The ignition coil is an important element as it helps you start up the engine and is one of the advanced and safest methods used for engine handling and management.
Almost all the latest model vehicles and machines have an integrated ignition coil system to run the engine.
Although the task of the ignition coil seems to be simple, it is much more important that the coil remains in good condition and should be working perfectly.
A small fault or damage in the ignition coil will directly hit the overall performance and efficiency of a machine.
In order to keep an engine of a product to keep functioning as it should be, it is required that the ignition coil is in good condition.
The condition of an ignition coil can be determined by a test carried out with a multimeter; by testing, you can specify whether an ignition coil is working properly or not.
You may be thinking that working with a multimeter and internal engine coils is the job of a technician, and you cannot do that, but it is not the case.
To your surprise, you can test a small engine ignition coil with a multimeter yourself in a couple of minutes by just following a few steps.
To make sure that you know the steps and to make you aware of the procedure, here we are with a comprehensive article guiding you through the process of testing a small engine ignition coil with a multimeter.
Thoroughly read out the article, and in the end, you will be able to do it without any problems.
Testing an Ignition Coil with Multimeter
Without wasting any time, we are going to talk about the main topic of how to test a small engine ignition coil with a multimeter. The procedure is not difficult at all, and you will see it yourself as you go through the steps below.
- Step 1: No matter what kind of repairing or replacement you are going to perform, make sure that you have the appropriate tools required for the job. In this case, we are going to have a need of a Multimeter, safety gloves, wrench, and other basic handful tools.
- Step 2: Whenever you are going to work with any product, it is recommended that you browse through the owner’s manual. Whether you are going to work with a lawn mower or any other vehicle, besides knowing the particular readings, the manual will help in locating the ignition coil.
- Step 3: Safety and protection are important, do not ever forget to wear appropriate safety gear and take preventive measures, also highlighted in the products manual.
- Step 4: Now, you need to locate the ignition coil; the place of it can vary depending on the model and type of product. You may take help from a manual if you are facing difficulty in locating it. The coils may have been covered, so you may need to remove a cover in order to inspect the coils.
- Step 5: Once you have found out the ignition coil, you need to separate it from the cable assembly so that you can test them accordingly.
- Step 6: The ignition coil has two circuits, and both of the circuits should be tested to know if it is working properly or not.
Testing Primary Ignition Circuit
In the primary circuit, you have to connect the terminals of an ignition coil to the terminals of the multimeter, respectively, i.e., the positive terminal of a coil should be combined with a positive console of a multimeter, and the same goes with the negative lead.
As you connect it, the multimeter will show you the reading of the resistance range. Make sure that your multimeter is set to check the resistance.
If the reading shows you zero, it means that you need to change the ignition wire immediately, and if it shows the reading more or less than the specified level that you can see in the manual, it also certifies that you should change the coil.
Usually, the primary resistance of an ignition coil is said to be in between 0.4 and 2 ohms, but for enhanced accuracy, you can check the readings of a particular product from the manual.
Testing Secondary Ignition Circuit
In secondary circuit testing of an ignition coil, you have to connect the positive end of a coil to the multimeter and to the high output terminal linked with the spark plug.
Once connected, the meter will show you the reading, and same as in the above section, you need to check the limits from the manual if you are not sure about it.
If there is more than one ignition coil in your device, do check them all and replace the faulty ones, put them bac in the engine, and you are good to go.
Why Should You Check The Ignition Coil?
Any device or the machine you have got, it will run smoothly as long as the engine and the other internal components are in the perfect state.
As far as the ignition coil is concerned, if it does not work well, it can cause serious damage to the engine, and as a result, the performance and efficiency will decrease rapidly.
So to keep your device running proficiently, you need to make sure that the ignition coil is in good form, and testing can help you in deciding whether you need to replace it or not.
When Should You Check The Ignition Coil?
Though there is not a specific time to test the ignition coil, rather you should test it as soon as you get any signal.
If an ignition coil does not work fine, the engine will face difficulty in starting up, loss in power, drop-in fuel mileage, misfires, and declining overall performance and functionality.
As soon as you notice anything of it, you should be testing the ignition coil, and using a multimeter is the best and quickest way to do it.