Safari Stalling Issues Point to Bad Ignition Coil

Had a similar issue with a 2001 Safari. As someone with low experience working on cars, these symptoms immediately caught my attention since they matched what I dealt with. The engine hesitation and stalling were exactly what I experienced. My vehicle diagnostics revealed similar symptoms, rough running, stalling at idle, and jerking during acceleration. After taking it to a workshop, they found the root cause was a loose connection between the ignition coil and its wiring harness. The cable connection had worked itself loose over time, causing intermittent misfires. The total repair cost was 95 Euro, which covered testing, repairs and labor. The mechanic cleaned the connections and secured them properly, which completely resolved the engine stalling and hesitation issues. Before offering more specific advice, could you share: Have you had any diagnostic codes read from the check engine light? Does the problem get worse when the engine is hot? Are these symptoms constant or do they come and go? Have you noticed any changes in fuel consumption? These details would help determine if your issue matches what I experienced or if it might be something different.

My last service was at 120000 KM and included standard maintenance items. The engine hesitation issue started showing up recently. After reading what you wrote, I have now checked the error codes with a scanner. Getting P0303 which points to cylinder 3 misfire. The symptoms definitely get worse when the engine heats up, and fuel consumption has increased by about 15%. The check engine light stays on constantly now. Will check the ignition coil connections first based on your experience, but might also do a spark plug inspection since they have not been changed in a while. Thanks for sharing those diagnostic questions, they really helped narrow things down.

Thanks for those additional details. The P0303 code on your Safari matches what I experienced, though in my case it was initially intermittent before becoming constant. The increased fuel consumption and heat-related symptoms are also very similar patterns. Given the mileage and that the spark plugs havent been changed recently, I would strongly suggest replacing both the coil pack and spark plugs for cylinder 3. In my case, after the loose connection fix, the problem actually returned a few months later. It turned out the ignition coil itself had degraded, and the connection issue was just masking the bigger problem. The full fix for me involved: Replacing the coil pack (180 Euro), New spark plugs for all cylinders (120 Euro), Testing the ignition system (50 Euro) The engine hesitation disappeared completely after this more comprehensive fix. The check engine light also stayed off, and my fuel consumption returned to normal. These ignition system components are wear items, and at your mileage, its often more cost-effective to replace them together rather than chase intermittent issues. Would recommend having a shop perform a complete ignition system diagnostic before replacing parts, though, as this will confirm if there are any other underlying issues to address.

Thanks everyone for the detailed feedback. The vehicle diagnostics information was especially helpful. I went ahead and had both checks done, first inspected the ignition coil connections which were actually fine, then had a complete spark plug inspection. Turns out I needed both the coil pack and plugs replaced on cylinder 3 just as suggested. Total repair costs came to 340 Euro including: New ignition coil, Complete set of spark plugs, Labor and testing The engine hesitation and rough running is completely gone now. The check engine light turned off right after the repair and has stayed off. Fuel consumption is back to normal too. Really glad I checked both components since it saved me from having to go back for a second repair. Will definitely keep a closer eye on maintenance intervals for these ignition system parts going forward.