So, it just quit. Sitting there at the light. It's happened before but it was the screw from the rotor that backed out. This time when i took the cap off the end of the coil where it connects to the cap looked like the end of a cigar. It all came apart in ashes. Does a Coil just go bad? Is there something that contributes to it and can be prevented? I've heard that if you have a bad plug wire, it can cause enough strain on the coil that it burns out. Any input would be appreciated. Lew

 

Sounds like it could have been working way to hard trying to provide excessive power through other worn components.
Might also be that it sustained damage somehow and was arcing until it ultimately failed.

When they go bad, they just go bad. There is no warning.
The coil is just a continuous loop of wire so when that wire breaks somewhere, the fun ends.