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UK-POLOS.NET - THE VW Polo Forum • Silicon Paste for preventing coils sticking to spark plugs
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Silicon Paste for preventing coils sticking to spark plugs

Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2023 2:09 pm
by RUM4MO
I'm just raising this new thread to try to see what other people are using to prevent the coil contact rubber sheath from sticking to the spark plugs - and in doing so ending up with the coil contact separating from the coil electronics pack!

First, the recommended silicon paste is VW Group G 052 565 A1 I've finally got round to asking at a VW Group dealership's parts department what that tube of silicon paste costs, and the answer today was £46.48.

In the past at least for the first spark plug change, I've "harvested" as much of this paste - a white paste, from the old spark plugs and put it on the top end, away from the cup connector, of the new spark plugs in a bid to allow it to re-coat the leading surface of the coil contact lead/probe.

I've also bought a small tube of Permatex Dielectric Grease and intend to start using that when replacing spark plugs.

Anyone else got any other ideas on what small time DIYers can buy to stop the coil contact rubber sheath gripping the spark plugs during their service life?

Re: Silicon Paste for preventing coils sticking to spark plugs

Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2023 5:51 pm
by 2226
Just get regular silicone paste or grease from the auto spares store.
Same stuff you'd use for greasing up the guide pins on the brake calipers. The silicone won't swell the rubber.

Best trick I've seen for the stuck plug boot problem is to send compressed air into them. They'll inflat aronud the plug and you can then pull them free.
Do need a compressor though, or some form of compressed air.
Yet to try it though ... mainly because I can't afford plugs right now. :(

Re: Silicon Paste for preventing coils sticking to spark plugs

Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2023 6:27 pm
by RUM4MO
Yes, I've got a tube of 3M silicon grease that I use for guide pins, but for some reason VW Group specify paste which is just "bulked up" grease, and I don't know what has been used to bulk up that grease, it could be ceramic flour or some other white inert flour, their plan I think, is to stop that "stuff" from flowing down and so away from where it is needed.

I would have thought that the aftermarket would have come up with an equivalent product to what VW Group sell and recommend, but so far I've not discovered any, which is annoying.

Edit:- I've got a small air compressor and I'm sure that I could make up a suitable adaptor to get air down the sides of these coil contacts, but I'd rather not have to do that.

Re: Silicon Paste for preventing coils sticking to spark plugs

Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2023 6:55 pm
by 2226
Would be interested to get the MSDS for this.
Silicone paste contains silica which gives it the opaque appearance.

Actually, might as well just silicone paste. Clearly this VW product isn't working if the boots are stuck.:)

I use silicone paste. Seems to stick where you put it.

Small blow gun with a rubber tip is what I still need. Just fit it snug at the top of the boot and unleash the pressure.

Re: Silicon Paste for preventing coils sticking to spark plugs

Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2023 7:19 pm
by Bepis
I personally use Permatex 81150 Dielectric grease. A bit pricey but I only ever use small amounts for coil packs and pretty much any rubber push mounts like engine covers, airboxes, etc that are particularly stubborn. I only replaced my last tube after 4 years because I ran over it with my trolley jack splitting it open.

VW/Bosch/NGK all use a fairly similar compound on the ends of their coil packs. A green more chalky grease/paste but no idea as to what it is.

I don't find the ends of the coil packs getting stuck to the spark plug to be much of an issue for the coil packs used in the EA888 and EA211. They instead grip onto the spark plug wells themselves instead which is much more of a pain. Running the engine for 2-3 minutes and pulling upwards with a circular motion seems to get them out no problem.

However, on the older models that used the coil packs that had a metal casing on the "stem" for lack of a better word on the likes of the AZQ, BBY, and BUD engines, it made some difference as the main sticking point I found was on the spark plug itself.

A light smear on the rubber mounts for the AZQ and BBY airbox/engine covers made getting them off much easier and meant I didn't bang my knuckles into the wiper cowling as they didn't release with as much force.

Re: Silicon Paste for preventing coils sticking to spark plugs

Posted: Thu Jul 20, 2023 12:13 am
by RUM4MO
Bepis, now you've done it, you've forced me to mention that when I went to replace the spark plugs on my daughter's May 2019 SEAT Arona, I was shocked to discover that while made the effort to use "parrot?" pliers to move the large metal clips that are on the inlet and the outlet of the air filter assembly, when I lifted the air filter assembly up from the engine - the rubbery coupler that is meant to be part of the intake manifold on the 1.0TSI engine, was loosely attached to the air filter assembly!

That car got its year 4 service back in late April and the VW Group Indie did mention that they had removed the air filter to check that it was still clean enough to stay on that car, what they didn't mention or admit was that some ham fisted spanner waver had forced that rubbery coupler off the top of the intake manifold! It is meant to be retained by a strong plastic ring that has about 6 grabber clips than locate over a ring at the top of the plastic intake manifold - and pressing that back into place is not an option unless you remove the intake manifold and fabricate a suitable press to get that ring back engaged on the plastic part - that is if all the gripper tangs/clips still exist!

I was that shocked that I didn't bother to record all this by taking photos, so I can't say if all the tangs still are intact, I just put everything back together so that that car could be driven the roughly 500miles back to their home, not the best plan but it has covered maybe 1500miles since its last service back in late April, I've bought a new intake manifold and an O-ring seal for it, and will send it down to them to get, unfortunately, that same workshop to swop the parts over and send the now "2 part" back up to me so that I can examine it - just because I want to see exactly where it was forced to fail!

A lot of white grease had been used in that area when that workshop serviced that car, large areas of white grease near and maybe even on the "ball mounts" for the air filter assembly!