coil testing

[Phantom17]

Hey all, I have 2 questions. <br /><br />1. Is there a way to determine that a coil is failing under load vs not under load?<br /><br />2. How many volts should be at the coil while the engine is running.<br /><br />Thanks

 

[waterone1@aol.com]

Re: coil testing

You did not give much information about the year and brand of your engine. In general, coils can die after heating up...it happens. If you have a point ignition system, you should see about 9 volts(referenced to ground) to the positive side of your coil. while hot, on your engine, you should be able to pull the secondary lead from the coil to the distributor and get a good healthy spark several times per second if you hold it (with insulated pliers) a 1/4 inch from the engine block as you crank the motor.