ignition coil???

[lclare]

I have a 2001 Jetta GL, 5 speed, with 86000 miles.
For the last 2 months I have been having some issues...
1st the check engine light and ABS lights came on.
1 month later I had the code pulled at Autozone. It read Mass air sensor. So I had it replaced. A month later I started it a Monday morning and it was running rough... The engine was misfiring. So I had the spark plugs and wires changed.
Now the check engine light is on again. The code is P0420: Catalyst efficiency below threshold (bank 1).
I suppose now I need a new Cat....
Reading another thread "Jetta Catalytic Converter" mentioned the
ignition coil at fault.
Since the Cat runs about $1000 (which I don't have) I would like to
wait as long as possible.
Does it sound like I need a new ignition coil??????

[boschmann]

Earlier 2.0 ignition coils were prone to fail, but I haven't seen much trouble wit later model ones like yours. Did the tune up solve the misfire problem? 86K is a little premature of cat failure (unless the car was running badly for a long time), I'd clear the code & see how long it takes to come back. If you had under 80K miles I'd say let the dealer replace it under warranty.

[lclare]

Thanks, I will try that.
The car was running bad only while I was troubleshooting.
Besides the check engine light, It is running well now since the tuneup.

[lclare]

When I started my car this morning...... My car is misfiring again!!!!!
I am tempted to just put a new coil in and see what happens....
I was reading a thread in myvwlemon.com where they were complaining about a 2001 2.0L jetta and a 2.0L golf needing new coils.

[tek1011]

I'm looking at my 4th coil on a 95 Jetta III, so the test is to spray the coil with water from a hand held sprayer while running, in a shaded or dark area. If you see little sparks and hear snapping noises the coil is arching thru the epoxy material it's "potted" in. The coil needs to be replaced. Bet it runs fine once the underhood temp is up and any moisture dries up.