[bmk232]

Went to change my ignition coils. Pretty sure they were bright white when I first installed. Two of them are almost orange now. Is this from oil getting into the spark plug wells, or from overheating? (Water pump recently failed... drove it about 2 miles after several stops to let the car cool down)

A few of the wells had oil in them from the leaky VCG/valvetronic gasket.

The ignition coils probably have around 110-120k miles on them.

Photos:

View post on imgur.com

[whyzee125]

It could be either, are those Bosch coils? AFAIK those are the only ones that aren't black. Mine were gray and yellowed slightly during my ownership.

I wouldn't worry about it if they're firing correctly. Timing chain guides always look brown/orange but they don't start out that color. Heat cycles and oil exposure turn them that color but it doens't affect their integrity

[mainbearing]

Maybe temperature and oxidation, or engine oil like it does to internal engine parts.

Bosch coils on Rock Auto carry lifetime warranty for about $20 each plus shipping.