Audi A3: 1.8 TFSI BZB/CDAA Coil Pack Premature Failure

The EA888 Gen1 BZB/CDAA 1.8 TFSI engine uses pencil-style ignition coil packs that are prone to insulation breakdown, particularly in humid conditions common in NZ and AU. One or more coil packs fail internally, causing a dead misfire on the affected cylinder. The engine management system logs P0301 through P0304 individual cylinder misfire codes. Prolonged misfiring washes oil from cylinder walls, accelerating bore and ring wear, and can destroy the catalytic converter from unburnt fuel. Replacing coil packs individually is a short-term fix — full set replacement is recommended to avoid repeat failures within short periods.

• Engine misfire at idle or under acceleration
• Rough or lumpy running especially when cold or in wet weather
• Check engine light with fault codes P0301, P0302, P0303, or P0304
• Reduced power output under load
• Fuel smell from exhaust due to unburnt charge passing to catalytic converter

1. 1

   Scan the ECU with an OBD2 reader for active or stored misfire codes P0301-P0304.

2. 2

   Inspect each coil pack body for hairline cracks or carbon tracking marks.

3. 3

   Ask if any individual coil pack has recently been replaced, as repeat failures are common when only one is changed.

4. 4

   Check spark plug condition on the affected cylinder.

Parts involved: Ignition coil.

$280 to $680 at New Zealand independent workshop rates. That is for this job on its own, not for the car.

An estimate, in NZD, for the repair as normally carried out. What a specific car costs depends on which part has failed and what it damaged on the way — treat this as the floor for a negotiation, not a quote.

• “Have any ignition coil packs been replaced on this car?”
• “Has the check engine light appeared with any misfire codes?”
• “When were the spark plugs last replaced?”

The failure described above is documented in published sources — owner forums, technical service bulletins, recall notices and workshop write-ups — held in our fault database. The inspection instructions and the cost estimate are KickTyres’ own interpretation of them, and it is a starting point for an inspection rather than a manufacturer statement.