Is aftermarket a viable option? OEM pricey and in reading reviews some appear to be ok. Any information would be appreciated

 

two comments 1) aftermarket coils are a viable choice. You can look for OEM replacements (ie Bosch) or aftermarket. Volvo friendly web strores like IPD and FCP Euro often show genuine Volvo, OEM (ie the factory that sells the part to Volvo) and afternarket (a third party who designs replacement parts at a better price point - although they may not match the fit or quality 2) my experience has been to replace when they fail - ie when you start getting a studder and a misfire code rather than to replace at say 100K miles just becaus its 100K miles. Most of the time you'll get a cylinder specific misfire code and you'll be good to go after replacing that one coil. Last time I needed a coil I was in a pinch and got one from Autozone (ie their "duralast" brand) and its worked fine ever since.

 

The other morning I was running a few errands around town when I noticed that my car was running rich, car was running fine though. Then all of a sudden I see smoke coming from my engine bay. I pull over, turn my vehicle off. Open the hood to see two of my ignition coils completely on fire. I have no clue what happened. I attached some photos.

 

I'd say now is a good time to replace the coil! The coil's output voltage is fairly high - on the order of 40kV so if the insulator develops a crack and there's a current path to the head, you basically have a baby arc welder under your hood :-)

You should inspect all the other coils as well for cracks - I'd give a visual then run the engine in a dark garage to see if you can see any arcing.

 

About four or five years ago, I bought a set of Delphi coils The set of five was about $150. I've had no problems.