How To Test Motorcycle, ATV & UTV Ignition Coils

[@rmatvmc]

Not sure if you have all the right tools and parts for this job? No worries, we have you covered. www.rockymountainatvmc.com/Sales/2228/How-To-Troubleshoot-Electrical-Components?

[@spiderstone]

Justin.....I really saved me from going to John Deere.... I did all the tests and it worked just like you.....said....... everything was good according to the tests and the ohms ........ so I dug deeper it was a split or crack in the end of the plug wire....on the motor.... I took the cover on the 825l gator and looked in where the plug is on motor it was arching to the head...... So glad you did this Vedic.....I ordered new wires..... Thanks Justin you saved this Veteran a lot of money lot money.......Rick.....

[@rmatvmc]

Very nice work *Rick.* Thanks for watching our video! Glad it helped you track down the issue you were having.

[@Lumencraft-]

The dislikes on this video are people who could not turn on the multimeter :)

[@rmatvmc]

Haha thanks for checking out the video!

[@n.e.b.laaron9075]

😂 loved this!

[@kevinullrich1619]

I would have liked to see close up where you put the probes. You’re very knowledgeable but I’m not. That is why I turned to KZbin to help me. This video, unfortunately, did not help me.

[@snaxgalore5764]

@@kevinullrich1619 are you blind?

[@PandaFPV]

No. It’s the people who can’t see anything cause the damn camera is 10 ft away

[@radisbad]

Thank God for the internet, and thank God for Justin. First time ever using a multimeter in my life so this was very helpful!

[@rmatvmc]

We love to hear that! Glad this video was useful and helped you out!

[@frankdavidson9675]

practice makes perfect i build my first meter (ana log )from a mail order kit in 1965 ana log uses a needle instad of #s most meters today are digital (#s)

[@johnpeacock2076]

Could you please tell me what the diagnosis would be when there’s continuity but it’s outside the acceptable range? Does that simply translate into a bad coil that needs to be replaced?

[@bikersoncall]

3:15 What readings (or range of readings) would we get from a bad coil of this type?

[@entropy3301]

The range should be listed in the service manual

[@bikersoncall]

@@entropy3301 lol

[@chrisjohnsonphotography163]

This was super helpful! Helped me diagnose a problem in my system! We up and running now! Braaaaaap!

[@jiyushugi1085]

I just replaced the Lucas coils on my 1970 500cc Triumph 'Daytona', even though the checked out okay with the ohmmeter and even though the bike was running reasonably well. I did so mainly because they were fifty years old and because one cylinder always developed a misfire when 20 minutes of running (perhaps because the coil was breaking down when it got hot). The new German-made Lucas replica coils Ohmed out the same as the old coils, however compared with the anemic spark of the originals, the new coils were flamethrowers, delivering a bright blue spark. The point is, just because a coil tests okay doesn't mean it's as good as it could/should be. Good coils are especially important on race bikes and other applications where high performance is desired.

[@petedevon]

Hi. Primary test reads 0.000 ohms resistance. Is this a bad ignition coil. Thanks for advice

[@MrBeeboh]

Fixed the GY6 Chinese ATV with this video. Thank you!

[@craiggullett2922]

It would be more helpful if you showed what your touching the probes to.

[@awadgadamin14]

thanks but iwant to ask about negtive side ...when we conect with cdi unit we have the power coming from the battery and other line coming from cdi unit

[@PVTfluffy]

Very easy to understand! I am testing the starter system on my bike now and some components read higher then what the manual specifies. Does this mean the parts are bad?

[@FourthWayRanch]

what should primary to secondary resistance be on a dual coil? it doesn't specify in my manual, do we only check plug wire to plug wire for a secondary test?

[@robertmcdaniel262]

How do you test the throttle position sensor?

[@mecima]

My vulcan 1600 classic has 2 of those blue coils, do the connections on the primary side from computer to coil matter which tab they plug into ie pos and neg connectors? new coils are getting power to primary but no power to cap hence spark plug .

[@brandonfontaine285]

2:53 I get nothing when pushing probe into wire. And I get a lot of fluctuation when doing previous method all the from from 0.8 clear to 100 ohms.

[@rmatvmc]

No reading, would mean need replacing.

[@brandonfontaine285]

But I do get spark that comes and goes when grounding to cylinder head. Is that normal?

[@marklee519]

Just came across your video thank you for the information .... Can you tell me please if know . On a motorcycle would there be a difference in a ignition coil from an ECU system and a TCI system . So would they both use the same coil or would there be a different one for each system ? ... Regards Mark

[@none8901]

At 2:40 on coil with 2 wires you gave the reading you got on secondary side , but didn't say if it was correct or not

[@georgestrait66]

glad I found you guys, this is first video I think i've seen from you. I love the demonstration and how you showed several different coil types, as an owner of a little older bike its at times difficult to find how-to vidsthat dont require some guesswork or interpretation due to very different looking parts or set-ups

[@jamesreed7358]

Good video, thanks for posting. I curious , why do so many of these videos have music in the background ?

[@Ro6entX]

I know this video is four years old but I have multimeter that does have the omen symbol and 20K, etc on it. Exactly what number do I need the switch arrow pointing at for a testing of 2012 R6 coil? It’s pretty much the last one shown.

[@powerhungrytoo]

Working on coils for a Yamaha xj700 maxim X Can't get any ohms on secondary side. Going from plug wire to plug wire! Could both coils be bad at same time? No resistant caps on this unit!

[@mikefromspace]

Great. Thought I was losing my mind. Got a brand new ignition coil off Amazon and it gave spark for only a second or two.... eventually I tested it to discover the spark plug lead shows OL... so she's dead. What can cause this?

[@mjl6425]

I did the secondary test and got nothing. The primary test I got 1.8 ohms. I even tested a new ignition coil for secondary test and got nothing as well. What’s going on?

[@ct1762]

shorted secondary. coils junk. could've gotten some moisture in it through a crack.

[@MRdaviddes]

That specific coil could have a diode in the secondary circuit. If it says 0L, that could be the case.

[@philspaces7213]

What happens if I do not have continuity on the secondary?

[@ExitDoink]

What would be the symptoms of a bad ignition coil on a 2 stroke? Because my bike bogs when I turn the throttle and it has a really rough idle.

[@heliarche]

Don't just jump to the coil. If it has a bright blue spark when you kick it over likely the coil is good.

[@musgarage21]

Hi Sir, What is reading value for every single coil, exactly same or different.

[@SoutheastHVAC]

I wanna see more diagnosing videos like these

[@rmatvmc]

There are more to come! Stay tuned

[@michaelcarty6830]

One question - when the ignition switch is switched on, on a 1987 Honda 450 C.C. C B model, how many volts should be going in to the coil through the yellow wire please???? I am only getting a reading of around .6 to .7 of a volt - is that much too low??

[@elroyfernandes8453]

Helpful video and nicely explained....... Can you help to show how to test CDI coil with multimeter wether its good or bad....... Thank you

[@houssemeddine584]

I would like to know where the blue one is used please, and if the secondary is fully isolated from the primary, because generally the (-) is common

[@isaiahsotelo3995]

I have a question I put my friends battery on my quad and it didn’t want to start back up I’m not sure exactly what it is

[@61Pit77]

In my years as a cycle mechanic I found a lot of bad plug caps that needed replacement. Check plug cap resistance

[@rmatvmc]

Good tip! Thanks for the advice!

[@screwsnutsandbolts]

Excellent videos ! 👍🏻

[@frogman7806]

So, I have a coil that looks identical to the second one you tested and I tested it with my meter and all tests passed except one. so you tested the from the coil to the end of the wire without the cap on and my numbers where the same as yours but then when I screwed the cap back on it didn't add any resistance. which at first I thought would be a good thing because it would allow the electricity to flow more freely but the more I thought maybe it needs more resistance to create a spark. So, do you think that because the cap doesn't add resistance that just the cap is bad? I don't have any spark at all on my bike so maybe it's the stator? idk, I've tested literally everything and if need that extra cap resistance that may be my problem. What do you think?

[@TheTruth4313]

I dont think all caps add as much resistance as he says. It's basically metal to metal contact and as long as the inside of the cap isn't corroded which would/could add resistance when u place your meter tip there you should get minimal add'l resistance. So basically all your measurements sounded fine. Jst need to make sure they match up to whatever the specs are for your coil and/or are similar to a new replacement one.

[@coreyblanchard5177]

Should I get continuity between coil input terminal and chassis ground?

[@bikersoncall]

Yes, roughly a half ohm or .5 ohm to chassis ground.

[@traci123171]

8430 multimeter settings. Which ones do we use?

[@lvvegas7022]

For the banshee coil if you don't get any resistance on the plugs does it mean it's done

[@rjmain9797]

Can a spark plug cap go bad? Bc I readings until I put the cap on it..mine is like the yellow..

[@daveward7114]

When dealing with a 2 plug coil (as first shown in this video) is there any test to check of continuity in between primary and secondary. I.e. resistance between a primary lead and the plug wire? I've been chasing a no spark on a 93 Kawasaki 750 jet ski, primary and secondary have checked out per spec, ~.4ohms and ~4K ohms, respectively. Having isolated all other factors I'm not fully convinced the problem isn't the coil.

[@Flying90]

Thank you for this video! It was super helpful!

[@Johdan14]

I still haven’t found anything to do for the ones we’re the mounting bracket is part of the coil

[@nasir0582]

Helpful video man thank you...

[@rmatvmc]

Glad you found it helpful. Thanks for the feedback!

[@lemontebrown566]

Can this cause a ticking noise if it’s bad

[@stellamiller7341]

There is 5 different ohms settings how do I know which one

[@JDunigan88]

look up the correct range for what you are testing and set your multimeter to the next highest setting. For example if you are measuring the primary side of the coil and it specs at 5 ohms, set your meter to 10 ohms. If something was needing 15K ohms, set to 20K ohms.

[@RichardStewart-pk9wn]

How do you check the secondary side of the coil?

[@rmatvmc]

Check mark - 2:15

[@spacemanspiff559]

Good video. It would be a bit better to zoom in on the coils while you’re testing. It’s difficult to see what you’re doing on a phone screen, especially with subtitles enabled. It was still good enough though. Thanks.

[@damiananderson4951]

I tested the coil and it's o.oo1 khoms I have one like the 3rd one you tested does that mean its bad

[@robbocop33r12]

I have an old 1977 kawasaki kz400,i have no spark at the plugs.There is a 10.8v reading at the constant live on one of the two primary spade connectors with the ignition on.(battery is 12.6v) Can this be a sign ignition coil is bad that coil is getting a live feed yet there is no spark?

[@rmatvmc]

Yes, but test to verify. 1-test the coil as shown in the video. If your readings aren't good, then it's safe to say that's the problem. 2 - If the readings check out, make sure the points are correctly adjusted and in good condition. The voltage needs to be interrupted (triggered) to have spark. 3 - the low voltage indicates you might have corrosion on some connectors. I would go through and clean those up. 4 - If you can get a manual for that, I would go through the tests listed in there. -Charles

[@stevenesbitt961]

I have a 2014 Honda Rancher TRX420TM1 with primary coil impedance of 2.3 ohms and a secondary with out boot of 13.39 ohms, with boot 18.52 ohms. Service manual does not provide good resistance values only peak voltage. Yours with yellow boot was primary .4 ohms; secondary w/o boot was 1.7 kilo-ohms and w/boot 5.7 kilo-oms. So is my coil bad? ATV starts and idles but stalls when trying to give it gas. Changed Fuel Filter assembly, Fuel Injector, IACV, tested fuel flow. Turning on ignition with new pump it shoots out a steady stream. Tank cleaned. I am at a loss.

[@chandlerfrazier]

I know im a little late but some help would be awesome. Was testing the coil on my raptor 350 and the ohms were bouncing like crazy. Its an amazon multimeter so im wondering if its the meter or if the coil is indeed on the fritz. Any help would be appreciated.

[@beinghuman3225]

Touch leads of meter together in ohms mode, should go to 0 and not bounce if it worth its salt.

[@roysmedsli8898]

Very useful video. Thank you

[@michaellawrence5492]

Testing a coil with a ohm meter on the primary side measurement seen is straight forward because being measured so directly to the winding. The secondary side on the other hand is only obvious when defective if being "open" . A given specification from a manual in resistance of a coil secondary side appears sometimes to vary greatly when measured from where it is measured either at the coil or the spark-plug cap. What is not stated in some manuals is to include or excluded the spark-plug plug wire when measuring.

[@bigpig41]

On the third coil which looks like one for a 150cc Chinese scooter with an A/C fired CDI box, could the LACK of a resistor type spark plug cap(when not running a resistor type spark plug) on the spark plug be the cause of a weak spark and missing causing the engine to be unable to accelerate much above an idle while on the center stand ??

[@jeffreyharbin5211]

I got OL, does this mean i have a bad coil?

[@untitledduck9675]

what happens if i connect the polarity wrong would it damage the coil

[@ericb3310]

Clear and helpful ,thanks .

[@jessedangelo7994]

Very knowledgeable best information presentation. Except when it comes to demonstrate how to on the second coil.... Unfortunately the camera person pan zoom or attempt to show location of meter lead placement .. serious bummer ..

[@teenice894]

You can never complain with a free video with free information so thank you but it would be nice to see you see exactly what you are doing As you speak the camera is not zoom in on what you are doing

[@couchrider6228]

What about the coil has 3 pins where it plugs in ?

[@bikelifecam9746]

I have a cdi/coil combined how do I test that ?

[@mjl6425]

Does this apply the same to automotive ignition coils?

[@tomsheets6399]

I am testing the coil on my honda 400ex. My multimeter has ohm settings but unlike yours, has multiple ohm settings. Which one do I turn the dial to? Choices are, 200, 2k, 20k, 200K, 2m or 20m. Sorry, I am a rookie when it comes to using a multimeter

[@imgzrona09uc72]

Here is a "rule of thumb", start at the highest setting and click down until you get a reading. In this video the 20k selection would be good.

[@7x779]

How can you bench test them to see if actually Spark?

[@parrotsignsprintdisplay2142]

Thanks for the video. I need some extra help, atv is struggling to run and start consistently and when we turn it over the ground wire from the coil has heated and melted the insulation. Can anyone advise what might be wrong please?

[@MRdaviddes]

Short in the primary circuit of the coil. Check resistance as noted in the video.

[@willyjason1828]

Can u show me how to test a cdi box on a atv

[@SaapeXD]

Where to get service manuals?

[@3655545]

Please explain to me one thing haha, my bike still swings and starts. It dosent run properly but starts and my coils test dead on the secondary side

[@stewartrevill8617]

Great video thanks👍

[@chazmichael7967]

This channel is the best

[@StockDude]

Great video. Now I've just gotta find the recommended resistance for my McCulloch chainsaw coil. That will be the hard part!

[@ct1762]

it should be in the 250 range for the secondary, and .2-.4 ohms for the primary. lots of 2 stroke coils measure around there, but not all so check the service manual or look online.

[@wildracoon666]

Very useful information

[@mjl6425]

For the secondary test does polarity matter?

[@mjl6425]

and how would you know? Do you believe opposites attract lol?

[@michaelthomas788]

The second coil that you're testing I have the exact same coil but when I hook up a multimeter to the primary side I'm getting 0.00 what does that mean

[@pleaseenteranamepleaseente8230]

michael Thomas 0 on a multimeter is a short circult

[@nationalboosted2877]

Mine shows 14 then shows 0 or 05 with the spark plug cap on, is it still good or is it bad?

[@eriks87cam702]

But what if you don’t get any resistance from primary to ground

[@JagXK150]

Many thanks, excellent video.

[@gregoryfranklin17]

Good afternoon u never said witch one of the coils tested good

[@whyme9501]

I mean you didn't really give me the information I needed per se just because I've already gotten this information by a video I watched right before this one but you explained it just as well as the guy did in his video he has some other shop but I'm saying this just to come in both of you on how well you two had explained this thing he did not go over the different types of coils like you did but he did go through most common ATV and motorcycle coils just two of them just the types but y'all both show the information that so many people out there I mean absolutely so damn many people out there need both of y'all you and whoever the other guy is that I watch the video of y'all both need to keep creating videos cuz they were both very explanatory and I would drop the link to the other video it's just not letting me do so but anything found in that video should be able to be found in this one good job guys

[@joewood5647]

a question that no one can seem to answer can you? I own a 2008 Yamaha XT125R trouble is when I go through any axle deep water the coil get splashed and shorts out, I found this is the problem because it's very low on the frame and is open to all water splashing towards it. can I move it and put it under the seat? where there is plenty of space and it is out of the way?

[@rmatvmc]

As long as all your wires still reach and are routed safely, there shouldn't be any reason why you can't relocate the ignition coil on your XT. Hope that answers your question!

[@joewood5647]

@@rmatvmc Thank you very much for replying now I can do that without worrying.

[@alecraddant9308]

i have a dinli 2001 trex 4 wheeler and i dont have no spark we have a spark plug tester we tried that didnt do any thing what should i order if its good but it wont start just a new spark plug or the coil

[@rmatvmc]

*Alec Raddant vlogs* I would start with the simplest thing first. Get a new spark plug, especially if your old one has some carbon build up and is dirty. Then move to the ignition coil from there to try and pin point the problem. Let us know what you find out. Thanks

[@ronanrogers4127]

Great video, so clear and helpful

[@PatDPT]

Does temperature affect coil performance? Bike runs smooth when cold, then misfires when hot. Coil problem? I’ll do the multi-meter test on cold and hot coils and see if that changes the reading. Thanks!

[@davidprice2557]

PatDPT stater problem probably

[@lampshade9323]

Got 0.3 1st test and nothing on 2nd. There is no spark, hopefully it is bad and this is the problem?

[@droopsdizz9686]

I got a single connection line my cap on my spark plug wire is too small I can't fit to get a reading what can I do

[@beinghuman3225]

Use a small piece of wire to contact then meter off wire

[@joshuabailey2819]

Well what if the coils bad or what's the bad test reading

[@jenyusDINGUS]

Hey i have a question about my ignition coil. I have 2002 bear tracker and I was blowing fuses and wasn’t getting any spark so I went through the whole harness and replace all wires that look wore. Checked all wires with meter and everything looks good. But, I took my ignition coil off and checked the resistance for specs. Primary to coil base was good. Pulled the plug cap off and checked the cap itself and it was checked out good. Checked the base to spark plug wire lead with the cap off and it was also good. So I crewed the cap back on and checked resistance from primary to inside of cap and it read at 18k ohms. It’s suppose to 10k. Do you know why it would be so far out of spec when everything checked out good? I even spliced a new wire with cap and they read the same. Was within spec before connecting to wire coming from the coil. Any help will be gladly appreciated

[@frankdavidson9675]

next ime you blow fuse conn meter on ohms scale to the wire leaving fuse holder other lead to gd you should get a reading start disconecting till reading falls off should find a wire pinched or a defect insulation.

[@loganmecham9247]

What happens if your wire going to your ignition coil is getting like 40 volts. Is that a bad Cdi?

[@rmatvmc]

What bike? Are you using a peak to peak adapter? Usually you should be getting closer to 100 P to P Volts to the coil. Check if it's an AC or DC CDI and make sure you have enough power going into it before you replace the CDI. -Charles

[@שי.ז-ע2ע]

thank you very much its veru usefull video!!!!

[@husa628]

Great video Is it possible to use an ingition coil and transfor the voltage to 14 volt and charge a battery? The idea is that the small engine that I own can not be fited whit a stator. So I would fit a second ingnition coil. One for the spark plug and a seconde one to create 14 volt to charge a small battery. Thanks a lot

[@herkko61]

That was a clear tutorial!

[@biker3165]

Does the primary side has a continuity?...

[@bikersoncall]

3:17 I guess we're expected to include Metric in everything today , but this is simply 2780 ohms.

[@JulioMoreno-l7f]

My switch by my bike doesn't kick in the bike when I turn on the key switch I hit the bump it and nothing comes up it doesn't try to start or nothing

[@woodenspoonUto]

just wanna know if you put a killswitch on ignition coil..will it harm the ECU? coz some people say it will harm the ECU. some don't..i just want to know definite answer on this.

[@Horriblebastad]

No, but watch the A T V

[@bigjimbo560]

hard to see where you place your test leads on the coils the words on the screen are covering it up

[@larrydavis5246]

Good information

[@rmatvmc]

Thanks for watching, Larry!

[@MascaMD]

what if my ignition coil shows 0.8 ohms? 2000 yamaha r6

[@yoshied1]

or hold a magnet close or around the magnetic field of the coil, if it works you should feel the magnet slightly move Holy shit i didnt know some motorcycles used waste spark ignition! thats kinda cool