2006 Honda Ridgeline Ignition Coil Packs

 

The 2006 Honda Ridgeline was one of the few Hondas of this time that used individual ignition coil on plugs. Rather than the traditional distributor system, these new independent ignition coils allowed the ECU to have more control over the engine which lead to better performance, emissions, and fuel economy. The only downside to these are the cost. Many auto parts stores can charge from $70 all the way up to $120 for each ignition coil. On top of this, when old ignition coils fail, they tend to fail within a similar time frame from each other, requiring all 6 to be replaced when one fails. We have found a way to bring the cost down on this many times over by buying direct and offering to our customers at real wholesale prices, effectively cutting the middle man out. A bad ignition coil in your 2006 Honda Ridgeline can cause the engine to run poorly, especially under load (acceleration, towing, etc). While a misfire doesn't always mean a bad ignition coil, it tends to be the most common reasons for a misfire in the 3.5L Honda V6 engine.  We also want to help you identify what the issue is so you aren't spending money on a part that was never bad in the first place. Other reasons for a misfire is bad spark plugs, camshaft and crankshaft sensors, MAF issues, fuel pump or injector issues (pump issues on these are rare on these Hondas, but don't rule it out - especially on any 15 year old+ vehicle).

 

Pinpointing a Misfire Issue With Your 2006 Honda Ridgeline

 

In order to pinpoint the misfire, you should start with an OBDII scanner. These days these tools can be found for under $20 and the investment is well worth it. If you have a check engine light on, plug your OBDII scanner in to find out why it's on. If it turns out to be a misfire, you will get a code P0300 (random), or P0301 though P0306. The last number represents the cylinder the misfire was detected. From here, you can swap the ignition coil from the misfiring cylinder to another cylinder. Reset the computer and rescan. If the misfire follows the ignition coil, then you know for sure that the coil pack is bad. In these type of Hondas, you may also experience a misfire code for all 6 cylinders. The ECU in the Ridgeline is not the best at identifying the location of the misfire. In this situation, we recommend resetting the ECU with your OBDII scanner. A reset can also be done by simply disconnecting the battery for at least 1 full minute. This will force the computer to re-read the misfire and properly identify it. If that doesn't work, we recommend to try the unplugging method. This method only works if the ignition coils is 100% dead and you can feel the engine running rough while idling. With the engine on, you simply unplug the connector from the ignition coils one at a time. Do not remove the ignition coil, but simply unplug it. Listen carefully for a change in how the engine runs.  A lot of times the change can be very subtle, but if you feel a change, then that means the ignition coil you unplugged is good. If there is no change, then that coil pack is faulty.