1999 Acura TL Ignition Coils

 

The 1999 Acura TL 3.2L V6 engine code J32A1 and J32A2 for the type S uses 6 individual ignition coils. Both the regular TL and the type S use the same exact ignition coils. These engines have a coil on plug setup which uses 6 individual ignition coils. Each coil sits right over each ignition coil, and they are not difficult to change. Anyone with basic mechanic experience can replace all 6 ignition coils and yes, that includes the 3 rear coils as well. The three coil packs on the back side of the engine appear to be difficult to reach, but lean over a little bit to take a peek at them, and you will realize that there is nothing different about changing the rear coils other than you have to lean over a little bit. Identifying the misfire in your 1999 Acura TL is not very difficult either. When your check engine light comes on, you can use a basic OBDII scanner to find out why. Typical misfire codes for the Acura TL range from P0300 (random), P0301 (Cyl #1), and P0306 (Cyl#6). In some cases with the 99 TL and other Hondas from this generation, you may experience a misfire code appear for all six cylinders. This can happen even if one ignition coil is misfiring. The Honda ECU may not always identify which cylinder the misfire is coming from. In these type of cases, we recommend resetting the ECU with your scanner, or by disconnecting the battery for one minute, and driving your TL until the check engine light comes back on. This forces the ECU to read the issue and display it properly. If it still does not identify the misfiring cylinder, then you can disconnect the harness from each ignition coil one at a time and listen for a change in the engine idle speed. This method will only work if one of the ignition coils are completely not functioning. Other methods to test are the old fashion spark plug tip to a good ground while cranking, or a spark tester. One method we recommend not doing is removing the ignition coil up and off of the spark plug while the engine is running. This can cause damage to any ignition coil that is working perfectly fine, or even cause damage to your ECU.

 

Misfire Symptoms In Your 1999 Acura TL

 

If you have an occasional misfire in your TL, it may be a lot more noticeable while the engine is being put under a load (acceleration) and less noticeable while idling or cruising. A constant misfire will be preset at all times, even at idle. Constant misfires are easy to diagnose as the misfire will occur during idle, allowing you to get under the hood and disconnect each ignition coil to find out which one is operating. A check engine light will usually follow a misfire as well.