hi need help, i have a 1.8 03 plate stilo and the engine isnt running properly. its missing a lot and when i accelerate often after a turn there seems to be a dead spot before it pulls away. plus the car has always sounded a bit rough like a deisel

The roughness is probably the variator that these have on the camshaft, they can wear quite badly but its normal for them to make it sound a bit funny (for a short amount of time anyway).

On the missing i suggest you have a search as its been coverd a bit, search for coils.

Yea. 'Diesel' noise is likley to be the variator. The 'missing' could be a coil on the way out.

thanks but what are these coils, the only coil i know of is on a starter

thanks for the advice, the noise is when its ticking over mainly

Sorry but this is the best picture i have of my engine to show you with but.

If you see to the left of the two bright red plugs, the 4 pencil like plastic things with a 'danger high voltage warning' on top of them (wont be able to tell that well on this pic but if you take the plastic cover off yours you should be able to see..



they sit ontop of the spark plugs and generate the high voltage required to make the spark

oh and before you worry about fitting, they are pretty much the easiest part to fit on the car, i would even go as far as to say easier than fitting a wheel.

Take the engine cover off, and there is just 1 plug on each one, and one bolt on each one, the literally just sit on the spark plug..

The only way to work out which one, (if its just one) thats broken, is to buy one, and just swap them round one by one till it runs better

great stuff thanks