R34 Gtt - Dreaded Error Code 21 - Coilpacks?

[nuffsaid]

Hi all

Over the past week I have been getting TCS+SLIP+Engine lights coming on intermittently

Did a check on the OBD2 port and error code 21 comes back. From all my searching sounds like a straight coilpack issue

However when I rev all the way in 1st and 2nd gear it runs fine and smoothly. Idle seems fine too. The car itself drives and feels the way it always has.

Could it still be a coilpack issue given it drives fine?

Thanks for your help

[Sleepy_R34]

I had this same problem shortly after buying my R34, for me it turned out to be a faulty traction control unit (not very suprising based on the TCS and SLIP lights, but did take me a while to diagnose as i was also reading everywhere about the coilpacks being the problem) that i replaced for $70, so you might wanna check that before spending a few hundred dollars on new coils

Incase you aren't familiar with the set up, the r34's basically have two throttles, one control with your foot, and another throttle just before that(you will see a motor attached to the side of the pipe, just open your bonnet and it stares you right in the face, this is your traction control). The second throttle is always wide open, when your traction control kicks in it will close this throttle, bogging the car down, making wheels stop spinning.

When you start your car, you will notice the lights only turn on a second later, thats because when you start the car up, your traction control does a check where it will close and open the second throttle to make sure its working, in my case, the throttle was just staying open signalling that its not working correctly and throwing the lights on. Now as you can imagine, its not actually the throttle thats faulty, its the motor controlling it. Some people say that this motor can get sticky as the grease and all that inside of it gets old and dirty, and that a good cleaning and fresh lubrication can fix the problem. At the workshop I went to i was fortunate enough that they just happened to have been working on another r34 where they actually just removed that guys traction control, so i called him up and grabbed his and just replaced the motors as it seemed like an easier option.

So in other words, if you know someone with a working traction control unit, just take it off, unplug your cable and plug the cable into his, and you will quickly see if the lights go away or not.

It could well be your coilpacks, just thought i'd share that it could be an easier and cheaper fix to the problem.

Hope this helped

[666DAN]

Nah its the packs 100000% a faulty TCS not only has a different code but presents different symptoms. The ecu picks the fault long before you feel it. Just don't wait for the rough idle and wrx sounding powerless hell.