Your coil keeps going out on your 2000 safarie van?

Answer 1

I have not worked on your particular vehicle, but repeated coil failure is a problem pretty much generic to all vehicles which use them. I have to assume you are refering to the IGNITION coil. Let's begin by discussing the way an ignition coil operates, which will allow an understanding of modes of failure. The purpose of a coil is to use 12 vold DC current, and to convert it to pulses of extremely high voltage [THOUSANDS], which then causes the sparkplugs to "fire." The coil, as the name implies, consists of two coils of copper wire, wound one around the other. In operation, electricity is allowed to flow through one of the coils [called the "primary"]. At the proper time, the points [older vehicles], or the ignition computer [newer], cuts off the current flow in the primary coil winding. While the current is flowing, a magnetic field engulfs the other coil winding[secondary], which at the right time and through the distributor, supplies extremely high voltage to the spark plugs. When the flow current in the primary stops, the electric field collapses. The collapse of the field, by induction, causes an extremely high voltage pulse to be generated in the secondary winding, which is then delivered to the proper spark plug via the distributor. So called "burnout" of a coil usually is caused by one or more of the fine wires in either of the windings "opening" up, which means the wire is broken or melted ["burned"] in two, so that it cannot allow the current flow. Similarly, a burnout involving a short circuit contact between conductors will result in "welding" of some of the wires, resulting in a permanent short. Neither of these conditions is repairable, and the coil must be replaced. Repeated coil failures in the same vehicle generally are mostly in the primary winding. Such failures should not be a regularly recurring event. Therefore, if it has happened several times in the same vehicle, something, other than a defective coil, is probably responsible. A defective coil IS possible, but SEVERAL in a row is NOT probable. I am not familiar with the newer vehicles, but most of the older ones, have big resistors [a white ceramic block about 1/4 inch by 1/4 inch by 1 to 3 inches long]. These are called "ignition resistors," and are installed, generally on the firewall or on or near the coil, in the hot wire to the coil. The resistor limits [resists] the amount of current which passes through the primary winding of the coil, thus "protecting" it, and reducing the conditions which lead to burn out. There is no similar protection for the secondary. I can only speculate, BUT it appears that some fault in the wiring circuit supplying current to the coil is responsible for the failure of the primary. This is where you should check out all of the circuit components, ensuring that everything is within the specification limits set by the vehicle manufacturer. I wish I could be of more direct assistance, but this project is definitely "hands on." Good luck.