How To Test Motorcycle, ATV & UTV Ignition Coils 

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?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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.....

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

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?

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.

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

That was a clear tutorial!

I wanna see more diagnosing videos like these

Excellent videos ! 👍🏻

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.

Clear and helpful ,thanks .

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?

Many thanks, excellent video.

Great video, so clear and helpful

This channel is the best

Bro, one question I have an xr400 and my black+red and brown wires from the stator give me 600 ohms of resistance, I cannot find the precised info about the reisstance of those wires (coils) do you know if that number is good or my cdi is in danger

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 .

Very useful video. Thank you

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

Thank you for this video! It was super helpful!

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 ??

Awesome, love theese type of videos!

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

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

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

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

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!

Does this apply the same to automotive ignition coils?

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

Great video thanks👍

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

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.

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

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??

Very useful information

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?

How do you test the throttle position sensor?

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

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

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

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

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?

Where to get service manuals?

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.

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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?

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

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

Does the primary side has a continuity?...

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.

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!

8430 multimeter settings. Which ones do we use?

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

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 ..

Thank you sir

Can this cause a ticking noise if it’s bad

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.

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

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?

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

Good video

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

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

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

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

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

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

Good information

For the secondary test does polarity matter?

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

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

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

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

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

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?

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

it is possible to test it for spark by connecting to voltage ? Maybe directly on the bike with a sparkplug inserted in the lead and sparkplug body on bike ground .

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

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

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

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.

That's very funny... at 0:51 you say "you don't need a very expensive one ..." and then show us a Fluke brand, which is one of the most expensive brands out there!

Good video my friend.. keep it up.

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

What if is 8v it good keep going down

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

Nesesito ayuda

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