflecting on this, I dont see anything wrong or illegal about it, and perhaps if I was running the classic spares division I would do the same, as it reflects the business reality that there are costs attached to holding stock, and they bear the risk of parts remaining unsold. Where the practice would appear to work most against the customer is where the parts are slow moving, and an old stock of the parts exist.

Although I do not know whether Jaguar employ such a practice, coils may be a case in point, where due to very low sales (ironically likely caused initially by an excessive price relative to the aftermarket) stock turnover is slow, resulting in multiple successive price increases being applied as the parts languish on the shelves. Net result, parts prices which bear little relationship to those likely to be seen in the aftermarket, but a portent of things to come once the aftermarket falls away, and the manufacturer is promoted into being a virtual monopoly supplier to those willing and able to keep these cars going.
In the meantime, coil sales can tick along at small volume but excessively profitable prices supplying the unwary, the desperate, and those handful of cars still maintained in the dealer network regardless of cost.

 

1. I would be interested in trying the Standard branded coils. They’re a legit brand that sells quality aftermarket parts.

2. Regarding the previous post on annual 5% increases. In the construction and raw materials world, it is common to see prices for commodities affect the finish price of products in the 5% range, annually.

 

And in many other industries too Vee, but what is much less common is stock sitting on the shelf for decades, and being marked up each year with the supplier having a virtual monopoly on the item

The only purpose to my post was to highlight a possible reason why many Jaguar classic parts prices seem to be becoming other worldly, while some of the higher turnover items are perfectly reasonably priced, oil filters being a case in point.
I am not suggesting that there would be anything wrong or illegal about it, were this to be their practice, but it would point to profit maximisation coming ahead of maximising the number of X300s remaining on the road.

 

I feel greedy, I got two full QYL sets now, think I've bought the last set available too, plus a set of original and hardly used Jaguar coils(~5 years old now). The latter show up on eBay every now and then for silly monies from breakers so its well worth checking it.
For QYL coils its probably best to email these people: support@gaatu.com
They originally supplied them.

From their website:

QYL is one of the largest automotive aftermarket parts provider in North America. After five years of comprehensive development,QYL quickly became one of the best brands in Ignition Coil aftermarket. We are dedicated to provide the best selection, the latest cutting edge technology, and the best overall shopping experience. We are constantly saturating our inventory with the best products available on the market today. Our goal is to make car repair and maintenance affordable, convenient, and transparent. providing a full selection, and the best customer service possible.

You want to ask for coils 154016.

PS

I've used all sorts of various coils from eBay in the past including Lucas and can confirm that they were all garbage and never lasted long, if not a slight hiccup misfire that was supper annoying as you're chasing various things then a complete coil failure that stalled engine and/or lit the dashboard like a christmas tree and RPM going up and down violently by 1000 or more. These are fairly scary failures when it happens first time.

 

Greetings,
Thanks all for the feedback.
Thanks Katar for the info re the QYL coils.
Tried gaatu.com for the QYL coils - they contacted the manufacturer but unfortunately also sold out. - “maybe” might manufacture again if I take / order a large quantity. Did ask for the quantity but havent heard back from them (8 days ago)?
Cant seem to track the direct manufacturers of these QYL coils!
Have managed to make contact with various Chinese wholesalers in the process though! lots of options ...
Katar (any other member) could you be so kind as to post a picture of the top / barrel part of the QYL coil.
Searched online but its difficult to find one thats a “real life” version ... would be much appreciated.
Best regards.

 

i have unknown not diamond coils with at least 50k on them

it’s not that serious, just buy the cheapest and roll with it

 

Hi xalty,

Given how smooth the AJ16 engine runs and how imperceptible minor misfires can be, and given how poor the Lucas/Sagem GEMS OBDII is at sensing and locating misfires, I don't know that I could agree that using poor-quality coils is not potentially serious. Unless you consider ruined catalytic converters to be "not that serious."

Cheers,

Don