An engine's ignition system is responsible for igniting the fuel-air mixture inside the combustion chamber and when the ignition process stops the engine will not run. Testing for spark is an easy process, there are a few things you should know before beginning which we have described in the following guide and video. This test will help you determine if the entire ignition system is down or if a particular cylinder is not working. If you have any ignition spark questions please ask the 2CarPros community for help.
Let's Jump In!
If the engine is not running choose the easiest spark plug wire or ignition coil
to remove, or if you have a cylinder that is not producing power this guide will
work. Here we have removed the ignition coil of the #2 cylinder and exposed the
output terminal which connects to the
spark plug.
Use a piece of wire that has a small piece of the insulation removed on both
ends, attach one side of the wire to a good ground source, either on the engine
or to the negative side of the battery.
Using a clamp, position the exposed wire end away from the coil output terminal
creating an air gap about the width of a pencil. This shows the coil output connector
easily exposed, if that is not the case for your application simply bend the wire
down into the coil or spark plug wire boot while retaining the air gap.
In this next image we have turned the lights off so you can see the ignition
spark more clearly. Before you test for spark keep your fingers away from the wire
and output terminal to avoid accidently getting zapped, (this is not enough to cause
bodily harm, but it can sting a little). Crank the engine over and observe the air
gap, there should be a visible spark if the ignition system is working. If the engine
is
running and you are checking a cylinder misfire or to see if the coil is working
it's okay to allow the engine to run, again stand clear of the engine for this test.
Watch the Video!
Please watch this video of the job being done, then continue with your ignition system test guide to glean additional helpful information.
Questions?
If you have a car repair question, you can ask the 2CarPros community for help. We hope this guide helped you understand the repair. Please visit our 2CarPros YouTube channel for more helpful repair videos.