Starfury

Not quite how it works, jlg. You have to supply voltage to the coil and then remove it. The collapsing magnetic field (after current stops flowing) around the primary windings in the coil is what induces the high voltage in the secondary windings.

If you're questioning the coil, disconnect it and take an ohmmeter between each of the three terminals. You should get resistance from the + to - terminals, and from the + terminal to the output terminal to the distributor.

To test the module, hook a test light up to 12V and touch it to the coil - terminal, then crank the engine. The light should flash.

runway1

Easy enough, thanks!

kalli

check with dwell meter as well, as a testlight with a bulb will rather glow dimmer when flicked on and off rapidly than flash (i guess)

jlg2002

Tad,
Semantic's and I don't think the poster was looking for a physics lesson on how a coil's windings interface. You do not remove voltage from the coil, you switch it's primary winding thus creating magnetic energy through changing current flow characteristics. The coil always has voltage to it on the (+) side. It's what you do with the (-) side that creates the spark thru the magic of transformer action. (put a volt meter on the + side of a running car and you'll see what i mean)
jlg