How To Test Ignition Coils with Basic Hand Tools HD
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 ก.พ. 2025
- In this video I show how to test an ignition coil pack while the vehicle is running (via power balance test) as well as testing the coil pack while the vehicle is off. The power balance test is an easy way to verify if each cylinder is firing. If you do not hear a reduction in rpm when disconnecting the coil pack harness connector, that particular cylinder is not firing. Check the ignition coil and the fuel injector (link below).Testing the ignition coil while the vehicle is off is an additional test to verify if the coil pack is indeed working or needs replacement. This was performed on a 1997 Nissan Maxima. Please check with your vehicle's repair manual for testing parameters.
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Note:
Any attempt to repair automotive parts and/or systems carries risk of personal injury. Always adhere and follow safe practices when working on vehicles. Such as, safety glasses, jack stands, no loose clothing, etc. No guarantee or warranty is implied. Use the information in this video at your own risk. Carsntoys is a member of the Amazon Influencer Program.
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You saved me a lot of anxiety, pain, and financial distress. You sir earned my sub and following!
i fixed my bmw e36 (4cylinder) with your first testing method! Worked like a charm! i found out number 3 (coil) was dead so i replaced it with another one and boom everything is working smoothly. Thank you!
Did you car throw a check engine light when coil was bad
@@federicovega2292 nope it was running on 3 cylinders without check engine light which is strange
Very strange Thanx for the info
Just saved my son $300, for now.
Thanks a lot for your help and time.
Excellent and to-the-point video. Just a warning for people. Do not buy cheap ignition coils on the internet. You can buy in the internet but get good quality coils. I did a cheap set and I've had to replace all 8 of them in the last year-and-a-half. A set of eight coils cost no less than $400 if they do you're buying crap.
Good advice. Same goes with injectors and HID bulbs.
You are correct
I am on the fence with this logic. I was buying good coils 90 to 135 a piece and time after time cooked them from days to weeks or months but they would fail. Then discovered my ignition condenser was fried. I am waiting for it to get here but I bought 6 cheap coils and a condenser and going to see what happens. I really like the look of the new cheap coils they appear to be of quality construction and each of them ohmed out identical. the rear ones were 1.43 across the board and the fronts were 0.68 each. So I hope it works out.
Informative, quick, and to the point. Kudos. Next you should make a video on how to make quick and to the point videos.
I have a misfire on my 2013 Dodge Dart Rallye 1.4 Turbo #3 ignition coil and this video helps greatly! Thank you! This allows me to be able to check them myself and save money. Much appreciated!
Glad to help.
Excellent video, Best way to test coils , no tools , WHAT! Yes Sir !
Thank You CarsNToys guy , you''re da man !
Ignition misfire issues, let's grab a Nissan for our case study. Awesome video.
Man you just helped me with a bad coil, thanks bro! Hands down to you
Good stuff! Glad to help.
very well explained the symptoms and the way how to check and test the ignition coil. keep it up sir
Never thought to pull the connector... You sir, just saved me a mech fee. Tested, confirmed, and ordered.
Drinks on me tonight. :-)
Had a miss fire on my sentra. Used the first running test and located the bad coil. Easy fix, thanks for the video helped alot.
clikzip Good stuff man
+clikzip When U say "miss fire" what exactly are U referring to? Is it when U start Ur car?
No as its running a cylinder wasnt firing. The car was running on 3 cylinders.
+clikzip How does it feel when that happens?
The motor sounds quite different when running than normal. Like its on the verge of stalling.
Changed my plugs last week and now I smell gasoline while the van is running.This test should help me figure it out. Thank you Sir.
Very smart to unplug the coil whilst it’s running. Pretty ingenious.
It's actually very common sense and the way people have located cylinders that are misfiring either due to compression, firing, or valves since they invented internal combustion engines that use spark plugs.
For beginners it would be nice if you would show where you set the multimeter exactly
depends on each type of car and coil so its better just to google it, if not just keep taking readings you should have a resistance on at least one pair.
Ohm setting
You can pause it and zoom in
Terminal 2 and terminal 1 like he said
OHMS or around 200
Thanks for taking the time. I would recommend giving the make/model and also resistance specs for the coils or other specs.
I mean a coil pack is a coil pack regardless what the specs or make and model of the car or vehicle is these tips will work regardless of the male and model so it's not really a requirement.
And the specs for coil packs will be different depending on manufacturer which will be on the box
Fan-freeking-tastic! Almost the exact engine and exact issue I'm working on. Thanks!!
+HappyDeux Cheers!
save time. go to 4:15. great vid!
Helped me fix the issue with my moms car!!! Thank you for the great video!!
Glad it helped!
Man ive been wacthing a couple videos but your is far out the best and clearest! You have a new sub:)!
xBlazT77x Thanks man appreciate it!
cars and toys sir you is really honorable man thank you for showing and teaching how find the bad coil being disable everything Is a challenge struggling I did it thank you kindly
+Marc Williams Glad to help
Sorry it is not 6.64 ohms as the meter was on the 20k scale this means it is 6.64k okms
I don't know if this has been suggested, but in your power balance test tips at the end you may want to also consider dirty/corroded pins/sockets in the connector and/or coil. I suggest this only because I had an older car with a "blown" horn and all I had to do was clean the connection. The electrical connection cleaner is a spray that is available everywhere and I use it every time I work on any electrical component on my vehicles.
My Nissan Xterra is having power issues, just had all spark plugs replaced with the correct plugs, and ignition coils, power issue went away, but now it’s back, thinking that one ignition is still bad , only got 5 out of 6 replaced , due to one being newer. I’m gonna give this a shot, thanks!
Like and subscribed! You spoke the basics and went straight to the point not like others when they put a damn story to it
Concise and clear, only one issue: no indication as to where to point the meter. Obviously we can tell by freezing the video where you had it pointed (on the OHMS area) but with so many different choices as to where in that area, good to include that info. Thanks.
He mentioned it right when he pulled out the meter "resistance or OHMS type test" he said.
@@bbeenn there are multiple ohms settings on meters..
Question should have been..
which ohms setting should the meter be set?
That is also dependent on the meter used..
As I learned in the past.
When it says set meter to 0-500 ohms, dont use automatic or 0-1k ohms.
I had to buy a meter that has to have a specific setting,
as I was getting a false reading..
@@Butchsiek 20k olms is the setting you want. Ive seen it in various videos and I paused this video to make sure I was testing on the right reading because my multimeter looks just like his. Anything else will give inaccurate data.
@@tipxking9944 thanks..
I was referring to a specific setting.
Manuals I worked from, the engineers that wrote them as I talked to them personally,.
We worked for Textron..
I explained to them the need to be specific as i found out the hard way when troubleshooting a circuit..
Another Tech I worked with noticed the meter I was using told me it wont work because the Engineers used a specific model and setting..
He used his and mine to show how the readings werent the same..
Mine showed a component was good, while his showed it was bad.
I replaced the part, problem solved..
The Engineers sent out a replacement page for the manuals that includes a warning and the meter, brand and model, the Engineers use in their design..
thanks for the advice,i own a year 2000 nissan maxima and i just got some coils from australia, im checking them soon
Thanks for posting this! I suspected my coil, and this simple tip helped me confirm it.
Glad to help!
Same! My buddy gave me this tip but it was helpful to see someone put it into practice to model for me lol. Sometimes I overcomplcate things
Hey bro good video thanks for the good info! I have a misfire on cylinder 3 on my 1500 I'm having issues with! I'm gonna test my coils like you showed! Thanks again. I hope I can identify the problem. Thats the hardest part for me. Is finding the issue. Pretty good at fixing it when I know what to fix. lol Thanks again!
New subscriber 🔥🔥🔥
Not a word about voltace from ecu , ignition..or chek the grund Its good..
Whats a good reading ? Whats a low reading?
Your video is very detailed and useful. Thank you very much!
thanks for the educational Video , by the way the 2006 Nissan Altima 2.5L 4 cylinder I am working on has the same volt and OHM specs as the V6 you just showed . just to let everyone out there know .
keep up the good work .
Your only testing the primary winding right? What about testing the other half of the coil pack? The secondary winding.
سلام سپاس تشکر درود و هزاران 👍...👍....بسیار ممنون🙏🙏🙏👌👌👌
Very informal and straight to the point!
VERY GOOD INFO. I watched very close.
Thank you
@CarsNToys Thanks for a great video man! I have a 97 Nissan Maxima that started running VERY rough all of a sudden. From the symptoms I wasn't sure if it was a cat restriction, knock sensor, or what. Codes came up P0325 knock sensor, p1320 Ignition signal primary, p1400 EGR Ckt Input Low. Did the power balance disconnecting one coil at a time looking for a change in rpms and found 2 coils not working. Swapped them out and voila! Running like a top now. The two coils together threw me off at first. I knew what a bad coil felt like, but not two bad coils. :)
lol.glad you got it done!
Had a misfire in my trusty 2001 Mustang GT. Your test helped me figure it out. Thanks so much.
+Chris Roderick Glad to help!
Thanks Buddy! Clear and helpful.
I have an 2015 Bugatti Veyron that seems to be running bad at high speeds. Going to try your way.
Update..
It worked however I misspelled Bugatti Veyron. I meant 05 Ford F150.
😂😂😂😂😂😂
Excellent video. Really appreciate you taking the time to create this video. THANKS!
this guy is very good
+Bill Bushey Thank you!
Straight forward - 👍
Thanks
Good job man, excellent video, thanks for the great explanation. I love watching great videos that are well done like yours, it helps me continually improve the quality of my videos. Keep em coming.
Thanks, Clint. Appreciate the feedback!
3:37 thank me later
BaSeL thankss 🙌🏼
Thanks.... 10 months later.
🤟🏼🤟🏼
😂 I about checked out when he said “star-type screws.” Thanks!
@@robdaugherty2010 It has "cross type" screws that hold the coils in place, but he decided to use his mechanickin' skills and break out the 8 millenial meter sock-it.
Very informative. Thanks.
Thank you so much, it was helpful.
It is quite fun to drive if you forget to bolt down the coil packs. Sudden power losses, odd idles, increased emission rates etc :D
hello wonder of you can answer me a question. how do you know the fire sequence of the car?
thank you for education you are champion thanks and Cheers
Thank you. Appreciate the feedback!
Had a dirty connector on my Subaru coil, cylinder number 4. Set my check engine light and other lights on the dash. After pulling the metal clips and unplugging the coil, then plugging it back in, it cleared right up. I pulled the negative battery cable, reset the computer and its been running with NO ISSUES. I checked each coil by unplugging and replugging and everything was fine. Scanned at AutoZone later showed it was indeed number 4 coil.
Good stuff!
Thank you
Awesome mate, thanks a lot that was very very instructive
Thanks. Glad to help.
I have 3 coil packs and when I unhook one the car just shuts off... what does that mean? That the coil pack is good?
Yes. One of your other coil packs is probably bad
Are those three ignition coils all that is needed to run the 6 cylinders?
Informative quick and to the point.. good video
Thank you. Glad to help.
Thanks mate, sorted me out!
Excellent.
Some coil on plug coils can't be tested because the transistor is built into the coil. The transistor is what turns on and off the primary coil. So since the transistor controls the switching of the primary coil which. you need a way to control the switching of the transistor on the primary coil in order to test the primary coil. If not, the primary coil will show an open in the circuit because the transistor is a normally open transistor. And will make one think the coil is bad even though it works properly.
Nissan seems notorious at this
Thanks for you help......and you explain with details & examples ....thanks again.....
+Danny Chuqui Glad to help
Definitely a helpful video thanks for sharing.
Glad it was helpful!
Ty so much i found the bad coil thanks to your video
I like how you explain how to do it by breaking it down step by step, I appreciate that. I am an inexperienced mechanic I do all the work on all of my vehicles my self and the vehicle that I'm working on now is a 2004 Buick Rainier. So to start off with I have had to replace the exhaust manifold to replace my oxygen sensor cuz I couldn't screw a new one into the manifold so it makes all that I get everything put back together and I start my truck and it started but it's idling really rough and I put a ODB test on it a scan the tool and it told me that cylinder 6 was misfiring so I change the coils and I change the spark plugs and it still stating that I still have a cylinder 6 misfire even though the coils I have put in it have been all good. So do you have any advice to maybe that you could share with me to maybe help me out with this? I really appreciate it. Thank you
Could be a bad spark plug. Swap the suspect coil with another and see if the problem follows it.
Thanks!
Hey CarsNToys! Thank you so much for this video! It was really helpful.
Great Video if your vehicle runs
What about testing the coils secondary phase of the coil.. connecting lead from terminal 1-sparkplug part. Term 2-sparkplug terminal..
Yep... that’s where my Old oil soaked coil reg zero and the New China one off eBay tests zero.... Repair manual says test both on my single cylinder quad...
please what does it mean during the process of testing the coil while the car is on I observed immediately i remove one coil the car went off, does that mean that particular coil is bad?
i'm having this issue on a 95 maxima.
tested coils 1 and 5.
no response so now i'll test your method
I am having issues with a 1996 Honda Accord starts while driving rpm drop to 0 shuts off and won't start after I let it set for a while and will continue only little distance and shut off again and won't start until I let it set
Had a similar issue and it ended up being the harmonic balancer that was failing and it finally did fail.
Awesome my guy
Sir if my car engine shuts down on removing connector of one coil and runs in all other than that coil is faulty or good
recently changed the spark plugs,in about two weeks,the car start loosing power,l had to change down and start again, especially in steep place roads.l find out the coil pack os brocken.l changed it again and in about two weeks ots broken again.do you have any idea why is the coil pack is getting broken quickly?
ford focus EcoBoost 1.0 engine
model 2018
thanks
COOP
Where do you put it in the multimeter?
If the multimeter shows a reading, it means the coil is not good? To be good it all have to be on 0 ?
Coils produce the spark. Pull the packs out one at a time and hold the opening close to the frame of the vehicle. The spark should be easily visible.
In a nissanAltima 3.5 can you test #3 cylinder without removing the intake?
Good Information. But was thinking was going to show a different way of testing
Power balance?
Your video is awesome! Very very detailed! Definitely what was needed! Now I learned how to test each coil pack- I’m replacing all 4 of mine anyway- have brand new OEM ones but love learning how to trouble shoot! Thank you! 😉
Brilliant, man. Thanks for the video.
+Chris Garcez Thanks man. Cheers
+Chris Garcez Thanks man. Cheers
actually some engines have the coils conected in series so if you disconnect one, some other will stop working too. I recommend taking out one by one the coils till you find the one that is not working (the engine doesn't change when you take it out)
Francis JPK I disconnect 1 coil at a time & car shuts off, does it for all 4 of them, I have a 02 corolla, its so strange that the car shuts off
that's weird, maybe the ecu itself shuts off the car when you take off a coil
Francis JPK my new spark plug tip was wet with oil & coil spring, I need a new valve cover gasket
What are terminals 1 and 2 on the coil you are testing? Are they the power and ground to the coil?
i have 3. coils on my pontiac g.prix. how can i do it without removing? is it safe with digital multimeter.kobalt brand. ? thanks alot!
Good vid man
Jason D Tyler Thanks dude
How often do Ignition coils generally last? My car is a 2005 with 153,000 miles. Should I change the ignition coils? Thanks
Thanks. I had one done already on my 2005 Ford Escape. Already had plugs done before that one went out. The number 1 coil. Kinda figured another would go. So back to shop. 😭😭😭 -$$$
Mr. S Mueller how many clicks you have on the car. Why plugs and coils are failing. Go for the root cause. Contact for a tried tested and proven solution to improve the power , mileage and long long engine life extended to 300000 and more kilometers
Thanks
U have ignored the leaky coils which is a very common problem and it's diagnosis is so difficult
I am actually looking for a video with this diagnosis. Any leads?
Had these checked , car is not missfiring but it's got a rough idle and engine power cut comes on until engine is proper hot , after it stops , after a while i get the engine overheating error and oil pressure low , its a n43b20 2.0 bmw 320i
What setting the meter on?? And wht voltage AC or DC? for second check.
If there is no reduction with the rpm does this mean its good?
Good test with unplugging the connector while the engine is working to find not working coil pack. But the test with ohm meter is incomplete - the coil pack is a transformer, a device to convert a 12V pulse into about 30kV. It has two coils: primary, connected between 12V and ground, and the secondary coil, connecting between ground and the spark plug. Very often the primary coil is good but the secondary, the one actually working with high voltage will have a break or short and often it only shows under load or in high temperature of the engine. Just testing primary coil with ohm meter is an incomplete test.
PszemoI can
Might be useful to have a resistance table in both directions.ie. diode measurements are less in one direction, more in another.
Do u know will u get a spark still if secondary is bad
Nice simple old-school way!
+Dave Hak Thanks!
thank you for this
Is there any way unplugging the coil when the vehicle in on can harm the engine?
Right off the batt, you are wrong. There will always be a reading of resistance from cold to Hot. If that Coil pack doesn’t show the proper resistance when cold, it’s bad. If that coil doesn’t show the proper resistance when Hot, it’s bad! They have a range they properly work in. When resistances go to low or high it causes all kinds of problems for the computer. Temperature affects this greatly. With Hyundai, it will not throw a code and run very roughly on cold starts during winter or if a coil pack just decided to say I’m out. Sometimes this can be caused by old spark plugs. Always!!!!! Use OEM spark plugs because they have the resistance that was originally deigned for the spark plugs used! Don’t fall for better plugs that say they are split fire and all kinds of gimmicks! YOU NEED TO KEEP YOUR VEHICLES ORIGINAL RESISTANCE LOAD! Yes, you don’t understand, but we as techs do, so unless your doing some modifications with your engine AND Computer, stop!!!!