How to test a Condenser or Capacitor

[@orman3511]

Good simple explanation and vid. I will make one comment which is about changing condensers each time you change points. As VW beetle owner I can testify the days of tossing a good, old one are over. They no longer make decent condensers. They fail frequently with minimal use. If you have a good old one, keep it. Buying a new (especially Bosch) condenser is like rolling the dice

[@davekennedy52]

Thanks Orman, I drove a Beetle for many many years and both condensers and points never failed. These days I change them once a year.

[@arnoldgregory1634]

I am retired now so I scaled my activies break. I have learned a great.deal in the last few weeks. I was a diesel mechanic for 20 years.thanks for posting it helps a great deal

[@davekennedy52]

Thanks for watching Arnold, with your experience as a diesel mechanic I'm sure that you have many projects planned, so enjoy your retirement!

[@km-gi4lw]

Had an 850 British Leyland Mini in 1970 going on a very long trip North and after half way pulled into a wrecking / recycler yard and said everything had been checked and it was still misfiring. he listened for a minute and oh that's a condenser. He charged me 50 cents (believe it or not) and that was the end of the condenser problem. It's like a ballast in a Fluro Light, acting as a current limiter for the high voltage, that's my limited explanation of it. Thanks for the good clear video.

[@davekennedy52]

Thank you KM, its probably the most overlooked part of the electrical system and so important for smooth running. Thanks for the story and I'm sure you wish you still had your car. They were really an icon of that time.

[@snhongo1]

Thank you very much for the explanation on how the condenser is connected when its in the car ,I understood the diagram much easier , I never really knew exactly what was going on there.

[@davekennedy52]

You're very welcome snhongo, glad you enjoyed the video

[@Rnm1hart]

You had some questions on the bad capacitor when it did not go above 4 OHMS. The Condenser was partially shorted out. Checking the Condenser: 1)Turn meter to 20 Ohms. 2)Put negative lead two wire coming out of the Condenser. 3)While watching the meter put the positive lead to the casing. IF the Meter reads /5M Ohms 10M Ohms 15M Ohms 20M Ohms = Good “Yay woo “ IF the Meter reads / 5M Ohms, then 20M Ohms or straight to 20M Ohms = BAD low Dielectric. IF the Meter does not go above 12M ohms = BAD partial short. IF the Meter does not change from 0 ohms = BAD 100% Shorted

[@davekennedy52]

Great info Robert, thanks a lot!

[@Rnm1hart]

@@davekennedy52 I saw 11 months ago you retested it without touching the case with your hand. and it checked good. I have done that mistake Many many many years ago. lol.

[@davekennedy52]

@@Rnm1hart at the time I didn't realize but I won't do it again (like you said)

[@Rnm1hart]

A hint from your Uncle AL. If you ever have an engine with points cut out at about 2500rmp check to make sure. That the vacuum advance is not moving the points so far that it has broken the ground strap from the points. then when the RPMS go down that it meshes together to make a good ground. Acts like a rev limiter.

[@davekennedy52]

@@Rnm1hart Interesting! Just put in a new vacuum advance to my Renault 4 (there's a video on my page) Thanks Uncle Al:))

[@irfaanxlcr8370]

Thanks for your detailed explanation and video. I'm having a problem with my 1978 Honda cb125s . I needed to know how to check the condenser and you just showed me how. Thanks once again. Very good . Have a nice day.

[@davekennedy52]

You're welcome Irfaan, glad it helped you, I had a good teacher who showed me

[@irfaanxlcr8370]

@Trav Excellent! You learnt to ride on it? What's your Ride now?

[@Couchman26]

Exactly why I'm here!

[@JR-bj3uf]

Back in the old days we used to replace points and condenser because they came in a set but the truth is condensers hardly ever went bad. The condenser is there to act as a voltage shock absorber or to keep the the current from surging or coasting across the points gap. Symptoms of a bad condenser are a bright flash at the points or pitted and burned points. Most of the reason to change the points was due to deterioration and wear on the rubbing block against the can.

[@davekennedy52]

Thanks JR, I still change points and condenser at the same time, I've always done it. These days I'm told that the condensers are junk, but I've never experienced any noticeable problems. Thanks for the info and for watching

[@JR-bj3uf]

@@davekennedy52 No, thank you for the testing information and a well made video.

[@frankdavidson9675]

you almost got it right but i slite error the voltage goes thru the condenser to gd if it the right value in mfd.s if its wrong value cond. it will jump across thr open points to gd there by pitting them over time --a good condenser passes all voltage thru it.

[@frankdavidson9675]

wrong value of condenser or a defective one will cause points to pit that circuit is called a series resonant circuit the mfd value must match the coil for max spark ==ohms law --- I=E?R the R value must be zero this is obtained by this------the coil has reluctance aform of res the condenser res is reactance they cancell each other to obtain the zero for max spark all the points does is open and close the gd leads of coil and cond if points are piting change the condenser clean the points

[@modrarua4594]

@@frankdavidson9675 Condensers rarely have the mfd value stamped on them

[@Swampwild1]

Thanks . You didn’t point out a bad one. Also the explanation of the electric flow I think isn’t how most other old engines work. Strange about going back from condenser to coil.

[@davekennedy52]

Yes, it's strange that all 6 of my condensers were still good. If the reading starts off immediately high then the condenser is bad. Didn't want to dwell too much on the electrics as I'm not really an expert. Nice to know if a condenser is good or bad so that I can rule that out of the equation if I have a problem

[@frankdavidson9675]

let me trace that circuit for you turn on the key voltage applied to coilthere is no current flow at this timeonce you start the turning it open the points lifting the gd off the wire going into condenserthru condenser can to gd that current flowing thru that coil creates a magnet effect into the large winding stepping the voltage up thounsands of volts wicch flows to dist.cap to rotor in side to a spark plug as soon as points close it all stops then as the points open it all starts anew ------so if you have a defective condenser part of this voltage can not get thru the condenser so the only gd available is thru the open point so it jumps across that tiny gap that iswhy points get pitted over time ---bad condenser hope the helps some one

[@frankdavidson9675]

dis reguard any test with ohmmeter on condensers not valid

[@frankdavidson9675]

read my comment below

[@nikkoharding2702]

@@davekennedy52 hey brother, I've got a wild question for you so I had two blown head gaskets in my 67 Ford Thunderbird I replaced said head gaskets/ all gaskets around(intake/valve cover/manifold/head.) however upon trying to start the car again I have no ignition, I bought and tested a brand new ignition coil, new points, new battery, new alternator, new starting solenoid brand new wire leads brand new spark plugs brand new rotary cap no deposits on the cap or on the points, It also not the neutral safety switch. I pulled one of the spark plugs to check to see if they were getting spark they are. And I also made sure my engine was top dead center upon putting the distributor back in. I'm literally driving myself crazy because I can't figure this out and I'm trying to head to the military with my car and it's not going to happen if I can't get it to fire over. Anyone else feel free to jump in on this because I'm at my wits end I sent this car to a shop prior and they totally screwed a lot of stuff up I got everything fixed that they screwed up and it was running but I don't want to send it back to another shop justto have to fix everything again.

[@robertsapp7678]

Nice, simple explanation! Thanks for taking the time to make the video, saving me time!

[@davekennedy52]

thanks Robert and its my pleasure, glad you enjoyed it

[@ralphharris3942]

Excellent demo, straight to the point yet explaining every aspect I would need to know.

[@davekennedy52]

Thanks Ralph, glad you found it useful

[@rickhjortsberg2711]

Excellent presentation on testing. Well done sir.

[@davekennedy52]

Very kind of you Eric, glad you enjoyed the video

[@vidvidbiker]

The condenser is not linked in anyway to the secondary coil winding or generating the spark from that winding. Its purpose is to act as a store for current when the points open. This reduces arching across the points and the points then burning out. Misfiring maybe caused by the points being pitted or burnt out (as this will impact on the timing). Burning out points maybe caused by a dodgy condenser or breakdown of the coil reducing resisting (which also causes arching at the points). Thanks for posting re how to test a condrnsor though!

[@davekennedy52]

Sounds like you know a whole lot more about ignition systems than I do, so thanks for the advice and info and thanks for watching

[@vidvidbiker]

@@davekennedy52 .... but I did not know how to test them and your video taught me that. KZbin at its finest - increasing knowledge. Thanks 😎.

[@davekennedy52]

@@vidvidbiker Well then we both learnt something! And you're very welcome:)

[@frankdavidson9675]

not exactly the condenser does not store any voltage the condenser has to match the coil electricly the come rated in mfd's what happen as the points open the gd is lifted offthe condenser lead allowing thevoltage to go thru the cond to gd the can is grounded with the small screw to the plate inthedist if t correct mfd value all voltage gets thru the condenser that voltagis flowing thru the primary winding creating a magnet effect in the secondary winding because of turn ratio the voltage is very high this going to the distribitora nd spark plug as an arc so if all the voltage can get thru the condenser because ofwrong mfd value it will jump the open points to gd. pitting the points over time so if you have pitting points you have bad or a wrong condenser i found a dated factory manual and bought it for mr truck to get 1953 part # for my points i crosed ref that # to days # found 2 matches bought them after install new condenser i tested my spark it went from 1/8 inch with old wrong condenser to 3/4 inch jump with new condenser problem solved i also replaced the pitted points . money well spent

[@frankdavidson9675]

whoa nellie the condenser and coil are conn that tiny screw screwed into the wire from the cond, and the from the coil and the points as the points open it lifts gd from this conn.allowing curent to flow into the primary winding and causing a magnetic effect in in primary winding with a high turns ratio it greates a very high voltage to the dist and plug wire as a spark for the plug with enf off conn ohm meter red lead to the screw coming from condenser conn black lead to gd. on a low ohm scale you can see agd reading now with your finger open the points watch the gd fall off that open and closing makes everthing work

[@cheewurz]

Sir...when doing those types of Tests with your Multimeter, try Not having One Hand Touching One Lead and the Other Hand Touching the Other Lead at the Same Time as the Meter may/will/can Read the Resistance through your Body and/or your Part being Tested giving you an Erroneous Reading...One/Either Hand is Okay. If your Meter Reads the Same when Neither Probes are Touching Anything or the Part being Tested...the Part is OPEN, sometimes that is what you want and sometimes it is not what you want...depends on the Part you are Testing -- for a Capacitor/Condenser it would be BAD/FAILED/NO GOOD. If your Meter Reads the Same when you touch Both Leads Together or the Part being Tested...the Part is SHORTED, sometimes that is what you want and sometimes it is not what you want...depends on the Part you are Testing -- for a Capacitor/Condenser it would be BAD/FAILED/NO GOOD. If you Test the Capacitor/Condenser with your Meter the Numbers on the Display should go UP and if you Reverse the Leads they should go DOWN -- that Capacitor/Condenser SHOULD be GOOD as it is Charging and Discharging. This NOT a 100% Test for Capacitors/Condensers though as this Test does not Check Internal Leakage, Resistance, etc. You would need Other Test Equipment. Condensers are Very Cheap, that's why most guys Replace the Condenser.

[@davekennedy52]

Hi Cheewurz, thanks for your comment. You're absolutely correct, quite a few people have told me the same. In the video, I think its the 3rd one that I tested where I touched the condenser. I only noticed it afterwards. Thanks again for all the information.

[@andrew353w]

Hi there! I think I'm the "A", who advised you about condensers on the Renault 4 Forum! When one tests condensers it's best to wear thin rubber gloves, as the moisture in one's fingers and hands cause current to leak & affect the meter readings. While testing the (I think) third one your fingers were on both the lead and the condenser body simultaneously, which may have caused you to condemn a condenser to an early grave!

[@davekennedy52]

So nice to hear from you again! Yes you are indeed the Andrew from the Renault 4 forum who advised me on the condenser. As you can see, its a very popular video, so thank you! Quite a few people have commented on that 3rd condenser and when I viewed the video again, I realised that I had touched it while testing. I went back later and re-tested and had a good reading so no harm done. Thanks again Andrew and for the advice on the gloves

[@fiffe7782]

Thanks for the vid. Would a bad consider cause the voltage after the consider to be lower than the voltage before the consider.

[@davekennedy52]

As far as I know, the condenser is like a battery, it stores the charge. A bad condenser can't keep the charge

[@peroduanippa]

Good vid and now I understand the incident @ at 4:15 which another youtuber pointed out, don't touch it with your hand. It also make me want a Renault 4.

[@davekennedy52]

Thanks Vucumpra, yes I didn't realize that I was actually earthing the condenser so I'm glad that someone helped me. They're really nice little cars; I have two of them, so easy to work on and I don't understand modern cars

[@allanmcelroy9840]

Do the leads on the meter matter? I was seeing both red (positive) and black (negative/ground) leads reversed when checking. One would be on the the wire lead and the other to ground and vise versa. Would that matter for current or draw reading?

[@davekennedy52]

Thanks or watching Allan, no the leads don't make any difference at all to the readings. Just don't touch your finger to the capacitor like I did by mistake.

[@frankdavidson9675]

how do you know what value condenser you changing the way to check if you have correct condenser your point will not pit if they are pitting you have wrong value condenser the come rated in microfarads as an ex. i have an m37 army trk spark was weak which i thought was ok till i read about this on line bought correct cond install it spark would jump 3/4 inch to eng block when tested with screw driver and eng running test yours to see what length you get take one lead off plug insert screwdriver run eng at idle if you are getting good jump 1/2 in or more you are ok

[@davekennedy52]

Thanks Frank, good point so first off, make sure your condenser is the one that is specified for your vehicle. If you take the old one off replace it with the same. The test for all condensers is the same as my video. The reading must start low and then increase to infinity. If it starts off high then the condenser is faulty.

[@dlc2724]

Will this keep the spark plugs from getting voltage?. Engine turns over no spark

[@davekennedy52]

Yes it will DLC, do this test to make sure the condenser is still good. If you have points in your distributer, make sure that they are good and gapped correctly. You can also take out the HT wire from the centre of the distributer, hold it near the engine block (1-2mm) and turn the motor over to check for spark and that current is coming from the coil to the distributer. Wear gloves to avoid a shock. Good luck!

[@robinwells8879]

You’re watching the meter’s calibrated test current charging the capacitor until it reaches capacity and stops taking further charge. The ramp up current should be smooth and take a long time indicating that the capacitor still holds its correct quantity of charge.👍

[@davekennedy52]

Thanks Robin, I had asked an auto electrician of many years exactly how to test a capacitor. All my capacitors reacted like this, even the new one which I had never used because it was incorrect for my car. Appreciate your comment--thank you

[@Tree-feller]

Thanks for posting your video, just what I needed to learn right now.

[@davekennedy52]

Thanks Eric, glad it helped:)

[@AaronRiegel]

Nice video. I always would just replace them without testing this is nice info

[@davekennedy52]

Hi Aaron, I also just replace them as they're not too expensive. And I always keep the old ones as you can see. And its nice to know how to test them in case there's a problem

[@twig3288]

4:15 Can you try that again without touching the casing with your hand?

[@davekennedy52]

thanks Twig, you're 100% right, it made all the difference and it's a good condenser.

[@dallasfett]

Thanks for the video. How do you know when you have a bad condenser? I have tested mine and I get nothing, I assume this could be a bad condenser. That said for some reason I do not have 20M on my multimeter, I have 200k.

[@davekennedy52]

you're welcome dallas, I speak under correction, but I think that if the resistance (ohms) is higher than the 200k then it won't register at all. Thats why you need 20M or even 200M. The reading should go from low to high and end at 1 which is infinity. If it starts off high then its a bad condenser

[@chuckmaddison2924]

A couple of other hints of poor capacitor. The motor may start but won't rev and the points if the negative has an excessive loss of metal, then the capacitor is low on capacitance. If it's Lucas, change every time and carry a spare. Best option fit electronic ignition.

[@davekennedy52]

Thanks Chuck, always good to get these tips and advice

[@jarnosaarinen4583]

You said your friend said put the black lead on the wire & red on the body! You did half that way & half the other way round!!

[@VincesEngines]

Handy tip to know ,thanks for showing

[@davekennedy52]

Thank you Vince, glad you enjoyed it

[@nathanbuck929]

Thanks. Would have helped to have one that was bad an see the results. Also would have liked to let the digital meter stablize before you stopped the testing.

[@davekennedy52]

Thanks Nathan, yes, its a pity that I didn't have a bad one! Even the 3rd one in the video turned out to be good. Just had a bad reading cos my finger was touching the terminal. The reading rises until about 18 and then stabilises at "1" (one) which is infinity and is the final reading

[@randytravis3998]

@@davekennedy52 I was going to say your finger might have messed up that 1 test good catch another thing is I touch the wire to the body before I do anything with them they could have a charge in them ,, a friend had a power box that would be a power unit to test a car hot box would give the power for spark and it would charge the condenser would toss them at people and if they touched the wire and the body of it would get a bit of a zap .. so I check them before testing ..

[@davekennedy52]

@@randytravis3998 Yes I did mess up with my finger touching, didn't even realise it until later. Thanks for the warning, I've been zapped a few times from my car especially when adjusting the distributer timing with the engine running

[@revolution3797]

Since my multimeter doesn't work brand new out of the box read zero no matter what I do. I have a test light I have a four cylinder zxb Hercules generator. I may just have a couple wires backwards for the most point it's wired correctly because I figured that part out. I have power going to my coil test light reads on and off with the toggle switch with everything hooked together with the distributor and the coil when I rub the negative battery terminal slightly with the spark tester in between the spark plug and wire you can see it sparking. Yeah when I plugged the battery and and I try to start the engine I have no spark. I'm not sure if it's supposed to be reading with the light turned on the test light or not because it's stored power I'm assuming that's why the test light turns on but is your little condenser supposed to have power? So you got your battery plugged in your test light is going on and off with the toggle switch so you're getting power to the coil to the spark plugs not the distributor. When you put the test lead on the condenser test light lights up is that normal?

[@davekennedy52]

The little condenser can carry a charge of about 20 000 volts. It needs that charge to be able to jump the gap at the points in the distributer. So then the condenser is discharged and its empty of all charge. Then the points close and current starts to flow again. As soon as the points start to open the current is cut and the charge starts to build up in the condenser again. Take the thick HT lead (the one that goes from the coil to the distributer) and pull it out from the centre of the distributer. Then hold it 1mm from the engine block (use thick gloves) and crank the engine. You should see a spark. If you do that means that your coil and the HT lead are good. Presumably you have a fully charged 12Volt battery which should be reading at least 13 Volts. If your contact points in your distributer are worn or not gapped correctly or your ignition timing is out that could also be the problem. Sorry I can't be of more help but good luck!

[@MrGigi-dz9cv]

What about small condensers ?

[@davekennedy52]

it will be the same process. If you have one with 2 wires sticking out, one will be negative and the other one will be positive. Put your multimeter red lead on the positive and the black lead on the negative

[@frankdavidson9675]

capacitors do not store voltage when used in an eng distribtor they have to match the primary coil that is called a series resonant circuit -----you have to satisfy ohms law i=e/r this happens when you install correct capactior to match he coil====== max spark

[@Mickey_Bauer]

Wow is that a Renault 4? Haven't seen one since childhood...

[@davekennedy52]

Yes it is! I have 2 of them and still going strong

[@anthonyearnst9376]

Very helpful! Thank you for your video!!

[@davekennedy52]

Glad you enjoyed it Anthony, and thank you for watching!

[@henryhill3778]

or it simply won't start/no spark. Have had that with a bad one.

[@davekennedy52]

me too, there really are some junk ones out there these days

[@schlomoshekelstein908]

@@davekennedy52 i'm getting spark when I hold the spark plug in my hand but if i set it on the head and try to watch for spark I'm not seeing anything

[@davekennedy52]

@@schlomoshekelstein908 Is this on your car? Don't hold the spark plug in your hand, you'll get a shock, its about 30 000 Volts. Wire brush the head to bare metal and try it again in the dark

[@schlomoshekelstein908]

@@davekennedy52 yeah the heads are painted that could def be an issue. It's a Kohler K-241. I don't think it's 30k volts though because I can hold the plug in my hand and crank it over like 10 times. The spark isn't that great. it felt like morse code. weak, weak, mild, weak, super strong spark. Like a spark from a BBQ igniter. In my experience, when i've held spark plugs before , you don't really hold on for a second zap..or want to anyways.. I'm guessing it's the condenser? I've already filed and re-gapped the points. They were too close about ten thou (now set to .020)

[@schlomoshekelstein908]

@@davekennedy52 i dont get any explosions when I spray starting fluid into the carb and crank it over, either. which is why i'm looking at the spark. I think I need to replace the condenser and/or check the magneto. The spark plug is brand new. I just had a thought. maybe some magnets on the flywheel are getting weak and that's why i get morse code spark?

[@davidkemp7809]

Thank you. Very clear explanation. Helpful. cheers

[@davekennedy52]

Glad you found it useful David, thanks for watching

[@MechanicForGMCCars]

Can I use normal dc condensors ? I dont have that automotive condenser so I was wondering can I use normal . What rating does the ignition coil requare and what does the alternator requare to supres noise?

[@davekennedy52]

I wish that I could help you Elvin, but I don't know enough about car electrics. but I do know that the coil can generate about 20 000 Volts and it gives that current to the condenser. So only use the condenser that is meant for your car otherwise you might burn out your points and maybe more damage to your electric system

[@MechanicForGMCCars]

@@davekennedy52 ok thank you for answering ☺️👍

[@kevinmarasigan5267]

Its the same in motorcycle condenser on how to check it

[@davekennedy52]

thanks Kevin, nice to know!

[@dappa211]

but you didn't show the comparison to a known bad one

[@davekennedy52]

Yes Nigel, isn't that crazy?? I've kept those condensers for at least 10 years and I was sure that one of them would be bad, but it seems that they were all good. Just know that with a bad one, if you get a high reading immediately, then its bad

[@Mike-su8si]

It's on the 8hp Kohler engine

[@davekennedy52]

Thanks Turtle

[@DylanWilliams-qk8sj]

Great video. Thanks

[@davekennedy52]

glad you enjoyed it Dylan, thanks for watching

[@hermanbril2682]

How can this R4 still look so goood??????? Goodness.

[@davekennedy52]

thank you Herman, lots of TLC

[@briannhlabathi7947]

If it doesn’t work the car won’t start?

[@davekennedy52]

Quite right! But before it is completely broken, your car will struggle to start, you might have misfire and uneven running and big spark at the points so your points will burn out too.

[@plea4sant]

Thanks for that. Just checked mine.

[@davekennedy52]

You're welcome Les, so glad I finally found out how to test them. It seems that I now have at least 3 spares:))

[@pasyensyatv9092]

is it possible to use 2 of them? i remember my mechanic did this to my old car

[@davekennedy52]

Hi Pasyensya, I believe that it is possible, but they should be connected parallel and not in series. 2 in series gives a result of less than one, but 2 connected in parallel is the equivalent of 2. I'm just saying what I've heard so please don't try it yourself as I would not like you to damage your cars electrical system

[@Mike-su8si]

@@davekennedy52 or driving mower

[@Mike-su8si]

Yes it should work fine like 2 relays as a fuse

[@davekennedy52]

@@Mike-su8si Thats nice to know, thanks for the confirmation Turtle

[@Mike-su8si]

@@davekennedy52 yup

[@rbennett2739]

Thanks man, good explanation. 🤙

[@davekennedy52]

glad you enjoyed it RB, thanks for watching

[@DavoShed]

Nice video. Shame you didn’t have a better example of a broken one. Still got a thumbs up from me :)

[@davekennedy52]

Appreciate that Davos, it surprised me as well that they were all good. I change them every 2 years or so but never throw them away for some reason

[@DavoShed]

@@davekennedy52 I think they are just spammers. I have seen them reply to 2 of my other comments. We can laugh in their general direction :)

[@davekennedy52]

@@DavoShed Oh yes you're right, thought Charlie Austin was replying to my video, will just delete both of them right now

[@DavoShed]

@@davekennedy52 The other choice is to report them which is what I did on the comment on my channel. Eventually KZbin will delete their accounts. They probably create new ones but hey it makes their life harder.

[@davekennedy52]

@@DavoShed Thanks Davos, I would have if I'd thought about it, but they're now blocked from my channel

[@debraguest7245]

We have a either an 83 or an 85. We replaced the condenser and the points. It ran fine after that but now we have no spark. Can anyone help please.

[@davekennedy52]

You have a Renault 4?? Best way to check for a spark is to turn engine by hand until points are closed, then switch on ignition and use an insulated screw driver(piece of wood is better) and open the points. It should spark. Change the condenser again too. Let me know and I can help further

[@debraguest7245]

No it's a Honda z50r.

[@davekennedy52]

@@debraguest7245 So sorry Debra, I know nothing about bike engines. Seems strange that it happened so suddenly. I would check the coil and also the spark plug wire itself. wish I could give you more advice

[@debraguest7245]

That's ok. Maybe someone else knows something. The coil and the points are new like I said we just have no spark. If anyone else knows something please let me know. Any help would be great. Thank you.

[@davekennedy52]

@@debraguest7245 Another thought, if its anything like a lawnmower engine, the coil should have a gap between the magneto and the flywheel. Gap too big or maybe touching =no spark

[@frankdavidson9675]

capacitor control spark not the coil voltage has to flow thru the coil primary to the capacitor lead thru the capacitor and can to ground only as long as points are open when they close voltage stops while this voltage is flowing it greates a manetic effect in the secondary coil which has many more turns of wire than primary coil this make a very high voltage go to the distribter and plugs to make spark

[@Couchman26]

Awesome video thank you!!

[@davekennedy52]

Thanks Doc, glad you enjoyed it!

[@macelius]

Great video, thanks!

[@davekennedy52]

very pleased you enjoyed it macelius

[@JoeBlowski]

The alternator is not in the path between the battery and the ignition coil. If you don't believe it... disconnect the alternator and the engine will run.

[@davekennedy52]

thanks Joe, yes it will run but not for long. So presumably while its disconnected, will the coil get its power from the battery? Please enlighten me

[@JoeBlowski]

@@davekennedy52 Yes, it gets power from the battery all the time.

[@cavaleiro95]

There’s no 20m on my mulimeter just 20k for the ohms

[@davekennedy52]

Thanks for watching Cavaleiro, anything above 10k will be fine

[@jankotze1959]

That helps me a lot, thanks

[@davekennedy52]

You're very welcome Jan, glad you enjoyed it

[@randie450]

Good show old chap!

[@davekennedy52]

thanks randie, glad you enjoyed it

[@harleycongrove5389]

Appreciate the help! Except mine reads high to low 😂

[@harleycongrove5389]

I was supposed to leave the points open! Haha

[@davekennedy52]

I was just going to reply to you to say that if the reading starts off high, then its probably a bad condenser. Then I saw your comment below!

[@davekennedy52]

@@harleycongrove5389 I usually take my condenser out and test it on the bench. Didn't think about the points, thanks for the info

[@frankdavidson9675]

coils very seldom go bad if you suspect your coil dont depend on ohms test. capacitors are the culprit 75% oft the time they come with mfd value which must match the coils when designing a system for max spark if over time wrong capacitor is installed tbls start first sign of wrong capacitor is pitting points causing weak spark with correct value mfd you will see big diverence in spark

[@kenf2662]

the cap are only for noise suppression

[@davekennedy52]

thanks ken, never heard that before

[@kenf2662]

@@davekennedy52 if you have them clamped to a ground source.

[@davekennedy52]

thanks ken, learnt something new today

[@writerjmd]

There's as much to be learned from testing a bad one as from testing a good one. 4:30

[@davekennedy52]

Very true, and in this case my finger was touching the condenser and that messed up the reading. I checked later and that condenser was also good

[@ironpatriot6053]

I've put a new condenser in my car it startup then idle for 20 secs then off...

[@davekennedy52]

Did you test it with a multimeter like I showed? Actually sounds like you need to adjust your carburetor

[@frankdavidson9675]

are you changing your points because of pitting the culprit is the capacitor--------wrong value mfd or maby defective capacitor this is what happens the voltage from switch come to the primary coil -thu the coil to the capacitor lead and the points if points are open this lifts the gd off that connection of the capacitor lead and the voltage goes thru the capacitor to gd that voltage running thru the prmary coil creats a magnetic effect in the secodary coil which has many more turns than the primary coil generating a very high voltage going to the dist. and plugs as the points close this voltages stops because the gd is conn to the capacitor lead again if for some reason the voltage can not get thru the cacacitor this voltage will jump the gap of he open points to gd, causing pitting overtime which is changing gap setting giving a weak spark--as a rule spark tbls usuall start with a bad capacitor more than any other part of the firing

[@santiagovelez9851]

Renault 4?

[@davekennedy52]

Yes it is! 1980 GTL my pride and joy

[@Gulabgamitofficial123]

👌👌👌👌👌👌

[@davekennedy52]

Thanks AK, Glad you enjoyed the video

[@bdetert82]

your skin can't be touching the metal at 20m or your just measuring the resistance of your body.

[@davekennedy52]

Thanks Brian, very observant of you, only a handful of people have picked up on that. Didn't realize I did it until a week after I put the video up

[@angellizarraga6050]

Buen video. Your like 👍 y gracias. Buen dia

[@davekennedy52]

eres bienvenido Angel. I'm glad you enjoyed it

[@hankpb1]

didn't explain what readings meen

[@davekennedy52]

Thanks for watching Phil, Ohms is a measure of resistance. If the reading on the multimeter starts low and then gets higher it means that the condenser is charging and its good. If it is an immediately high reading then its a bad condenser. Sorry I didn't have a bad one to show on the video, they were all good

[@jeffdunphy3024]

You keep changing your leads

[@davekennedy52]

I believe it actually makes no difference to the reading but thank you, I'll check it out tomorrow

[@frankdavidson9675]

a simple but effective test will tell you about your condenser in older vehicles remove a plug wire from a plug with eng idling insert a screwdriver in wire hold screw driver close to the block how far will spark jump 1/8 inch to 3/4 in1/8 is very weak 3/4 in is very good if its 1/8 replace condenser a new condenser of correct mfd value wil jump 3/4in also lookat points if they are pitting its the condenser going bad or wrong value mfd (very important ) -correct value mfd

[@dalenassar9152]

Use a capacitance meter!

[@davekennedy52]

thanks dale but I've no idea what that is and even if I had one I'd probably never use it. But I'll be sure to google it and find out a bit more about it, so thanks again.

[@njahselector]

thanks from argentina i have a fiat 600

[@davekennedy52]

you're very welcome, I know the 600 very well, my uncle had one when I lived in Zimbabwe

[@stuartcarter1724]

If you want to find if a condenser is faulty remove the points and if there face’s are black it’s faulty no need for multimeter’s old time mechanic hack

[@davekennedy52]

Thanks so much Stuart, thats one to remember

[@garygarza9074]

M is for mega ohms.

[@davekennedy52]

Thanks Gary, my mind went a little blank there,

[@gchardy]

If you initially briefed ‘ connect the black lead to the pig tail and the red lead to the condenser body’ why are you flip flopping back and forth with each condenser tested…. be consistent and stick to what your mechanic friend told you to do. 😡

[@davekennedy52]

Yes I suppose I should have but I also know that it makes no difference to the reading. Thanks for mentioning it

[@robertg.durant8489]

Einstein?

[@davekennedy52]

the moustache, yes, the brain, no.

[@frankdavidson9675]

connect a condenser in a dist to test it if you get 1/2 inch spark or more with eng running at idle take off a spsrk plug wire insert a screw driver hold screw driver close to eng to see the spark how far will it jump 1/4 or less its defective or wrong value. the condenser must match the coil in this type circuit although a lot of condensers look just alike there not ---its the way they are made inside that is different the reason point pit over time is the mismatch with coil an condenser pitting is telling you condenser is wrong value the only way to getthe right value is go to dealer ask parts man to look up in that years parts list get the # of condenserif he has one buy if not parts store have them cross ref that # if there is anything close to that value buy it you wil not believe the diff. it makes mine went from 1/8 inc jump to 3/4 inch jump..----worth the effort save that # so in the future you get anew if needed

[@davekennedy52]

Thanks for taking the time to post your comment Frank. Your method seems a little time consuming and quite honestly most ?parts guys" couldn't be bothered with looking up info for you. Not in my town anyway! Maybe you could rather get that info on Google. As per your previous comment, there is nothing wrong with the way I tested my condensers. On one of them I touched the condenser casing by mistake, only noticed it later.A friend of mine with 30 years experience as an auto electrician showed me this method

[@jimmenge2753]

I know how to open my hood.

[@davekennedy52]

So there's hope for you yet Jim, in my next video I'll teach you to open the boot

[@jimmenge2753]

@@davekennedy52 I can open the boot too, not everyone is as ignorant as most of your viewers must be.

[@tomnekuda3818]

I didn't learn jack-shit from your vid.

[@MikeNelson-s4o]

Got nothing from this video! He is shaking so bad it’s hard to tell if he is making a good connection or not. Then he doesn’t hold the leads on long enough to be sure. And he doesn’t really explain what’s going on with each condenser. He even says, I’m not sure about this one? Needs more preparation before making the video. And he should have shown a bad one so we can see the difference! Also, I noticed his meter had a micro farad position. Why wouldn’t you use that? I would like to know! Still don’t.

[@fiddlerpin]

Condensers are rated by microfareds. Best to test them for their mfd rating.

[@scootboerner4939]

You should probably make sure you don’t have Parkinson’s disease, your hands were shaking the whole video

[@davekennedy52]

Ha Scoot,! 2 degrees in my workshop! Thanks for watching