How to test your coils (a how to)

[hmmmnz]

after jamie requesting the info last night, i thought it might be a good topic, as lots of people get "check your coils" as an answer to a question, and just don't know. i'll try and be concise and leave every thing else from the ignition system out.

tools required. 1 x multi meter with the ability to read ohms and kilo ohms

right coils come in a few different set ups
1st. 1 coil to 1 spark plug
https://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g257/hmmmnz/coil.jpg
2 . 1 coil to 2 spark plugs
3. 2 coils inside 1 housing to 2 spark plugs
https://i58.photobucket.com/albums/g257/hmmmnz/coil2.jpg

ok basics of a coil are, that it is essentially a transformer, converting your 12v into 20 or 30 thousand volts (but with a very small current)

the parts of the coil that you need to worry about are
the primary winding, the secondary winding, and the termanals.

testing the primary circuit.

place your multi meter probes on each terminal (switch meter to ohms)
your should get somewhere between 2 and 6ohms depending on the coil.

testing the secondary circuit..

for this you need to either remove the ht lead from the coil or remove the cap from the ht lead (as the cap has a resistor of about 10kohm for noise suppression) and will give you false results,
once thats done, put your meter onto k-ohms

for a single coil 1 plug. place one probe on a terminal and the other in the hole where the ht lead was screwed and in the end of the exposed ht lead.

for a single coil 2 spark plug. place one probe in each of the ht holes or in the end of each exposed ht lead,

for the twin coil 4 plug its the same as the single coil 2 plug, but you have to use the 1 and 3rd ht leads and the 2nd and 4th

the results for the test should end up between 20000 (20k-ohm) and 35000 (35k-ohm)

if you get no resistance your coil has shorted out, if you get a 0.L or a result in the M-ohms then your coil has a break in the winding and is buggered.

thats it, have fun
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