gwilliams6

I don't have two similar dyno tests that you require. All I have are faster zero to sixty times and faster times I got around some country roads I like to play in near NJMP I have taken occasional mileage logs on successive long trips, hwy mpg from NJ to SC. Similar times of years. similar weather , traffic and speed, and mileage around my home in Southern NJ. My early mileage with new stock oem coils (with a fully broken in Renesis) and my mileage with the new BHR coils and wires is at least two mpg different. I'll let you guess which coils and wires I got better mileage with. But I don't expect you to believe this either, that's fine with me.

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

This is the first time in the entire discussion that you have put any numbers to any of the claims. That's all we have been referring to. Everyone makes claims, but then doesn't put a single number to it, much less comparative numbers.

Do I believe that the BHR coils are worth 2mpg over OEM coils? No, not really. I haven't heard of BHR ignition swaps pushing people up to be able to get 26mpg on the highway, and I know I could regularly get 24mpg on OEM coils.

Do I believe you that you experienced a gain of 2 mpg? Yes. Do I attribute it entirely to the coils? No. Because unless you are now getting 26mpg, you are still entirely within the range of OEM coils. Installing the kit fixed something that was wrong.

rotarywanker

I strongly doubt that a functioning stock coil produces a spark that is insufficient for combustion in any way. It would be very silly for Mazda to spend so much R&D $ on the renesis motor and then ruin it all by having weak spoils and/or plugs in the wrong heat range. That's like building a new mansion then spray painting it.

And it's very, very challenging to feel a couple more pounds of torque by the seat of the pants. So unless these coils are making 15+ hp more that new OEM coils, I have trouble believing that there could be a 'significant' difference in power. But spending money on stuff does tend to make people want to believe the power is there. Just like the folks who swear their motors are more responsive after dropping in a K&N panel filter.

And nobody is naysaying the BHR coils - I fully expect/believe that they are the absolute best coil system you can put on an RX-8. I just don't want to spend $500 for the convenience they offer (i.e. not having to replace coils ever again).

bueshy

after spending countless hours on researching to decide to buy bhr kit or go with oem, it is somewhat annoying that almost every topic comes to this. its your car, do what you want with it. if you dont agree then cool. but we are just wanting info so that we can make an educated purchase and do what we feel is best for us and our vehicles

sorry for the rant but ive spent too long reading the pissing contests between who thinks they are right. if you got facts then prove it

climacus

One of my MotorKing coil just failed at 6000 miles. I bought another set on EBay and threw on some old OEM Mazda coils in the meantime.

Anyhow I have just received my new ghetto coils and decided to experiment a little to see how the other 3 coils are doing. I can confirm that there is a very noticeable drop off in performance on all of them. My OEM Mazda coils are just starting to drop off at 20000 miles, so we are talking about 1/3 the life at 1/3 the price.

Still holding out hope that I will win the lottery in the next 6000 miles and not have to swap them out again.

EpikYummeh

That's just it. If you don't care about performance and just want something that works, then buy OEM coils every 30k for the rest of your time as an 8 owner.

If you don't want to replace the coils every 30k and want a little more out of your car but are willing to spend a little more, the BHR coils are hands down the best ignition upgrade system for the RX-8 as RIWWP said.

So in the end there is no "better" system; they both have their ups and downs, and you have to choose which ups you want and which downs you're willing to deal with that come with the ups.

To put it simply: neither one is "better" than the other; it's your choice. You've heard the arguments for both BHR and OEM coils, and it's time for you to draw your own conclusion.

hoosier8

Looking to replace my coils/plugs/wires. I think the OEM coils are a weak link in the system.

This may not be the problem but when it gets above 90 degrees outside and I hammer it, it starts cutting out at high RPM. Below 90 degrees I don't have a problem. It got so bad once that it quit and I could not start it until it cooled and the dealer had to burn the carbon out twice before it ran normal. I am convinced it was the coils contributing to the problem. Now when it is above 90 out, I just drive more gently and have not had it cut out, which is no fun.

The problem with the current design also is the flame front reaching the sides. The new design Mazda discusses is a larger but narrower rotor. A hotter spark has to help with that. That is probably where you pick up your mileage.

I now have 32K on my 06 and it does not feel as smooth reving through the range as it used to so it is time to replace. I don't trust the 20-30k coils so I want to save up for the BHR set which looks like a winner to me.

bishop1950

I just installed those from Advance Auto I am pleased !!

gwilliams6

Go BHR and say goodbye to any coil worries for the life of your RX8.

climacus

A quick update. One of the MotorKing coil had died after 1500 miles. So here is my verdict: Don't waste your time on these Chinese garbage. If you must do it on the cheap, use 2x OEM Mazda coils for the leading plugs, and 2x knock-off coils for the trailing. Plan on replacing the trailing coils continuously, and a destroyed catalytic converter much sooner.

Gravey

iTrader: (3)

^How much does a replacement cat cost?

How much does the BHR ignition cost?

Why not just go with that in the first place?

gwilliams6

Go with the BHR coils and wires and never worry about coils again for the life of your car.

EpikYummeh

BHR Ignition is $500 for coils, $580 with coils and plugs. The best and cheapest cat you can buy would probably be the BHR resonated midpipe for $575. The OEM cat will run you anywhere from $1300 (quoted to me from my mechanic) to $2100 (heard from some on this forum).

Steve Dallas

Agreed on all counts. The endless bickering is mind numbing when reading older threads searching for answers. It amounts to nothing more than wasted time in the end.

I am happy with my BHR setup. I went this direction, because I found a wet trailing plug at around 20K miles. There is no telling how long that coil was bad without my knowing about it. Using OEM or other replacement coils would set me up for a repeat performance. The BHR system removes all the guess work and lets me focus on other parts of the car.

gwilliams6

Just FYI- From BHR homepage about their RX8 coils. They don't need my help in selling these, countless RX8 owners have bought them and happily love them, and never looked at another brand of RX8 coil again.


"It is widely known that the ignition coils on the Mazda RX-8 are weak and suffer from reliability issues, even on unmodified engines, as early as 30,000 miles and weak ignition coils eventually result in failure of the exhaust catalyst and/or long-term engine damage. With forced induction, nitrous oxide use, or any kind of track racing you need to have an ignition system that is more reliable and with higher voltage/current output than the OEM system.

The Black Halo Racing Ignition system is designed for purposes of improving the reliability and drivability of the RX8 as well as a modest but noticeable increase in power. This ignition upgrade is NOT designed to resolve problems with your engine/car as a result of mechanical failure, so please be sure your engine is mechanically in proper operating condition before purchasing.

This ignition system is likely the most popular product ever offered for the Mazda RX-8 and it's popularity continues to rise...... probably because this is the ONLY ignition system for the Mazda RX-8 which retains over 80% of it's value in the resale market! Do not be misled by imitation/"copycat" systems other retailers may try to sell you as many of them do not include everything needed for a proper installation.

Typical benefits reported by those whom have purchased this kit are quicker start-ups, better throttle response, more midrange torque, smoother engine sound/operation above 7,000 RPMs, and no more misfires. All this applies to power-adder (nitrous or F/I) applications, as well, and all models of the Mazda RX-8.

The Black Halo Racing Ignition System addresses these concerns in a very simple manner. The coil conversion wiring harness allows a true "plug-and-play" installation that doesn't require you to cut, splice, or otherwise alter any wiring in your RX8. The ignition coils used emit more current and voltage than the RX-8/OEM ignition coils and provide much longer life over the stock and most aftermarket systems. They are used in many racing applications, rival any coil in the aftermarket, and this system renders any additional/external ignition hardware unnecessary. The kit mounts in the exact same location as the OEM coils and fits all models/years of the RX-8. Do not wait until problems arise before making improvements to your ignition system.

The pre-assembled kit contains a baseplate, coil brackets, ignition coils, a plug-and-play conversion harness, and custom-built MSD or Moroso spark plug wires. It also includes a 3-year warranty on all parts, materials, and workmanship.

NGK Iridium/OEM spark plugs and/or anodized bracket finishes are available options.



International orders, please add 6-10 days for delivery and please contact Charles@BlackHaloRacing.com directly to place your international order. We will send you the tracking/customs information when your kit ships out to you.
9
Black Halo Racing Ignition System

Black Halo Racing Ignition System
Black Halo Racing Ignition System
Black Halo Racing Ignition System
Black Halo Racing Ignition System
Black Halo Racing Ignition System"

39 Reviews

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David Mills
David Mills

ignition system review
BHR did a great job with this system. It looks great, it has a very solid build, and all the wires are perfect. The shipping was very quick, it was packaged nicely and a had small surprise in the box.
I did have to contact customer service on some technical issues, and they were very quick to respond!!
I would definitely buy from BHR again.

2013-01-02
0
5

Matthew Long
Matthew Long

Must have.
Idles smoother, more high end power, and increased my gas mileage.

And more reviews from happy RX8 owners followed: Too many to copy here.

RIWWP's quote from his own post about ignition coil choices for the RX8:
"- The Best Upgrade: The BHR ignition coil upgrade can be had for around $500, which eliminates the need to continue replacing coils periodically, as well as deliverying a significantly stronger spark for minor mileage and power gains. It is a proven kit with top notch customer service supporting it. It includes the wires, you still need to add plugs ($80)"

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

100% agree. It's the same reason I don't advocate your kit to newbies on here for any power related solution, and don't recommend it with any power related 'advantage'. They need to fix the knowledge first, and worry about the actual numbers later. Just telling them to do something without helping them understand the why just sets them up for failure. And newbies have to want to learn the why, otherwise they just ignore the advice. So my personal preference is start them off with the basic knowledge set, and wait for them to start asking the deeper questions.


Good to know that you did do that quantifyable test. I'll redact that comment, though it won't change my perspective or intent, or that most gains people feel are simply that they had old coils, and now they don't.

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

Yes, they are.

rotarywanker

No one is doubting the 'efficacy' of your product. Everyone believes it works better than anything else available - in terms of proper function over a very long period of time. I wish I had your coils, just dont have the cash to make the conversion right now.

What people are doubting is whether the BHR coils make a noticeable, 'seat-of-the-pants' difference over a set of properly-functioning stock coils. Mind you, some people don't notice a seat-of-the-pants change after a tune which yields up to 10hp. So the threshold is actually fairly high.

So, to recap: Your coils are the best money can buy. I personally really want them, and most folks do - it's just a $ thing for us. I, however, doubt the swap would make my RX-8 feel faster than it does with its existing set of functioning coils. Different story once my coils start to fail, when there could be a big difference.

rotarywanker

Agree that Mazda screwed the pooch on the above issues. However, these are all related longer-term operation - things that are more difficult to test for during the R&D process and/or on the test bench.

Ignition tuning/calibration, however, has an immediate and noticeable effect and is thus easier to get right. Engineers get real time feedback on the dyno, just as they do tuning other ECU-related parameters. So it would be hard for me to believe that Mazda, given the importance of HP figures in marketing a sports car, would just leave a significant amount of power on the table by selecting an incompatible ignition coil for production. This kind of thing is the 'low hanging fruit' in the R&D process, which they spend many years and many millions of dollars on.

gwilliams6

Having tried about every ignition upgrade for RXs over 42yrs, seven rotaries, and over a million rotary miles, I don't think anyone here in this discussion is saying Mazda made an "Incompatible" coil for their RX8. What people are saying is that the Mazda developed OEM coils work fine for a certain amount of use and/or mileage and will degrade and need to be replaced. The risks to your rotary engine and your cat of a degrading ignition system are real enough that there was a great need for a longer-lasting high quality alternative. That is simply what the BHR kit is, and thanks go to Charles for its development, testing and production.

Often aftermarket products just suck, and take your money for no real benefit or even do harm to your vehicle. But history has shown that great advances over OEM parts have been made by independent engineers and companies.

This is the basis of the formation and long success of rotary specialists like Racing Beat who have been turning out great products for street and race rotaries for decades from the beginning of the rotary. Others have followed including Pettit Racing, BHR and others.

Yes sometimes the small independent person working hard on a problem or need will come up with a solution or advance instead of a big company of engineers. The advances made will often help spark the big boys to improve their OEM products : example -the improved "C" coils Mazda has made. We all benefit from this in the long run. I love Mazdas, have owned ten of them including the seven rotaries, but I also have found aftermarket products that at times were improvements on the OEM ignition systems in these cars. Mazda has great engineers, but great engineers and innovators ,sometimes with a better idea or product for your RX8 , do exist outside of Mazda. Just search this forum on almost any issue and you will find someone who has solved a problem or improved on a weakness in our beloved cars.

rotarywanker

x2. BHR coils = the best and a great investment if you have the cash, no doubt. But won't produce noticeable power over a functioning set of OEM coils.

gwilliams6

You will get a slight hp and mileage bump with the BHR vs a new set of OEM coils. It will be noticeable if you really know your healthy car well and pay very close attention to its daily performance, about one or two more hp is possible on a healthy engine, more torque , and one or two more mpg, again on a healthy car. . You can naysay this if you want , that is ok with us all. And Charles is too smart to make this hp claim in writing, unlike some aftermarket folks who exaggerate performance.