The tow truck dropped off a 2012 Chrysler 200 with 87,000 miles last Tuesday, and the owner was already talking about trade-in value. The car had been stumbling for two weeks, throwing a P0302 code, and two different shops had already sold him spark plugs, a fuel injector, and a throttle body cleaning. The misfire only got worse.
That’s the pattern we see constantly with the Chrysler 2.4L World Engine. When the code says cylinder 2, most techs start throwing parts at it. But the real culprit is almost always the ignition coil — specifically the original-equipment coil that Chrysler used across the 200, Sebring, and Avenger platform from 2007 through 2014. The OE unit is known for internal shorting at around 60,000 to 80,000 miles, especially in hot climates.
Diagnosis: Don’t Trust the Spark Plug Gap
Before we even touched the Chrysler, we did a quick coil swap test. Moved the coil from cylinder 2 to cylinder 4, cleared the code, and within 15 minutes the misfire followed the coil. Textbook failed coil — not the plug, not the injector, not a vacuum leak. The previous shops had missed this because they relied on the code alone instead of doing an old-school swap test.
The fix was straightforward: replace all four coils while we were in there. The owner balked at the price of OEM units, and honestly, he was right to. At $85 to $110 per coil from the dealer, he was looking at nearly $400 in parts alone for a car worth maybe $3,500.
The OS1281 Solution
That’s when we pulled up the OS1281 | OSRAM Ignition Coil | Fits Chrysler | OE# 04606824AB 04606824AC from our supplier. The OSRAM unit is a direct replacement for the OE part number 04606824AB and 04606824AC. It’s a fraction of the dealer price, and the build quality is actually better than the original — the epoxy-filled housing is more resistant to the heat soak that kills these coils.
The install took about 40 minutes. Pull the intake manifold cover, disconnect the electrical connectors, pop out the three 10mm bolts on each coil, and they lift right out. The OSRAM OS1281 fit perfectly — no modification needed, same bracket alignment, same connector latch. We replaced all four, cleared the codes, and took it for a 20-minute test drive including highway and stop-and-go.
Key Specs:
- Part Number: OS1281
- Brand: OSRAM
- OE Cross-Reference: 04606824AB, 04606824AC
- Type: Pencil-style ignition coil (no plug wire)
- Fitment: 2011-2014 Chrysler 200 (2.4L)
- Includes: Coil only — use original mounting bolts
Before and After
Before the swap, the car was shaking at idle, had a noticeable stumble under light throttle, and was averaging 24 mpg on the highway. After the coil replacement, the idle smoothed out completely, throttle response felt sharper, and the owner reported 29 mpg on his next fill-up. He drove the car to Florida and back last week — no codes, no hesitation, no drama.
Pro Tip: Don’t replace just one coil on these engines. When one fails, the others aren’t far behind. The labor is the same whether you do one or all four, and the OS1281 is cheap enough that doing the full set is just common sense.
The Takeaway
If you’re working on a Chrysler 200, Sebring, or Avenger with a misfire, skip the parts cannon and diagnose first. But when the coil test points to ignition, the OSRAM OS1281 is the part to reach for. The owner kept his car, saved about $250 versus dealer pricing, and got a better coil in the bargain. That’s a win for everyone — except the scrapyard.
Recommended Part: OS1281 – OE-grade replacement, in stock now.
